Weimar Republic: Prospects for Survival
Germany, after the I World War collapsed, and in 1919 the Weimar Republic was formed. It was supposed to be a democratic regime, which was to rebuild the country after the war, and create a stable, predictable country. Unfortunatelly, many aspects connected with economy,political affairs, tradition, the wartime experience and strict reparations and territory losses, complicated the situation in the Weimar Republic and doomed it from the beginning. The new government had to operate in times of a great crisis, additionaly strenghtened by harsh decisions and policies ( until 1924, when Stresemann compromiced with the West ) of the significant countries that had won the war ( USA, France, UK ).
The first event that made the future of the Weimar Republic uncertain, was the creation of a new parliamentary government by general Ludendorff, who after the failure in September 1918, adviced the Kaiser to give away the power to the people. He hoped that the new government would gain better peace terms, and be blamed for the failure, as it would suprisingly end the war. The shock of defeat, combined with the "stab in the back" myth, will be the domain in peoples thinking for a certain period of time. People did not understand how was it possible, they returned homes and discovered that there is nothing to eat, no place to work and no perspectives. Money, that could be spent on improvement of situation or creation of new work places, had to be spent on reparations. The concept of Wilson`s "14 points" ( "peace without victory" ) was rejected, and Germanys economic and social problems enlarged. Moreover Germany lost 13% of territory, for example very important Saar, or Alsace-Lorraine and Rhineland was demilitarised. The state and its economy were destroyed after the war, people desperate, additionaly the hyper-inflation started and this all lead to extention of a political chaos and domestic problems, resulting from race to power ( first crisis was in early 1919, as the Spartacist rising took place or the "Kapps putch" in march 1920 ). The activity of the government was harshly criticised by communists, SPD and other political organisations, moreover the myth of the "November criminals" and "stab in the back still remained". The hostility towards the Versailles treaty was transfered to hostility towards the Weimar Republic and that is why many demogogs and political extremists gained support. Although in reality, the burden of...