How far was there economic and political stability in Germany in the years 1924 1929?

The years 1924 1929 were known as the Golden Years by many Germans. ........... introduction The Stresemann era between 1924 and 1929 certainly marked the high point of the Weimar Republic. There was a very real increase in prosperity. But this stability was relative and, for at least one historian, deceptive. The economic prosperity was built on very unstable foundations and created a false image of prosperity. Much of the advance in the German economy was the result of large foreign loans and foreign investment. This meant that if there was a depression , like that which began in 1929, the loans and investment would dry up. To an extent there was political stability in the Golden Years 1924 1929.The Weimar Republic did not actually change during these years and the new republic was still being guided by the founder, President Ebert until his death in 1925. In addition there were no attempts to overthrow the government by Putsch or revolution after the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. In addition, in the 1924 and 1928 elections extreme left and right parties such as ..... lost significant votes and seats. Additionally during these years, support for the Weimar Republic grew as Germany was experiencing an era of prosperity which many attributed to the government. The constitution seemed to provide the civil liberties and freedoms that many people wanted. Yet when this came crashing down, it meant that they would blame said government.

However, there was little political stability after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which led to the Great Depression and the withdrawal of key loans from America. The impact of the depression politically in Germany was certainly more severe than in either Britain or France, but it was on a par with the USA and the economic crisis soon became a political one. There was a lack of confidence that weakened the Republic s position in its hour of need. Britain, France and the USA were all well established democracies and therefore did not face the possibility of a complete collapse of their political system. The quick economy recovery from the 1923 inflation suggests economic stability yet how far was this true? Part the recovery was because the introduction of the Rentenmark that replaced the old, devalued currency. It was, however, the issue of reparations that needed to be solved. The French invasion of the Ruhr in 1922 had led to Germany not paying its reparations and the start of Passive Resistance which would lead to hyperinflation. The Dawes Plan was agreed in April 1924 approved that the French would withdraw from the Ruhr, reduction in reparation, granted USA loans and a two year free on reparation payments. The Dawes Plan was a success to an extent as currency was stabilised and inflation was brought under control and large loans from America were invested in Germany and helped reduce unemployment. However, despite Germany experiencing economic recovery in the 1920 s there were in fact underlying economic weaknesses that threatened stability in Germany. In the short term the Dawes Plan was a success. The German economy was not weakened, since it received double the capital from abroad as it paid out in reparations. The mere fact that reparations.

Germany s economic recovery was built on unstable foundations that created a false idea of prosperity. Problems persisted in the economy and they were temporarily hidden only by an increasing reliance on credit from abroad. In this way Germany s economy became tied up with powerful external forces over which it had no control. Hindsight now allows historians to see that in the late 1920 s, any disruption to the world s trade or finance markets was bound to have a particularly damaging effect on the uncertain German economy. In addition, political division in Germany did not help stabilise Germany during these years. There was evident tension in the political system where the parliamentary system had failed to build on the changes of 1918. The original ideals of the Constitution had not been developed and there was little sign that the system had produced a stable and mature system. In particular, the main democratic parties had still not recognised the necessity of working together in a spirit of compromise and when they did there would be insecurity as they were often parties with little in common and therefore would fight over policy until a party walked out of the coalition. It was not so much the weakness of the Constitution, but the failure to establish a shared political outlook that led to its instability. Farmers did not enjoy prosperity between 1924 and 1929. They had been affected by overproduction at the end of 1918 and a world-wide price depression after 1921. They were forced to invest in new machinery and techniques of production in order to remain competitive at home and abroad. Many sold up and tried to move into new industries and found themselves part of the unemployed. Those who remained found themselves in massive debts from machinery investment and mounting produce they found difficult to sell. By 1929, industrial production had reached pre 1914 levels whereas agricultural output was only at 74% of its pre-war level. Farmers were the first group to demonstrate their dissatisfaction to the government in the form of strikes and changing voting behaviour. They were the first party to vote in large numbers for the National Socialist Party after 1928. The middle classes also increasingly moved their votes towards the extremes after 1929 especially towards the Nazi party. They became the most loyal of Hitler's supporters and were certainly a factor in his accession to power by January 1933. Some historians have come to question how healthy (successful and stable) the Weimar Republic really was in this so called 'Golden Period'. They have suggested that such rapid disintegration in 1929 does not suggest a new Republic with firm foundations. In conclusion the question must be asked : was there ever stability or was the insecure economic and political situation overlooked and hidden?
Hi Mrs Sammons i'm just emailing to let you know there is a possibilty of me not being in your lesson tomorrow i am aware that i missed last weeks lesson (which i have caught up on thanks to the sheets lucy gave me) and i really do apologise and will obvioulsy catch up with any work that i miss. thanks sim.