WEIMAR REPUBLIC
The Handicaps
GermanyÆs Weimar R
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GermanyÆs Weimar Republic was beset by troubles from the start. Born of the nationÆs humiliating defeat in World War I, it emerged from the chaos of bloody street battles and divisive strikes that all but engulfed German society in the warÆs wake. The so-called elites that had held prewar Germany together never supported the Weimar government, massive war debts fueled runaway inflation that shattered Weimar credibility, harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty burdened the country with huge reparations and occupation troops, and divisions within Germany itself fueled almost continual unrest. Indeed, ôthe frustrations, resentments, and disunity generated by à [the] wartime collapse [of Imperial Germany] became the hallmarks of political discourse in the new republicö (Retallack 1996 91).The structure of the new government itself may have been part of the problem. ôTrue the Weimar constitution was democratic and proclaimed equality before the lawö (Pulzer 1996 306). However, it (arguably) may have placed a bit too much emphasis on democracyÆs participatory aspects, allowing periodic plebiscites on complex and significant issues. On the other hand, it bestowed huge emergency powers upon the president, allowing him, among other things, to dismiss the chancellor, dissolve parliament and call new elections at will. In addition, if a coalition majority could not be reached in parliament, the president could authorize the chancellor to rule by decree (Fulbrook 1
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after the war had ended. Thus, the new Weimar Republic provided a convenient target.
The year 1923 saw the Weimar regime reach its infamous and spectacular monetary crisis in the form of monstrously out-of-control inflation. Once again, the root of the trouble lay in a decision by the Imperial government to finance the war with bond sales rather than tax hikes û investment in which left many German families destitute when Germany lost the war and the bonds were worthless. The crisis slowly came to a head after January when France and Belgium, invoking their powers under the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty, decided to send a total of 100,000 troops to GermanyÆs Ruhr valley to supervise coal production. ôThe Germans responded with a policy of 'passive resistance,Æ ceasing economic production and refusing to cooperate with the occupationö (Fulbrook 1991 33). The need to then subsidize the Ruhr workers quickly became a major burden to the already-fragile German economy.
Even right after the war the German Mark had remained relatively stable, worth about 64.8 to the dollar in January, 1920 (up from 4.2 just before war broke out in 1914). However, by July, 1922, that Mark per dollar figure had risen to 493.2; then to 17,972
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Social Democrats, German Mark, Weimar Republic, Imperial Germany, Marshal Paul, World War, Ruhr Valley, GermanyÆs Ruhr, Versailles Treaty, Hitler Government, fulbrook 1991, weimar republic, harsh terms versailles, ruhr valley, harsh terms, imperial germany, mommsen 1997, 1991 34, social democrats, terms versailles treaty, versailles treaty, fulbrook 1991 34, terms versailles,
Approximate Word count = 1459
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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