SpartacistUprising(left)&Kapp Putsch(right)
ToknowwhathappenedinbothoftheseuprisingsandevaluatesourcesAim:
WhatcanyouinferfromthispictureaboutthestabilityoftheWeimarRepublic?
WhatdidEbertdo?
WhatwouldyoudoifyouwereEbert?
Thesefirstfewmonthshaven’tbeeneasy,theReichstagissplit,
therearetoomanyparties,andtheextremerightandleftpartieshave
enoughseats(20%)tobeanuisance!
Totopitoff,thereareriotsandrebellionsalloverGermany!TheyaresayingtheywantaRussianstylerevolutioninGermany,theCommunistsaregettingsupport!
1)MakeadealwiththeArmy
2)MakeadealwiththeCommunistparty
3)AllowGermanytoturncommunist?
Ebertmadeadealwiththearmyleader,Groener,theywouldsupporttheWeimarRepublicagainstanyrevolution,Ebertwouldsupport&supplythearmyfurther,makinghimdependentonit,weakeningthenewrepublicfurther
TheSpartacistRevolt(Left-wing)
FactFile:
• NamedaftertheRomanslaveSpartacistwhoroseupagainsttheRomans
• LedbyRosaLuxemburg(RedRosa)&KarlLiebknecht
• CAUSE: SparkedbythesackingofapolicechiefinBerlinbyEbert
• Rebelscalledforuprisingandgeneralstrikeon6January1919
• 100,000 workerstooktothestreets• Seizedthegovernment’snewspaper
offices• Weimargovernmentwaslosingcontrol
ofBerlin! WhatcanEbertdo?
Ebertcouldcallonthedealhe’sjustmadewiththearmy,buttheywereinnoshapesosoonafterthewar,sohecalledontheFreikorps
TheendoftheSpartacistRebellion:
• Freikorps- Thousandsofsoldiersreturnedfromthewarandhadkepttheirweapons
• Manywererightwingandhatedthecommunists
• 250,000weremobilised byEbert
• TheunarmedworkerswerenomatchfortheFreikorpsandweredrivenawayby13th January
• 16th January,LuxemburgandLiebknechtwerearrestedandkilled,Luxemburghadbeenshotintheheadanddumpedinthecanal
• TheLeft-wingcommunistrebellionhadbeenshutdown… fornow…TheFreikorpsinfrontofthecaptured
communistnewspaperofficesinJanuary1919
Interpretationtask:
IntheLEFT eye• DrawwhatamemberoftheSpartacistUprisingmightseeinthestreetsofGermany• WritearoundtheLEFTframewhattheSpartacistswanted
IntheRIGHT eye• WhatmightamemberoftheFreikorpsbelookingat?• WritearoundtheRIGHTframewhataboutwhotheFreikorpswereandwhatthey
did
TheKapp Putsch(Right-wing)
FactFile:
• BeganMarch13th,1920• 5000armedFreikorpsmarchedon
Berlinandtookcontrolofthecity• WolfgangKapp wasputforward
astheirpoliticianfigurehead• Declaredanewgovernmentand
invitedKaiserWilhelmIIback• Ebert’sactions:Ebert’s
governmentfledtoWeimarurgingtheBerlinerstogoonstrike,whichtheydidastheydidn'twanttheKaiserback
• Majorservicesstopped(gas,electric,water,transportetc)
• Kapp wasarrestedafter4 daysandtherebellionwasover!
HavingputdowntheSpartacist(left-wing)rising,whatdidEberthavetodealwithnextinJune1919? TreatyofVersailles
Asyouknow,thiscausedmuchanger inGermany,sounsurprisingly,therewasanotherrebellion…
MaincausesoftheKapp Putsch:
• EbertwasdisbandingtheFreikorps,theydidn'tfeelthiswasfairafterputtingdowntheSpartacists
• Fearofcommunism• Dolchstoss• Severity&angeratVersailles
CouldEbertcallontheFreikorpsthistime?Whatabouttheactualarmy?(ThinkbacktoTreatyofVersailles)
Furtherpoliticalviolence:“Havingsuccessfullyputdowntheserebellions,Ithoughtwe’dbeabletogetbackonwithrebuildingourcountry!Butno,mycouncillor HugoHasse,Erzberger (whosignedthearmistice)andmyforeignministerRathenau haveallbeenmurdered!Thatis376politicalassassinationsandtomakeitworse,thejudgesarenotprosecutingthosewith
rightwingsupport!
It’sjustbeenonethingafteranotherinthesefirst3years,surely1923willbebetterforournewRepublic??”
Copythisdiagram,
Rankthechallengesinorderofmosttoleastdangerous
EarlychallengestotheWeimarRepublic
Homework– ReviseforyourfirstGermanyassessment
ItwillbeontheTreatyofVersailles(12markessay)and2inferencequestions,aswellasakeyworddefinitiontest.
Itisonshowmyhomework:
Rememberthewalkthroughguidetopaper3intheGCSEsectionofour
website: