The Rise and Fall of the Weimar Republic

In 1923, a former World War I soldier by the name of Adolf Hitler

tried to follow Mussolinis example in Italy. Hitler and his thugs, who
were nicknamed The Brown Shirted burst into a beer hall in a town
in Germany called Munich, where a government meeting was about to
start. Hitler climbed onto a table and fired his pistol. The Socialist
Revolution has begun, he said. Hitlers take over would fail and be
put down by German officers. Hitler was found guilty and placed
behind bars. However, his messages and his face would remain with
the German people. Ten years from now, Hitler would make another
bid for power. This time he would succeed. The questions that we still
debate today is why did Germany, which was democratic, free, and
had a constitution become a fascist totalitarian state? How could a
heartless, and ruthless dictator gain the support of so many Germans?
At the end of World War
I, Germany was left in a
terrible position. They
had to pay billions of
dollars in reparations to
the Allies. This was
money they did not have.
Additionally, they did not
have any surplus of
money to use on the
German citizens; such as
the rebuilding of roads,
railroads, factories, farms,
homes, and schools. Also
because of the treaty,
Germany lost several
lands and all its colonies
around the world. These
colonies were valuable in
providing Germany with
resources for
manufacturing and a steady income for government operations. When Germany was
unable to repay the reparations, the Allies placed an interest charge in Germany. Lastly,
the Treaty of Versailles forced the Germans to reduce their army and navy, from 1.2
million to an estimated 300,000. The Kaiser was also forced to step down as king
because of the treaty. After the Kaiser was forced to retire, a new democratic government
was set up in the city of Weimar. It created a democratic government known as the
Weimar Republic, where people had all natural rights, equality of the genders, and the
right to vote for their leaders.

The Weimar Republic had a weak

government. There was no single
person or single party that could win
the majority vote. Thus, the majority
was never happy, or it took years for
the various parties to agree on
something. The German people
dreamed for another strong leader, as
Bismarck and Kaiser William II
was. The Germans hated the
Weimar government, as most
Germans placed blame on the
Weimar government for being
weak, and accepting the blame
placed on them in the World War I treaty. Many Germans were angered that the
Weimar Government continued to pay the reparations instead of helping their own
German people. By 1923, nearly 35% of the Germans were considered broke. 50% of the
Germans were unemployed. Another 28% slept on the streets. During 1923-1932, most
students dropped out of school by fifth grade. In the Germans bitterness (anger), they
looked for scapegoats (people to blame).
After being imprisoned for less than
year, Hitler escaped from prison by
loyal guard. Hitler continued his
work, just as before he was
imprisoned. He began placing
blames on Jews, stating that
Germans belonged to a superior
race, and was born to rule over
people like the Jews. He stated that
the Germans never lost World War I,
but rather, was betrayed by a
conspiracy made by Jews, capitalists, democrats, corrupt German leaders, and
socialists. To regain German glory, Hitler urged Germans everywhere to unite under
him, and display nationalism. He urged Germans to stop respecting the Treaty of
Versailles and its conditions. His political party became known as the Nazi Party.

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Part 1 Complete the following regents multiple-choice questions.

1) Which event occurred first and led to the other three?
A) Rise of fascism in Europe
B) Bolshevik Revolution
C) World War I
D) Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
2) Which statement best explains why many Germans became discontent with the
Weimar Republic in the early 1930s?
A) The failure to slow population growth in Germany had created shortages of basic
necessities
B) The leaders of the German government were not elected by universal suffrage
C) The German Government had refused to join the League of Nations
D) Germany was experiencing widespread unemployment and other economic problems
3) One reason the Fascists governments of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler came to
power in Italy and Germany was that these nations
A) were threatened by the United States
B) failed to join the League of Nations
C) supported civil liberties for all
D) faced economic and political difficulties
Part 2 Choose 2 out of the following 3 questions to answer in responses that consist of
at least EIGHT SENTENCES. Complete a third question for extra credit. Your answers
should include plenty of detail, evidence, analysis, and answering the question WHY.
1) What were some problems the Weimar Republic faced after World War I?
2) Do you think Hitler will get elected as the new leader of Germany? Why or why not?
3) Who is to blame for Germanys problems after World War I?
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