Challenges from the Left and Right - Weimar and Nazi Germany GCSE History
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the tumultuous early years of the Weimar Republic, highlighting the political instability marked by 376 assassinations and multiple uprisings. It discusses the Spartacist Uprising led by Luxemburg and Liebknecht, which was brutally suppressed by the right-wing Freikorps, and the Kapp Putsch, a right-wing coup attempt thwarted by a general strike. The video underscores the challenges faced by the Weimar government from both extremes of the political spectrum and its eventual show of public support.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The Weimar Republic faced significant internal challenges from both the extreme left and right, leading to political instability.
- 🔪 High levels of political violence were present, with 376 political assassinations between 1919-23, mostly by the extreme right.
- 🗣️ Politicians lived in fear due to the real threat of assassination, which was often met with lenient punishment from sympathetic judges.
- 📢 Right-wing opponents used the assassinations to undermine the government's ability to maintain peace.
- 🤝 Two notable uprisings, the Spartacist Uprising and the Kapp Putsch, attempted to overthrow the Weimar government.
- 🔴 The Spartacist Uprising was a left-wing rebellion led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, aiming to establish a Communist state.
- ⚔️ The Freikorps, right-wing ex-army soldiers, were called upon by the Weimar government to brutally suppress the Spartacist Uprising.
- 🗓️ The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing uprising in response to the Treaty of Versailles, attempting to install a nationalist government.
- 👷♂️ The general strike called by President Ebert during the Kapp Putsch demonstrated the support of the people for the Weimar government.
- 🤝 The success of the general strike highlighted the importance of worker support for the government's stability.
- 📢 The video script is self-funded, and the creator encourages viewers to support the channel through donations.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the challenges faced by the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazi Germany, as covered in the GCSE Edexcel 9-1 history course.
Why was the Weimar Republic's government unpopular?
-The Weimar Republic's government was unpopular due to various reasons, including political instability, fear of assassination among politicians, and the perception of betrayal by the extreme left and right wings.
How many political assassinations occurred between 1919 and 1923 in the Weimar Republic?
-There were 376 political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, with the majority carried out by the extreme right.
What was the Spartacist Uprising and who led it?
-The Spartacist Uprising was an extreme left-wing rebellion that took place on January 12, 1919, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, aiming to create a Communist state.
Who were the Freikorps and what role did they play in the Spartacist Uprising?
-The Freikorps were right-wing ex-army soldiers who were called upon by the Weimar government to put down the Spartacist Uprising in a bloody manner.
What was the Kapp Putsch and who organized it?
-The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing uprising organized by journalist Wolfgang Kapp in response to the Treaty of Versailles, aiming to establish a new nationalist government with Kapp as chancellor.
What was the outcome of the Kapp Putsch?
-The Kapp Putsch failed after President Ebert called for a general strike of workers, which was largely supported, leading to the Putsch's inability to continue without basic services and Kapp fleeing Berlin on March 17th, 1920.
What does the video script suggest about the support for the Weimar government?
-The script suggests that despite the challenges, the Weimar government had some support, particularly from the general public during the Kapp Putsch, as evidenced by the successful general strike.
How did the video script describe the political climate during the Weimar Republic's early years?
-The political climate during the Weimar Republic's early years was described as unstable, with politicians living in fear of assassination and numerous uprisings attempting to overthrow the government.
What was the significance of the assassinations and uprisings in shaping the Weimar Republic's history?
-The assassinations and uprisings were significant as they highlighted the deep political divisions within the country, the government's struggle to maintain control, and the eventual support it received from the people to maintain peace.
How can viewers support the content creator of the video script?
-Viewers can support the content creator by liking, subscribing, and commenting on the video. Additionally, the creator encourages viewers to buy them a coffee through a link provided in the description, as they are 100% self-funded.
Outlines
🏛️ Weimar Republic's Early Struggles
The video script begins by introducing the topic of Weimar and Nazi Germany from the GCSE Edexcel 9-1 course. The narrator, a self-funded history teacher, sets the stage for the challenges faced by the Weimar Republic post-World War I. The government was unpopular, and extreme political factions from both the left and right posed significant threats. Between 1919 and 1923, there were 376 political assassinations, mainly by the extreme right, causing widespread fear among politicians. Assassinations were often met with lenient sentences due to sympathetic judges, which further emboldened the Republic's enemies. The script also mentions several uprisings or Putsches aimed at overthrowing the government, focusing on the left-wing Spartacist Uprising led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in January 1919, and the right-wing Kapp Putsch in March 1920. The Spartacist Uprising was brutally suppressed by the Freikorps, leading to a deep-seated hatred between Social Democrats and Communists. The Kapp Putsch, however, was countered by a general strike, demonstrating public support for the Weimar government in maintaining peace.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Weimar Republic
💡GCSE Edexcel 9-1
💡Treaty of Versailles
💡Dolschstoss
💡Reichstag
💡Political Assassinations
💡Freikorps
💡Spartacist Uprising
💡Kapp Putsch
💡General Strike
Highlights
The Weimar Republic faced significant challenges from both the extreme left and right, with 376 political assassinations between 1919-23, most by the far-right.
