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Weimar Republic Collapse

Why was the Weimar government unsuccessful in governing Germany?

The Weimar government was unsuccessful in governing Germany as there were many political, social and economic issues that lead to their collapse. This was a direct result of a series of events occurring in Germany between 1919 and 1933. These were the Kapp Putsch and the French occupation of the Ruhr, which resulted in poor economic health and lead to the establishment of the new currency. There were political forces such as right-wing group NSDAP (Nazis), with Adolf Hitler as their leader, who plotted the ‘Beer Hall’ Putsch against the Republic. A vital and direct cause of the collapse of the Weimar government was the Great Depression in 1929 to 1933

The first plot against the Weimar government was the right-wing attempted putsch, or overthrow known as the Kapp Putsch. This was a plan which, if successful would install Wolfgang Kapp as the leader of a new right-wing government. On 13 March, 1920 the Freikorps entered Berlin. Although the Kapp Putsch was a failure it showed that the democracy had a limited support. As a result of this uprising the SPD was weakened, and their inability to govern Germany became increasingly clear.

The second event and one of the most influential to the state of the economy was the French occupation of the Ruhr, industrial region. French and Belgian troops overtook the Ruhr in 1923, when Germany failed to fulfil the reparation payments of coal and timber to France. There were dire repercussions of the Ruhr crisis, including hyperinflation and an increase in the unemployment rate in Germany. This was a key cause of the collapse of the German economy. Hyperinflation severely effected the German population as entire savings were wiped out and people were unable to afford their basic commodities.

The ‘Beer Hall’ Putsch in 1923, a right-wing take-over, although a failure, was successful in bringing Hitler to national prominence for the first time. The putsch was...