Collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi Party

The Weimar Republic On Feb 1919 a new democratic republic led by Friedrich Ebert emerged from the ashes of WW1

Political weaknesses 1 Treaty of Versailles “illegitimate child of defeat” Coalitions/proportional representation Lack of law and order No support from landowners, army, civil service and big business

Political weaknesses 2 Attacked by left wing parties German revolution 1919 Attacked by right wing parties eg Kapp Putsche 1920 Also Hitler’s Munich Putsch of 1923

Political Weaknesses 3 “A republic without republicans” Bookbinder “the stability of Weimar rested on shaky foundations” Bessel “ an accidental republic …….that few Germans understood or appreciated” Fischer

Economic Weaknesses 1 Treaty of Versailles >Iron >coal >industry >reparations

Economic weaknesses 2 Hyperinflation 1923-4 >savings of middle classes wiped out like “leaves in a gale” Wall St. Crash in USA effect on Germany 1931. >Unemployment >support for extremist parties

Economic Weaknesses 3 “the slump had a major effect on the Weimar republic” Hite and Hinton The chances of Weimar democracy surviving were virtually nil” Hite and Hinton

Attraction of Hitler and Nazis Charismatic leader Simple message – Versailles, anti semitism, anti communism Propaganda

Attraction of Hitler and the Nazis 2 “the only party cutting across the political spectrum” Muhlberger “the Nazis could claim to be a volkspartei” Childers

Political Intrigue Groups like the army, landowners and big business hoped to use Nazi support for their own ends Conservative politicians miscalculated Hitler’s ambitions “sordid political intrigue” AJP Taylor “in two months time we will have pushed him….into the corner” Von Papen