Weimar Republic Dbq

The Weimer Republic, is the democratic government established in Germany in 1918 that ruled for fifteen years after the collapse of the German empire after the First World War.The republic consisted of moderates from the Social Democratic Party as well as their liberal allies, which included the German Democratic Party, and the Catholic Center Party. The Weimer Republic sought political democracy, which they believed was attainable by the elimination of war, revolutionary terror, and capitalism. Despite their clear goal, the Weimer Republic faced backlash by the radicals of society, which included communists, National Socialists, and the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler. THESIS: The Weimer Republic’s instability in the period of 1918-1933 is

attributed to their weakness as they only offered the illusion of democracy and presented an anti-war standpoint that angered the radicals of society, which paved the way for revolutionaries who sought to diminish the incompetent government.

In Document 3, “The Situation in Germany” published in 1920, communist party member of the Reichstag, Clara Zetkin, talks about how the Weimer regime is only the terror of the bourgeois middle class hiding under the mask of democracy. Zetkin states how the republic is not giving power to the people, but instead becoming a dictatorship of the middle class. This document discusses how the republic is not actually making any change but instead expressing an anti-war attitude in order to disarm the revolutionaries who oppose them. However, the document holds a bias as Clara Zetkin is a communist Party member of the Reichstag, who is the main opponent of the republic. Despite this, Zetkin remains a reliable

source as she states clear examples about how the republic is not making any significant change but is instead hiding behind the illusion of democracy and taking advantage of the poorer classes. In Document 4, novelist Thomas Mann takes the opposite standpoint as he speaks to the German university students in 1922. Mann takes the republic’s side by presenting an anti-war front against revolutionaries by talking about how war is only a pointless lie that only results in violence. He urges the students to side with the republic by using their distaste of war to his advantage, and not addressing any of the real issues that the republic has failed to fix. Mann remains an unbiased source as he is neither a member of the republic nor a radical opponent, leaving him free to take either side. However, he remains an unreliable source as he does not address any of the issues that the republic as failed to fix and instead attempts to blind the students with the republic’s illusion of democracy.

Document 6 is a political journal from 1924 in which journalist Carl von Ossietzky attempts to defend the Weimer Republic.

He talks about how the republic is still a work in progress, as it is not yet a democracy governed only by mass consciousness. He discusses how the republic is still in the process of brainstorming ideas and making changes and in the meantime is merely overseeing Germany, rather than leading. Carl von Ossietzky is holds no bias as he is a journalist free to choose either side. This makes him a great source because even though he attempts to defend the republic, he addresses all the issues and urges people to understand that the republic is still developing. By addressing the issues of the republic and stating that the republic is still lacking in regard to ideas, he emphasizes how the republic is still only offering an illusion of a democratic government and not making any immediate changes, which is why it is facing opposition from those that wish for more radical change. In Document 7, National Socialist Party member of the Reichsag, Joseph Goebbels gives a speech to Nazi Party members in 1928, in which he urges them to fight back against the republic. Goebbels attempts to exploit the Weimer ideology, which promises democracy, in order to rally people to fight against the republic. He believes that the republic is weak, which is why it will be easy to destroy with popular support. Document 8, a novel published in 1930 by writer and former

member of a Free Corps Unit, Ernest von Salomon, addresses the many flaws of the Weimer republic and points out how the republic is deceiving Germany by only offering the possibility of action. He states how people are blinded by illusion of democracy, as they want it but are not addressing the obvious fact that the republic is not a democracy and instead only an illusion. Therefore, he attempts to turn people against the republic by exploiting their inability to take action and make changes. Ernest von Salomon holds a bias as is a First World War veteran, which means that in 1929, when the Great Depression hit, his benefits were cut due to the republic being so tied up in war related pensions and benefits, which left him vulnerable to the Nazi propaganda that expressed clear distaste for the republic. This, along with the fact that Ernst von Salomon was a former member of a Free Corps unit, who were called by the republic to diminish uprisings, makes Ernest von Salomon a good source as he has been on both the republic and its opponents sides and talks about both standpoints.

