How Did The Weimar Republic Start

After the defeat of Germany in World War One and a day after the Kaiser was forced to abdicate and sent to Belgium, the Weimar republic was born. (10 November 1918). The republic was a democracy-based constitution thought as an emergency solution, set up to alleviate the effects of World War One on the German population. The republic although failed to do so and after the Allies imposed the Treaty of Versailles on Germany, and the republic was forced to sign it, the majority of the German population, who wasn’t exactly thrilled about this new democratic based republic, felt betrayed and angered at the Weimar Republic. It wasn’t exactly the best start for the republic and many Germans will hold this grudge till 1933 and over. But was the republic

The right wing was a strong oppent as well: while the left wing wanted change, the right wing were the ones who supported the Kaiser and its dictatorial styled empire. In March 1920, 5000 Freikorps led by Wolfgang Kapp, started the so called Kapp Putsch, a revolt to take down the Weimar Republic. Ebert turned to the army and officers and asked for support, but they refused to attack the Freikorps. Ebert couldn’t rely on them any longer. At the same time though, the Kapp putsch proved that the newborn government had the support of workers and industrialist, who liked the democratic Germany as, when the Kaiser was ruling Germany, they didn’t have a saying in society, while now they did. Workers and industrialist consisted a major part of German society at the

The German economy was extremely fragile, and the reparations couldn’t be paid. So by January 1923 the French troops were sent in the Ruhr (industrial area) and occupied it, while taking the goods they found. Ebert, to stop the French from depriving the industries, demanded that the workers stopped working. To do so though, he had to pay them. This lead to the government having to print more, and more money and that started a chain reaction. When so much money is in circulation, it loses its value. Now people were losing their lifetime savings. Surely this led to anger and indignation from loads of Germans. Even in this case though, there were some people who were satisficed. People who had to pay their rent for example, now found it a lot easier to do so, thanks to the never-ending flow of money.

On the 9th of November 1923, Hitler attempted to persuade a right wing revolution in Munich, take over the government in Bavaria and take control of the Weimar republic. The ‘Munich Putsch’ was unsuccessful, as the people didn’t rise up against the government and support Hitler, as he was hoping would happen. This shows that the Weimar republic was starting to gain support from more and more people. Hitler was arrested and sentenced five years in prison. He