Stability and Recovery in Weimar Germany 1925-9 essays

Stability and Recovery in Weimar Germany 1925-9 essays Explain the degree to which the years 1925-9 were a time of economic and political stability for the Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was set up in Germany at the end of the First World War. It was a dramatic transformation from the highly undemocratic, authoritarian Kaiser Reich of the war, and pre war years. It was made up of an extremely democratic voting system, universal suffrage for the over 21s, and had a very proportionately representative Reichstag. With hindsight, we know that the system collapsed and gave way to Hitlers dictatorship in 1933. But it also inherited a broken, divided and demoralised Germany after WWI, and seemed to, at least partially, restore it to success. It is therefore arguable how weak or stable Weimar was. At the end of the Great War, Germany had lost much territory; it had lost 13% of its productivity, 24% of its coal, and 74% of its iron ore. It was paying 6.6 billion in reparations under the Treaty of Versailles. On top of this, Germany had 600,000 war widows and 1.2 million orphans, the government were spending 1/3 of its disposable funds on pensions. The hyperinflation of 1923and the subsequent re-establishment of the currency had brought great misery amongst most Germans, especially the middle classes who had lost their entire life savings. Recalling the economic mess Germany was in when Weimar was established, it seems a phenomenal regeneration had occurred. Helped by the Dawes Plan of 1924 - affordable reparations instalments and foreign investment Germany started to become more economically stable. Unemployment fell rapidly, and there were good conditions for the poor; a generous unemployment benefit and a good wage rise for workers. German industry became more and more profitable. In fact, by 1927 the Gross National Productivity of Germany exceeded that of the whole German empire in 1913. AJ Nicholls argues that the damaging effects of the Treaty o...