Gustav Stresemann

1
Gustav Stresemann

• Germanys Greatest Statesman J Wright.

2
Career

• Founder / Leader of the DVP
• August 1923 Stresemann becomes Chancellor for a
  brief time in Weimars darkest period.
• He was to remain as Foreign minister until his
  death on 3rd October 1929.

3
Aims and Methods

• Stresemanns long term goal was the revision of
  the hated Versailles Treaty while at the same
  time seeking rapprochement with the Allies.
• However because of German military weakness he
  could only pursue his ends through negotiation
  and open diplomacy.
• He used Germanys economic potential and links
  with Russia to put pressure on the Allies to
  improve relations with Germany.
• He tried to reassure France that Germany wasnt a
  threat by his policy of Erfullungspolitik
  (fulfilment).

4
Success?

• Astonishingly successful ( Kolb)
• 1923 Germany isolated and vulnerable
• 1929 USA had been won over to assist German
  recovery

• From the longer term perspective he achieved
  very little (SJ Lee)
• Terms of Versailles intact
• Stresemanns own assessment dancing on edge of
  volcano

5
Hyperinflation

• Appointed Chancellor in August 1923.
• In November Stresemann took decisive action to
  call off passive resistance.
• New currency, the Rentenmark, was quickly
  accepted.
• Stresemann lost the confidence of the Reichstag
  and was forced to resign but his successor
  appointed him Foreign Minister.

6
Foreign Policy

• The central objective of Stresemanns foreign
  policy was the restoration of Germany as a
  sovereign great power with equal rights (
  Kolb)
• Stresemann believed that the revival of German
  power would inevitably lead to revision of the
  treaty.while he lived, Europe moved towards
  peace and treaty revision at the same time. AJP
  Taylor

7
The Debate

• Was Stresemann being pragmatic or devious?
• Nothing great and permanent has ever been done
  in the world without give and take, compensation
  and compromise Stresemann.

8
Dawes Plan 1924

• Named after the American banker who helped draft
  the plan.
• Total payments unchanged at 132,000 million
  marks.
• However annual payments reduced to take account
  of economic performance 1,000 million in the
  first five years rising to 2,500 million.

9
Benefits of the plan

• The French agreed to leave the Ruhr and the
  Allies undertook not to occupy German cities in
  the event of non payment
• The Germans were given an 800 million mark loan
• However the German railway system and allied
  control of the Reichsbank was given as security
  for the loan

10
Results of the Dawes Plan

• The Dawes Plan provided short term economic
  benefits to the German economy.
• It softened the burdens of reparations,
  stabilized the currency, and brought increased
  foreign investments and loans to the German
  market.
• However, it made the German economy dependent on
  foreign markets and economies, such that problems
  in America (e.g. the Great Depression) would
  directly and severely hurt Germany
• After World War I, this cycle of money from US
  loans to Germany, who made reparations to other
  European nations, who used the money to pay off
  their debts to America, locked the western
  world's economy on that of the US, a situation
  which would prove disastrous.

11
Locarno 1925

• The cartoon shows Stresemann, Briande and Austen
  Chamberlain the French and British Foreign
  Ministers
• Germany accepted Western borders as laid down by
  the Versailles treaty.
• Germany also signed treaties with Poland and
  Czechoslovakia agreeing not to use force to
  revise Eastern Borders

12
The Spirit of Locarno?

• Stresemann and Briande jointly awarded the Nobel
  peace prize.
• By means of Locarno Germany had finally broken
  out of her moral and political isolation of the
  post war years ( Kolb)
• the most important and significant development
  based on the European order of 1919 Scheider

13
League of Nations 1926

• Germany invited to join proposed by France
• Given Great power status with veto on council.
• Could not join in collective action because
  disarmed
• Stresemann used every opportunity to raise issues
  of German minorities

14
Treaty of Berlin

• Stresemann used relations with the USSR as a
  lever to get concessions from the West.
• In 1926 he signed the Treaty of Berlin which had
  secret economic and military clauses

15
Allied Occupation

• 1924-5 French troops left the Ruhr
• 1925 Area around Cologne evacuated by Allied
  troops
• 1929-30 Allied occupation of the Rhineland ended
  early

16
Disarmament

• 1926 Allied Military control commission which
  monitored the military terms of Versailles
  withdrew
• 1928 Kellog Briande pact outlawed war
• Germany was secretly rearming

17
Success or Failure?

• No man. did more to destroy the Treaty of
  Versailles Marks
• Reparations reduced and rescheduled
• Early evacuation of the Rhineland
• Restoration of German prestige on joining League
• Stresemann lucky because the Western Allies were
  more sympathetic towards Germany in this period.
• Domestic politics were more peaceful and allowed
  him to concentrate on Foreign policy

• Peukert argues that by 1929 it was clear that
  Stresemanns policy of combining revisionism with
  rapprochement failed.
• Germany was more dependent on America and
  vulnerable to instability of world markets.
• Few concessions had been granted.
• Still demilitarised
• His policy had failed to rally support behind the
  Weimar

18
Good European or Good German?

• Gave up his nationalist past
• Idealist
• Sincere
• Sought rapprochement
• Germany desires to cooperate on the basis of
  mutual confidence with all nations in the league
  Stresemanm

• German nationalist through and through.
• Opportunist
• Deceitful
• German policy must be one of machination
  Stresemann

19
Controversy

• Up until 1935 and after 1945 Stresemann was much
  admired.
• After release of his complete diaries there was a
  reassessment of his transformation from a
  nationalist to a European.
• Crucial letter to Crown Prince.
• Almost all recent research agrees that he was
  coolly calculating realist, nationalist power
  politician ( Kolb)

20
Assessment of Stresemann

• Without a doubt Stresemanns contribution
  towards the steady improvement in Germanys
  international fortunes was a significant one. On
  the other hand a favourable, international
  situation, American financial support and
  Germanys growing economic power probably
  contributed as much Carr