In Document 9, former Chancellor of Germany Bernhard von Bülow’s memoirs published later in 1931, the weakness of the Weimar republic is once again addressed. The former chancellor talks about how the Social Democratic Party is unfit to govern and is instead a cruel piece of deception that conquered the German people. He talks about how the German people is hesitant to fight back because they have been so wronged, burned and mishandled that they are left tired, weak, and open to deception by the Weimer Republic. This document supports the claim that the Weimer Republic was weak and had no actual ideas, but only remained in power because of the feebleness of the majority of German society. In Document 10, novelist Henrich Mann takes the same standpoint in a political journal published in 1931. He talks about how revolutionaries such as Hitler’s meetings are held in secret at night because people are worn down after long day of struggle that leaves the desperate for change and more vulnerable to Nazi propaganda. Mann states that even though some people appear read to fight, they are really just scared and want to remain peaceful rather than voice their opinion. Mann claims revolutionaries such as Hitler, gain popularity and support by exploiting people’s fear and resentment towards the republic. He supports the claim that people have been scared and blinded by the Weimer Republic, who is only in power because of their illusionist appearance.

In Document 11, Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party, gives a speech to the Industry Club of German business executives and economists in 1932. Hitler talks addresses the fact that people have been blinded by the republic, but are ready to fight. He states that the Weimer Republic of the bourgeois is weak and tired and not making any changes, which is why he wants the hardworking members of society to fight back. He appeals to the desire and want of the Industry Club by talking about how they are working for nothing and that if they fight the republic, Germany will become great. Hitler is a biased source as he is a Nationalist Socialist, part of an leader of the movement and political party that is driven by extreme nationalism and racism and wants to fight back against the republic in order to claim power for themselves. However, Hitler remains a reliable source as he shows how the workers of German society eventually gained the courage to fight back against the republic because they were tired and left vulnerable to propaganda and corruption. He shows how he republic has done nothing for Germany, which is why so many people join the radicals that want to fight back against the incompetent government.

The instability of the Weimer Republic, which left it open and vulnerable to people such as Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party who sought to overthrow it, is similar in comparison to the Protestant Reformation against the Catholic Church led by Martin Luther. The weakness of the Church during the Reformation resulted from the Great Schism and the Black Death, which is why when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on a Church door in Wittenburg, a huge movement began. Like Hitler with the Weimer Republic, Martin Luther saw the weakness and instability of the Church and used it to his advantage by criticizing Papal authority and Church practices. The instability of both the Weimer Republic and the Catholic Church during the Reformation, in what Hitler and Martin Luther to challenge these institutions and gain the attention of the people. The people of Germany were left weak and tiresome from the First World War as well as the lack of dramatic change from the Weimer Republic, and the people during the Reformation were left devastated by the Black Death. Both Hitler and Martin Luther saw the weakness of institutions and used it to their advantage.

In conclusion, the weakness of the republic caused by their failure to implement an actual democratic government as well as the republic’s anti-war standpoint that angered radicals, contributed to the weakness and failure of the Weimer Republic-which caused the overall instability of the Weimer Republic. The Republic, rather than trying to make and initiate real changes, hid behind the facade of democracy and their anti-violence standpoint. The failure of the Weimer Republic allowed revolutionaries such as Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, to easily gain momentum and support. After the First World War, people were left weak and vulnerable and when they realized the instability of the republic, they sought to join revolutionaries that would allow them embrace and to be a part of a great new Germany. Finally, in the end it was the instability of the Weimer Republic that remains a cause of the Second World War. The failure and instabilities of the Weimer Republic allowed for fascists like Adolf Hitler to manipulate the weak and vulnerable members of society and turn them towards extreme nationalism and racism.