Leaders of the Weimar Republic lived in fear due to the real threat of assassination, with light sentences often given to the assassins due to sympathetic judges.
Political enemies, especially from the right, used the assassinations to undermine the government's ability to maintain peace.
The Spartacist Uprising on January 12, 1919, was an extreme left-wing rebellion led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, aiming to establish a Communist state.
The Weimar government suppressed the Spartacist Uprising with the help of right-wing ex-army soldiers, the Freikorps, leading to the murder of 100 protesters including Luxemburg and Liebknecht.
The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing uprising in March 1920, organized by journalist Wolfgang Kapp in response to the Treaty of Versailles, aiming to overthrow the government.
During the Kapp Putsch, the Weimar government relocated to Dresden and received widespread public support, demonstrating the people's backing for the government.
President Ebert called for a general strike in response to the Kapp Putsch, which was largely supported and ultimately led to the failure of the Putsch.
The Kapp Putsch showed that the Weimar government had public support, even if it was primarily to maintain peace and order.
The challenges from both the left and right highlight the instability and political turmoil of the early years of the Weimar Republic.
The video provides a historical overview of the Weimar and Nazi Germany period, useful for GCSE Edexcel 9-1 students and history enthusiasts.
The content creator is self-funded and encourages viewers to support the channel by buying them a coffee, with the link provided in the video description.
The video offers a concise summary of the key events and challenges faced by the Weimar Republic, providing valuable insights for students and history lovers.
The creator invites viewers to like, subscribe, and leave comments, emphasizing their commitment to responding to feedback.
The video concludes by reminding viewers of the self-funding nature of the channel and the creator's appreciation for support in the form of buying a coffee.
Transcripts
Hi there and welcome to the History teacher. This revision video covers Weimar and Nazi
Germany from the GCSE Edexcel 9-1 course. Hopefully, you'll also find it useful if you
are studying any of the other exam boards or if, like me, you just love history. I am 100%
self-funded so if you like my content please consider buying me a coffee to keep me going.
As we saw in my last video on the Treaty of Versailles and the Dolschtoss,
everything was far from rosy in the new Weimar Republic. The government was generally unpopular
but to those whose politics were extreme left or extreme right the government could
not be allowed to continue. Challenges came from within the Reichstag and outside and the early
years of the Weimar Republic were far from stable. Politicians were afraid of assassination, and this
was a real fear because in the years 1919-23 376 political assassinations took place,
the vast majority of them by those on the extreme right. Leaders lived in fear for their lives. Some
assassinations took place in the streets leading to public anxiety. Those who were caught were
often given light sentences as the judges in trials were generally sympathetic to the
sentiments of the assassins. Political enemies of the Republic, especially those on the right, used
the assassinations to undermine the government, saying they could not keep peace on the streets.
There were also a number of attempted uprisings or Putsch which aimed to overthrow the government
and install one more favourable to the political views of the participants. We
are going to focus on two of these attempts. The first is an extreme left-wing rebellion,
the Spartacist Uprising. On the 12th January 1919, 50,000 members of the post-World War One Communist
Party, known as the Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
Note that this is before the Treaty of Versailles was agreed so they were protesting the Weimar
government and trying to create a Communist state rather than rebelling against the terms of the
Treaty. Newspaper and communication buildings were seized, and the demonstrators armed themselves.
The Weimar government was forced to call on military tactics to put down the uprising and it
turned to the Freikorps; the Freikorps were right wing ex-army soldiers who hated the communists.
The uprising was put down in a bloody way, 100 of the protesters were murdered including Rosa
Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht whose bodies were dumped in a canal. This created a hatred of the
Social Democrats by the Communists in Germany which would have important consequences later.
The second is the Kapp Putsch. This was a right-wing uprising organised by the
journalist Wolfgang Kapp in response to what he saw as the betrayal of Germany in the Treaty
of Versailles. On March 13th, 1920, they seized Berlin and proclaimed that a new right of centre
nationalist government was being established with Kapp as chancellor. The take over was so bad that
the Weimar government were once again forced to relocate this time to Dresden. This time however,
the government did receive the support of the people. 5 days into the Kapp Putsch the president,
Ebert, called for a general strike of workers which was largely supported.
Without workers to provide basic services the Putsch could not continue, and it failed. Kapp
fled Berlin on March 17th. This showed the Weimar government that there was support
for them even if was just to keep the peace. Ok that’s everything you need to know about the
challenges from the left and right. Don’t forget to like and subscribe and leave me a comment,
I love to hear from you, and I always reply as quickly as I can. I am 100% self-funded so please
don’t forget if you like my content, I’d really appreciate it if you would buy me a coffee to
keep me going, the link is in the description. That’s everything for today, see you next time.
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