The document discusses the recovery of Germany after the economic crisis and instability of 1919-1923. It describes how Gustav Stresemann became Chancellor in 1923 and implemented policies that ended hyperinflation and defeated a Nazi coup attempt. As Foreign Minister from 1924-1929, Stresemann negotiated international agreements like the Dawes Plan and Locarno Treaty that improved Germany's economy and relations. However, the Weimar Republic remained weak with many opposed to democracy and uneven economic growth continuing dependence on foreign loans.

1. DEPTH STUDY
GERMANY
THE RECOVERY OF THE
REPUBLIC AFTER 1923
PLUS ACTIVITIES
3

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
BACKGROUND
• If the period of 1919 to 1923 was defined by economic crisis
and attempts to overthrow the Weimar Republic, the next
six years were characterised by economic recovery and
political stability.
• Stresemann continued to use his influence to bring about a
full return to normality.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GUSTAV STRESEMANN 1878-1929
• In August 1923 Gustav Stresemann, the leader of the
German People’s Party, become Chancellor. He:
• Put down Communist governments in Saxony and
Thuringia
• Ended the hyper-inflation crisis by issuing the
Rentenmark (November 1923)
• Defeated Hitler’s Munich Putsch

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
INFLUENTIAL AS FOREIGN MINISTER
• In April 1924 he re-organised reparations in Germany’s
favour in the Dawes Plan.
• In 1925 he made peace with France in the Locarno Treaty,
guaranteeing that each country was safe from invasion by
the other and finally sending home French troops from the
Ruhr.
• In 1926 he took Germany into the League of Nations.
• In June 1929 he renegotiated the foreign loans in the Young
Plan.
• In October 1929 Stresemann died.
• On 29 October Germany plunged in the recession generated
by the Wall Street Crash.

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
HOW GERMANY OVERCAME THE HYPERINFLATION CRISIS OF 1923
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKASMBsk1Kg

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
DAWES PLAN 1924-1929
• In April 1924, an important step forward was done by
agreeing to sign the Dawes Plan.
• This linked reparations payments to economic performance
and provided an American loan of 800 million gold marks
to help kick-start the economy.
• Further loans followed.
• Germany needed to pay only what it could afford in
reparations.
• A permanent currency, the Reichmark, replaced the
Rentenmark.
• All these factors brought about a marked economic revival:
inflation fell, industry expanded, exports increased.

7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
YOUNG PLAN 1929-1932
• Reduced the reparations from 132,000 million marks to
37,000 million marks.
• Annual payments, lower than in the Dawes Plan, spread
over 58 years.
• Allied control of the railways, Reichsbank and customs
duties stopped.
• Allied troops finally withdrawn from Germany.

8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE WEAKNESSES OF THE WEIMAR
REPUBLIC
• The Weimar period lasted until Hitler became Chancellor in
January 1933, but the last years (1929-1933) were a time of
increasing economic and political crisis.
• The early years of democracy had shown that the Weimar
Republic was weak and could disappear. Hindenburg, who
became President in 1926 when Ebert died, was one of many
who did not believe in democracy.
• The Dawes Plan stabilised the regime but at the cost of
mortgaging the future and persuaded many that the Allies
should not be bought off by agreeing to the Versailles
settlement.
• Prosperity was uneven. There was an unemployment crisis in
1926; the rate of industrial growth was low; and the country
was unable to pay in the long term for an ambitious welfare

9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
WHY DID THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT
FAIL TO DEAL WITH THE ECONOMIC
DEPRESSION?
• After the hyper-inflation of 1923, printing money and
increasing public expenditure was not considered to be a
responsible option.
• The coalition parties could not agree among themselves the
best way to solve the crisis.
• The adopted policies of tax increases and wage and welfare
cuts were unpopular, reduced demand in the economy, and
led to the Social Democrats resigning from the government.

10. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
WHY DID THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT
FAIL TO DEAL WITH THE ECONOMIC
DEPRESSION?
• The Weimar

11. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
QUESTION 1
GIVE THREE REASONS WHY THE WEIMAR
REPUBLIC WAS WEAK IN 1919.

12. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ANSWERS QUESTION 1
GIVE THREE REASONS WHY THE WEIMAR
REPUBLIC WAS WEAK IN 1919.
THE ARMY WAS TOO SMALL TO KEEP ORDER.
THE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT WAS TOO WEAK
TO IMPOSE POLICIES.
THE GOVERNMENT WAS BLAMED FOR SIGNING
THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES.

13. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
QUESTION 2
WHAT THREE DISASTERS STRUCK THE REPUBLIC
IN 1923? EXPLAIN IN FEW WORDS.

14. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ANSWERS QUESTION 2
WHAT THREE DISASTERS STRUCK THE REPUBLIC
IN 1923? EXPLAIN IN FEW WORDS.
THE BELGIAN AND FRENCH INVASION OF THE
RUHR (WEALTHY INDUSTRIAL AREA, TO PAY FOR
THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE
REPARATIONS)
HYPER-INFLATION (GENERATED BY MANY
ECONOMIC FACTORS AND THE WEAKNESS OF
THE GOVERNMENT)
MUNICH PUTSCH (AN ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW

15. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
QUESTION 3
WHAT WEAKNESSES REMAINED BY 1928?
EXPLAIN IN FEW WORDS.

16. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ANSWERS QUESTION 3
WHAT WEAKNESSES REMAINED BY 1928?
EXPLAIN IN FEW WORDS.
MANY PEOPLE DID NOT BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY.
ECONOMIC PROGRESS WAS UNEVEN.
THE DAWES PLAN HAD MORTGAGED THE
COUNTRY’S FUTURE.
THE GOVERNMENT HAD PROMISED TOO MUCH.