Lesson 3 – Economic Problems of the Weimar Republic Essential Question What were the cause and effects of the Weimar economy on the German people? Learning Outcomes - Students will: Preview – Useless money Learn about the economic problems of early Weimar Learn how the economic problems were solved Success Criteria I can explain the economic problems faced by the Weimar Republic

Preview What are these people playing with/sweeping? What would you do if you saw that in the streets of Genoa? So why would these people be doing these things?

Vocab Inflation Ruhr Crisis Hyperinflation Passive Resistance Munich Beer Hall Putsch Chancellor Stresemann Rentenmark

Inflation Inflation – the value of money decreases, so that people have to pay more and more for goods and services Why? The war had weakened the economy French demands for Germany to start to pay reparations immediately led to great financial strain

Ruhr Crisis: 1923~25 Germany couldn’t pay the second reparation payment in 1922 because of inflation 11 January 1923 – French and Belgian troops occupy the industrial Ruhr region of Germany in order to take their reparations by force German workers went on strike and refused to produce goods for the French The workers became German heroes, but the strike only made the economic situation worse In our cafes we put up signs saying, ‘No Dogs or French allowed!’

Ruhr Crisis: 1923~25 Economic? Hyperinflation – prices increase while currency decreases rapidly workers had to paid twice a day and given half-hour breaks so that they could spend their wages before they became worthless Savings were completely wiped out Social? Passive resistance – led to the deaths of German workers, French and Belgian soldiers check German passports in their own land Political? Munich Beer Hall Putsch – Hitler tries to take advantage of the chaos and stage a failed coup 50 million mark banknote 1923 Two men sell paper money by weight. Their sign indicates that money is worth more than bones, but less than rags.

Problem Solving