Challenges from the Left and Right - Weimar and Nazi Germany GCSE History

Summary

This 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

00:00

🏛️ 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.

Keywords

💡Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic refers to the democratic parliamentary government established in Germany from 1919 to 1933. It was named after the city of Weimar where the National Assembly convened to draft a new constitution. In the video, the Weimar Republic is depicted as being highly unpopular and unstable, facing numerous challenges from both left and right-wing political forces.

💡GCSE Edexcel 9-1

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is an important qualification in the UK for students in secondary education. Edexcel is one of the major examination boards that administer GCSE exams. The '9-1' refers to the numerical grading system used in recent years. The video is designed to help students studying for the GCSE Edexcel 9-1 history course, specifically covering the period of the Weimar and Nazi Germany.

💡Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty signed on June 28, 1919, that ended World War I. It imposed heavy penalties on Germany, including loss of territory, military reduction, and reparations payments. In the script, the Treaty is mentioned as a source of discontent and a catalyst for the challenges faced by the Weimar Republic.

💡Dolschstoss

The term 'Dolschstoss' or 'stab in the back' is a German political myth that claimed that the German Army did not lose World War I but was instead betrayed by civilians on the home front. The script mentions the 'Dolschstosslegende' as part of the background that led to the instability of the Weimar Republic.

💡Reichstag

The Reichstag was the parliamentary body of the German Empire and later the Weimar Republic. It was responsible for legislation and represented the people of Germany. In the video, challenges to the Weimar government are said to come from within the Reichstag, indicating internal political strife.

💡Political Assassinations

Political assassinations refer to the targeted killings of political figures. The script notes that between 1919 and 1923, there were 376 political assassinations in Germany, mostly by extreme right-wing groups, which created an atmosphere of fear and instability for the Weimar Republic.

💡Freikorps

The Freikorps were private paramilitary organizations in post-World War I Germany, composed mainly of demobilized soldiers. They were known for their right-wing political views and were called upon by the Weimar government to suppress the Spartacist Uprising. The Freikorps' involvement highlights the government's reliance on non-state actors to maintain order.

💡Spartacist Uprising

The Spartacist Uprising was a far-left revolt that took place in Berlin in January 1919. It was led by communist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht and aimed to establish a socialist state. The uprising is mentioned in the script as a significant challenge to the Weimar government, which was brutally suppressed by the Freikorps.

💡Kapp Putsch

The Kapp Putsch was a failed right-wing coup attempt in 1920, led by Wolfgang Kapp, against the Weimar Republic as a response to the Treaty of Versailles. The script describes how the government was forced to relocate and how a general strike by workers played a crucial role in the failure of the Putsch, demonstrating the potential for public support of the Weimar government.

💡General Strike

A general strike is a large-scale work stoppage by employees in multiple industries to protest against the government or policies. In the context of the Kapp Putsch, President Ebert called for a general strike that was widely supported, leading to the failure of the coup attempt. This action is highlighted in the video as an example of the Weimar government's ability to mobilize public support.

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.