Why was 1923 a year of

crisis for the Weimar

Republic?

Source Activity
For your source you need to:
Briefly describe what the source is
What you can work out/ infer by examining the
source carefully

'when we have paid one hundred billion marks then i can give you something to
eat'

Cost of a Loaf of Bread

1918 - 0.63 marks
1922 - 163 marks
January 1923 - 250 marks
July 1923 - 3465 marks
Sept 1923 - 1,512,000 marks
Nov 1923 - 201,000,000,000 marks
Exchange rate
1921 1 = 500 marks
Nov 1923 1 = 14,000,000,000,000 marks

Two German women were out shopping

when they saw a large crowd gathered
outside a shop. They put down their
baskets of money to have a closer look.
When they returned they found that their
baskets had both been stolen and the
money was all still there.

The bank deeply regrets that it can no

longer administer your deposit of 68,000
marks since the costs are out of all
proportion to the capital. Since we have
no bank notes of small enough
denomination at our disposal, we have
rounded out the sum to one million marks.
Enclosed: 1,000,000 mark bill
Letter to a German Worker regarding his
life savings

Why was 1923 a year of crisis for

the Weimar Republic?
Hyperinflation - A situation where prices
spiral out of control and confidence is lost
in a countries currency. The resulting
effect is the currency becomes
increasingly devalued.
Passive Resistance Refusal to work
with occupying Forces

P56 / P57 Layton Economic

Background

Economic
problems facing
Germany following
WWI

Rolanda Pensioner
Age 76
Retired Factory Worker
Life Savings of 10, 000 Marks
to pay for her retirement
Just sold her house for 30, 000
Marks to buy a smaller property
and live off the profit .
Has a fixed income of 100
Marks a week

Hans - Debtor
One of life's dreamers
Likes to have all the latest
gear fast cars, fast bikes
and lots of women.
Has amounted huge
debts over the past year
that amount to over 55,
000 marks
Has a taken out a loan of
60, 000 marks to pay off
his debt
Recently lost his high
paid job and has been
forced to work as a street
cleaner getting 125 Marks
a week

Heidi Young Working Class

Age 24
Just starting out in life
Has no savings
Has some small debts
Works as an office clerk
Gets paid 200 Marks a
week.

Adelmo - Middle Class

Factory Manager For a Steal
Works in the Ruhr.
Well educated
Owns his own house valued at
50, 000 marks
Has amassed savings of over
150, 000 marks
Has no debts
Has planned for the future and
has a pension fund of over 100,
000 marks.

What caused such high levels of

inflation?
Using p57 / p60 of Layton summarise the
main causes of Hyperinflation.
Make sure you explain clearly Short,
Medium and Long Term causes

What were the consequences of

the Great Inflation?
What impact did Hyperinflation have on
the different social groups within
Germany?
Who were the winners and losers of
Hyperinflation?
What other effects did hyperinflation have
on the German Nation?