Dianah

Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic

However, many historians believe that the strength and success of the Weimar republic was largely an illusion:

1.  It depended on economic success and prosperity, and this in turn was wholly based on American loans.  If anything happened to undermine the American economy, the Weimar Republic would be in great danger.

2.  As soon as economic prosperity returned, the Great Coalition organised by Stresemann collapsed, and the moderate pro-democracy parties began to argue among themselves again.  Thus they would not be strong enough to resist a challenge from extremist parties if ever there was one.

3.  Extremist politicians were not won over by the good times.  Right-wing nationalists still hated the Republic as the 'November criminals' - they just waited for a situation to arise which would give them the opportunity to attack the Weimar government.

  

In this way, the Wall Street collapse of 1929 was to prove a disaster for the Weimar republic.

Germany had lost 2 million men in the war. These were the core of Germany's work force and Germany's industrial base could not recover without them. Therefore, it seemed that in December 1918, Germany was condemned to economic weakness.

Communism had also taken a hold in Germany - and this group, known as the Spartacists, were determined to bring down Ebert and set up a communist style government in Berlin.

The war had brought :

economic disaster to Germany

a serious loss of man power

near total disrespect for the government

many thousands of armed and disillusioned former soldiers roaming the streets

a civilian population traumatised by the impact of the war

The most obvious was Ebert's inability to control Berlin. Such was the violence and chaos in Germany's capital city between the German Communists and the Freikorps and army, that the government moved to the nearest large city which was 'peaceful' and set up government there. This was the city of Weimar. Hence the name of Germany from 1919 to 1933. However, how could Ebert's government appear strong when it had fled its own capital?

Ebert had inherited a far worse problem. Many soldiers had returned from the war with their weapons. Their retreat had been so haphazard that there had been no formal disarming of soldiers. Germany was littered with weapons. Soldiers had been greatly angered by the defeat and they blamed the government - which happened to be Ebert's. These men could not be disarmed nor were they loyal to the government. They were potentially a serious source of trouble. Ironically, it was not Ebert's fault that Germany had lost the war. The incompetence of the military leaders was forgotten and the government of the time of the Armistice was blamed.