The Weimar Republic: The Stresemann Years

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The Weimar Republic The Stresemann Years

• What were the successes and failures of Gustav
  Stresemanns era?

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Main Facts

• Gustav Stresemann became chancellor in August
  1923 but was Foreign Minister for much longer
• He believed Germanys problems could be solved
  through careful management of the country and
  working with other nations
• Believed the only way to change the Treaty of
  Versailles was through co-operation with foreign
  countries (people like Hitler heartily
  disagreed!)
• Many call the Stresemann era the Golden Years
  of the Weimar Republic

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What did he do??

• Introduced a new currency (the Rentenmark) and
  cut Government spending to counter hyperinflation
• Helped stifle political uprisings, notably the
  Munich Putsch, and maintained a steady degree of
  political stability. Extremist groups found it
  hard to win seats during his era
• He also arranged many international pacts and
  alliances to improve inter-country relations

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His work as a foreign minister, the role he took
after ending his chancellorship, was particularly
important.

• 1924- DAWES PLAN
• Arranged a USA loan of 800 million marks
• Decreased reparations sum owed
• Increased the time in which reparations had to be
  paid
• 1925- LOCARNO PACT
• Germany, France Belgium
• Agreed to respect their borders
• 1926- JOINED LEAGUE OF NATIONS
• Increased trust with other nations improved
  relations
• 1929- DAWES PLAN
• Increased the time in which reparations had to be
  paid

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Art Culture

• Improved architecture- blend of art
  engineering, Bauhaus group
• Lots of new art
• New theatres and play writers, very successful
• Lots of New German Literature
• Painters
• Jazz music etc
• However some people saw all this as moral decline
• They preferred traditional values
• Saw jazz etc as unpatriotic

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To sum up

• POSITIVES
• More friendly international relations
• Political stability
• Less demand from the public for a return to the
  good old days of the Kaiser- people were
  beginning to accept the republic
• Achievements in art and design

• NEGATIVES
• Success was based on huge loans
• Seen as period of moral decline by many
• Hitler etc disagreed with foreign policy
• Exports fell
• Farmers were in debt
• Some disliked the fact that the Treaty of
  Versailles had not been reversed, and blamed the
  government