When Germany was defeated in the First World War, the
country was left with political instabilities. King Kaiser William II fled to
Holland to save his life. To get hold of the situation, National Assembly met
at Weimer to establish a republic. This Weimar Republic had to face several
challenges –
1. Weimar Republic was
blamed by its countrymen for accepting the treaty
of Versailles. According to the treaty,
a.
Germany lost colonies to
France, Poland, Denmark, Lithuania
b.
Loss of iron and coal fields
c.
Demilitarization of Germany
d.
Compensation of £ 6 billion was
imposed
2.
The Weimar Republic was blamed not only by common people, but other political
parties like the Communist Party of Germany also highlighted the weaknesses of
the Republic. This political radicalism posed a threat to the existence of the
Weimar Republic.
3. The Weimar Constitution itself had inherent
weaknesses. E.g., the provision of proportional representation meant formation
of coalition government because of no clear majority. It led to political strife
within the government.
4. Economic crisis was another challenge to Weimar Republic. The huge
war indemnity depleted the nation’s gold reserves. The value of German currency
(Mark) reduced considerably, leading to Hyper-inflation. Later, dependence on
the US loans proved disastrous after the Great Depression of 1929.
5. The political and
economic crises led to devastation, starvation, unemployment, criminal
activities and humiliation all over Germany. Germans felt insecure in their own
country.
Click here for a video on Weimar Republic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsxQFBaqAig&list=PL8Ci_R5xvsFgC7i95LumGtWJzRbOyLjQ2&index=6
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