1. THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC UNDER GUSTAV STRESEMANN

2.                         
Gustav Stresemann

3. THE FACTS Stresemann was Chancellor in 1923 only.
His main role was as Foreign Minister from 1924
He was a right-winger and more able than Ebert
He built up Germany’s prosperity again although all of Europe was recovering
He signed Germany up to the Dawes Plan in 1924

4. Tid-Bits
In the so-called year of crises (1923) he showed strength by calling-off the popular passive resistance at the Ruhr.
Since Germany was no longer able to pay the striking workers, more and more money was printed, which finally led to hyperinflation. Hans Luther, who was the current finance minister, ended this disastrous process by introducing a new currency, the Rentenmark, which reassured the people that the democratic system was willing and able to solve urgent problems.

5. THE DAWES PLAN - 1924 Germany’s reparations paid over a longer period
America lent money to German industry and also to the Government to pay reparations
German currency reorganised
Rep’s
loans
USA
Germany
GB & FRANCE
War debts

6. Foreign Policy Stresemann showed real skill in foreign policy – 1925
Locarno Treaties – 1925
1926 – Germany joined the League of Nations
Germany signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact in August It renounced the use of violence to resolve international conflicts.
Young plan – 1929 (Replaced Dawe Plan)
After a number of years in the wilderness Germany was accepted back into the international community

7. Locarno Treaties
Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland met at Locarno in Switzerland.
Signed a number of treaties to settle disputes between themselves
France, Belgium and Germany agreed to accept borders as drawn up by Treaty of Versailles
Rhineland stayed demilitarised
France would protect Poland and Czechoslovakia if attacked by Germany
Germany would not use force to settle disputes with neighbours

8. League of Nations
The League of Nations was the fore runner of the United Nations
Its aims were to:
prevent aggression by any nation
Encourage co-operation between nations
Work towards international disarmament
Improve the living and working conditions of all people
The core was collective security – members of the League could prevent war by acting together .

9. Young Plan
Much like the Dawe plan, the Young Plan further reduced Germany’s reparations to the “Big Three.” Also, it spread the payments out further.

10. Other features of the Stresemann Years
Golden age of German cinema
Night life, cabaret
Removal of censorship
Unemployment and poverty still high
Growing prosperity based on USA loans –
what would happen if USA wanted the money back ?
POSITIVES
negatives

11. Anything else?
Stresemann wasn’t popular with either the extreme nationalists like Hitler and the Nazis, or with the Communists
Hitler disliked the League because it supported the Treaty of Versailles
BUT both the Nazis and the Communists made little progress in these years because people were much better off and their EXTREME ideas did not appeal to people