What was the economic and political impact of the Treaty of

Versailles on the Weimar Republic?

By the end of the lesson you will:1.Know the terms of the Treaty of Versailles2.Know and explain the cause of hyperinflation in 19233.Have started to analyse the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Weimar Republic

Overview of the Treaty of Versailles

• Territorial losses• 10% of land, all oversees colonies, 12.5 % of its population,

16% of coal and 48% of its iron industry

• Military restrictions• Army reduced to 100,000, no air force, navy reduced to 6

battleships

• Diktat• Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war

• Reparations (Economic clause)• 132 billion gold marks (£6,600 million)

Territorial losses

Ebert had no choice but to sign. However, other Germans were not happy with this treaty.

• How would the following groups feel about the signing of the Treaty of Versailles?

The Right wing (Kapp and the Friekorps)The Left wing (Luxembourg and the

Spartacists)MonarchistsWorking class GermansIndustrialists

What impact did the Treaty have on the Republic?

1. Give evidence of how each were affected by the Treaty.

2. Which factor was most damaged by the Treaty and why?

Use pages 253 – 258 of Walsh to help you complete this diagram.

Source work

Source A : A woman burning worthless banknotes in 1923

Source B : Children using bank notes as building blocks

What can you learn about the state of the German economy in 1923 from sources A and B?

“From Sources A and B I can learn ….. about the German economy. I can prove this where it shows ……”

Source C : Clemenceau the Vampire

What was the message of this cartoon?

Think about the techniques used, any bias, audience, message, symbols etc.

“The message of the cartoon is ….. You can tell this because ….”

Source D : Professor Jay Winter, academic historian

“The majority of the German nation shared the position that Hitler took on the Treaty of Versailles: that it was unfair, and that the imposition on Germany of the sole responsibility for the war, was wrong.”

How far do sources A, B and C agree with the views of Professor Winter, in Source D?

Think about where the sources agree with D, where they disagree, if you can rely on them and whether their reliability affects how far they agree with D.

“In some ways Sources A, B and C do agree with Source D. For example …. This can be seen in source x where it shows / says……In other ways the sources do not agree with Source D….. “Repeat procedure above!

Chronology of economic collapseSoon prices were inflating so fast that it became known as hyperinflation.

As workers spent money in shops, shop keepers put up prices.

German workers were ordered to go on strike in the Ruhr but continued to get paid.

French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr in response to the German government’s failure to pay the reparations they owed.

The German government printed lots of money to pay striking workers AND pay the money they owed France and Belgium.

The German government printed even more money … so shops raised their prices again.

Read pages 256 to 258 of Walsh to help you sort these statements in to a sensible order to tell the story of the 1923 economic collapse.

Now check the story against the flow diagram below

How would the following have felt about the hyperinflation?

• An elderly woman, living alone on her fixed pension

• A school leaver who was looking for his first job• A farmer who had borrowed money in 1919

and owed 5000 marks• A married couple who had saved all their lives

for retirement and had 20,000 marks in the bank

Discussion points

Was the hyperinflation caused by the

Treaty of Versailles?

“Believe me, our misery will increase. The State itself has

become the biggest swindler … Horrified people notice that they

can starve on millions … we will no longer submit … we want a

dictatorship!”

Do you think German people agreed with this statement by

Hitler in 1924?

What was the economic and political impact of the Treaty of

Versailles on the Weimar Republic?

Can you now:1.Describe the terms of the Treaty of Versailles2.Explain the cause of hyperinflation in 19233.Analyse the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Weimar Republic