Unit C of the Edexcel GCSE History Course is all about 'Life in Germany c1919c1945' as you probably already know. So today's revision help is going to
touch on a large topic within the unit: 'Reasons why the people of Germany
hated the Weimar Republic'. This is one of the most crucial parts of the entire
unit so you absolutely must know this inside out. Trust me.
Now, there are four main reasons which, if asked in an exam, you could
answer with. They are as follows:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Problems with the Constitution
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Hyperinflation and the French Occupation of the Ruhr
The Depression and Unemployment
Okay, so this seems a little daunting to put into an essay in an exam, but it’s
actually dead easy. And here’s how to do it:
(First start with a brief introduction to your essay. Remember, 2 or 3 lines are all
you need. Just give an overview without going into too much detail, which will
come later on in the main body of the essay).
Then start with your first point, making sure that you stick to the question:
The Weimar Constitution itself proved to be problematic for the Fatherland. The
electoral system of proportional representation meant that many minority extremist
parties could gain a foothold in the Reichstag. It was due to this that many years
later the Nazis came to power. This system meant that there was rarely a single
party government as no one party could gain the support of a majority in the
Reichstag; this led to many weak coalitions who quickly collapsed before being able
to have any real effect over Germany. Article forty-eight of the constitution stated
that in certain circumstances the president could take 'emergency measures' and
allowed him to rule by decree meaning he could bypass the Reichstag and make his
own laws. This effectively meant that Germany would function under a dictatorship.
Then move on to your next point:
The people of Germany were deeply shocked and angered at the Weimar Republic
for their signing of the Treaty of Versailles. They felt that the terms of it were overlysevere and undeservedly oppressive. The Treaty included Territorial terms that
involved giving areas of land, such as Alsace-Lorraine, the Saarland and Germany’s
overseas colonies to neighbouring countries and the League of Nations, respectively.
This angered Germans because of the amount of living space and industrial area,
which was being taken from them. Germany was also forcibly made to pay
reparations of £6600 million which was to be paid in annual instalments, something
which the country could not possibly afford and was ordered to massively cut its
military to just 100000 troops aswell as the prohibition of military aircraft,
submarines and the demilitarization of the Rhineland. Germans were further angered
that they had to pay ridiculous sums of money to the Allies and that they had to
destroy their own status as a world power, by destroying their own army. The term
that they resented the most, however, was the War Guilt- Article 231 which stated
that Germany was to blame for the cause of WWI. On the contrary, the German
people believed that others had caused the war and that it had acted in self-defence.
The Republic’s acceptance of these terms deeply angered the Germans, who felt that
the Weimar Republic had signed the Treaty without their consent.
Now for your third point:
By 1922, the German government were unable to pay their first instalment of
reparations. Therefore, in January 1923, French troops marched into the Ruhr (the
industrial area of Germany which produced coal, steel and iron) in order to regain
some form of payment that they were owed. The Weimar government encouraged
factory workers in the Ruhr to go on strike, promising them that they would still pay
their wages. However, this proved to have extreme consequences on Germany, as
the Weimar Republic ended up printing more and more banknotes. Gradually, the
Reichsmark was becoming more and more worthless as Germany suffered from
hyperinflation. By November 1923, the exchange rate was a phenomenal 4.2 billion
marks to the dollar. Many people lost all their savings, including pensioners and
workers as basic necessities such as bread costed one and a half million marks. The
Weimar Republic became more unpopular than ever before.
And now for your final point:
As part of the Dawes Plan of 1924, Germany borrowed some $3000 million from US
banks, which they used to stabilise their industry. However, in October 1929, the
Wall Street Crash took place. It struck the New York stock exchange as the value of
shares collapsed. Many US businesses were ruined and the USA had no choice but to
demand their loans back from Germany. This resulted in many German businesses
being forced to close, as by 1933, 6.1 million Germans were unemployed. 40% of
these were factory workers and 60% of university graduates were unemployed. This
resulted in many families suffering from poverty aswell as the Weimar Republic
having to raise taxes, in order to help the rising number of unemployed. Many
Germans once again, blamed the Weimar Republic, for being far too dependant on
US loans.
(Now end your essay with a brief conclusion, summing up the points you have
made. This also does not have to be very long).
Be sure to understand all the key words highlighted in yellow and make sure
you include them in your answer.
And there you have it, a model answer all about why the German people
hated the Weimar Republic. Revise this well and good luck with the rest of
your revision.
Signing off,
Revision Help 