Political Radicalism in Germany


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Political Radicalism in Germany

Political Radicalism:  A revolutionary uprising called Spartacist League came up along with the Weimar Republic. It was based on the pattern of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and demanded Soviet style governance. The Socialists, Democrats and the Catholics who were against the Spartacist League met at Weimar to establish a Democratic Republic. They crushed the uprising with the help of the "Free Corps", a war veterans organisation. Later the Spartacists formed the Communist Party of Germany. After this, the Communists and the Socialists became irreconcilable enemies and did not join together against Hitler.

Economic Crisis of 1923: Germany had taken loans for the war and had to pay war reparations only in gold. The gold reserves were depleted. The French occupied Ruhr, a leading industrial area, when Germany refused to pay the reparation. Germany printed paper currency recklessly, in retaliation. So the value of the German Mark collapsed and the prices of goods soared. The Dawes Plan was introduced to help Germany to come out of the financial crisis.

 

Political Radicalism in Germany: The political atmosphere in Berlin was charged with demands for Soviet-style governance. The Weimar Republic crushed the uprising of the Spartacist League with the help of the war veterans organisation called the Free Corps. The Spartacists later founded the Communist Party of Germany. The two parties of Communists and Socialists never worked together after this; thus they could not control the rise of Hitler.

 
 


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