Global History II: The Rise of Hitler and the NAZI Party in Germany.
After the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Germany was known as the Wiemar Republic. It had a very liberal Constitution with many political parties.
However: the Constitution had a clause that would be fatal to its existence. This was the Enabling Clause which gave the President supreme powers in times of an emergency. .
But: it was unstable and unpopular. What made it so unpopular among many Germans was the fact that it had signed the hated Treaty of Versailles, and so its leaders were denounced as the November Traitors.
In 1919 there were revolutions throughout Germany, especially Berlin, backed by the Bolsheviks and Communists. Right-wing armed groups attacked them, and ultimately, the government regained control. Even so, the government had many enemies that wanted to see it destroyed. Many wanted a return the day of Germanys military and territorial glory before WW I. The Army, in particular, was never very loyal to the new state.
The Weimar Republic actually saw the flowering of the arts in Germany, especially the cinema. Berlin had the largest movie studio in Europe. .
In 1925 Paul von Hindenburg became the President. .
One problem the government had to face was the huge cost of Reparations to France and other countries.
France demanded payments in kind: timber and coal, and was ready to invade the Rhineland to get these goods. The German government told its workers refuse to work and give these goods to the French.
The economy collapsed, as the currency became worthless in the period of terrible inflation. It took millions, then billions, of marks to purchase everyday items. Fixed incomes and pensions became worthless. Fortunately, the USA stepped in with the Dawes Plan to provide financial aid to Germany. The currency was restored, and economic life slowly restarted. .
For a time, it seemed that Germany would recover. But, its economy was now linked to that of the United States.
