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: