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{{Mediawiki:Great Depression}}
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====Background====
After the failure of the last great German offensive in the western front in 1918, it was clear that Germany would lose the war. Because of the war and the Allied blockade, many Germans were on the verge of starvation. There were waves of strikes and communists and socialists were actively demonstrating against the government. The German Field Marshal Ludendorff, who had effectively been the military dictator of Germany was dismissed, and the Imperial government sought to make peace with the allies. As the government was negotiating peace terms with the Allies, a revolution broke out in German. Workers went on strike and established committees that seized control of many urban centers. In response, the Social Democrat leader Erbert demanded to become Chancellor of Germany. He and others declared the Weimar Republic in November 1918. Soon after elections were held and the Social Democrats formed the first government. The Constitution of the Weimar Republic established it as a ‘presidential republic.<ref>,Weitz, Eric D. (2007). ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691157960/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691157960&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=46921ce8ca0d7bc29fbb239b1349b82e Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy]''. Princeton: Princeton University Press, p.17.</ref>
The Weimar Republic had to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles with the victorious allied and implement its perceived harsh conditions, such as the payment of war reparations to France and other countries, loss of territories and colonies and the limits sets on Germany’s army.<ref> Weitz, ''Weimar Germany'' p. 19.</ref> These negotiations made the government extremely unpopular with many in the traditional elite and the army. The first government of the Weimar Republic was effectively coerced into signing the Treaty of Versailles. One of the chief goals of successive Weimar governments was to renegotiate or to alleviate the terms of what many Germans saw as an ‘unjust and infamous treaty’.<ref> Nicholls, Anthony James (2000). ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312233515/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312233515&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c73d8de75e0efebecb8d0388f55c8f79 Weimar And The Rise Of Hitler]''. New York: St. Martin's Press, p. 111.</ref>
The Weimar Republic was able to resist the extremists’ attempts to seize power.<ref>, Harman, p. 119.</ref> However, the Republic because of its poor economic decisions and the effect of reparations resulted in hyperinflation. Inflation rose, and the price of essential goods rose dramatically. Inflation caused bankruptcies, strikes and extraordinary poverty. Many Germans starved at this time. Yet the Weimar Republic was resilient and survived the challenges. In part because many Germans feared that it would be replaced by something worse such as Communism.<ref>Chris Harman (1982). ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160846539X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=160846539X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=cf07b5301857a931076e6f387a87ce52 The Lost Revolution: Germany 1918–1923]''. Bookmarks. p. 89. </ref>
Despite the hyperinflation and extremist violence, the Weimar Republic survived, and democratically elected governments were able to make significant changes to the German economy and society. Able politicians like Gustave Stresemann were able to secure changes amendments to the financial clauses of the Versailles Treaty, and this helped the economy to improve. He was also able to secure loans from the United States to help Germany recover from the war and hyperinflation. <dh-ad/>
The Weimar Republic was also able to improve relations with other countries such as France. German culture also flourished at this time, and Berlin became a famous artistic center at this time. By 1928, it appeared that the Weimar Republic was a success and would provide Germany with a stable and democratic form of government for many years to come. The left and right wing extremists during these years had been marginalized, but they still had significant popular support.<ref>Harman, p. 8.</ref>
*[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]
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Updated October 15November 14, 2018
====References====
[[Category:Wikis]]
[[Category:German History]][[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]] [[Category:World War One History]][[Category:Political History]]
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