Chapter 9: The Determination of the Weimar Republic
Germany has been in turmoil almost all these years!
Not to mention anything else, since 1919, when the Weimar Republic was truly born, it has also undergone serious tests again and again. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info
The republic was born in crisis: the left accused the SPD of betraying workers' interests by preventing the communist revolution; The right, on the other hand, opposes democracy and insists on a return to Germany's former imperial system.
In the eyes of the left, the Weimar government suppressed the workers' uprising and killed Karl? Liebknecht and Rosa? Luxembourg and other well-known left-wing leaders, the Weimar government was a traitor to the revolution.
In the eyes of the right, the Weimar government forced the Kaiser to abdicate and sign a peace treaty with the Entente during the November Revolution, and was a traitor to the nation!
Subversive activities were going on all the time, and in 1920 the Freikorps staged a Karp coup, occupied Berlin and elected the right-wing journalist Wolfgang? Karp as Prime Minister. The Weimar government retreated to Stuttgart.
In 1921, communist uprisings took place in both Saxony and Hamburg, which were successfully suppressed.
Earlier this year, French and Belgian troops seized the Ruhr region, Germany's richest industrial capital, and took control of the mines and manufacturing companies because the republican government could not pay the war reparations under the Treaty of Versailles.
Due to a series of needs, the German conquest had to print money in large quantities, which led to hyperinflation in the country.
How severe is inflation? In August this year, the mark fell from 4.2 yuan to one million yuan against the dollar! And this month, it has fallen to 4.2 trillion yuan!
Germany's domestic economic and political problems are all entangled and entangled, and the prestige of the Weimar government has long been reduced to a minimum!
Hitler's beer hall coup d'état can be successful, and it must not be analyzed alone, but placed in the context of the whole country and even the international community!
And now, with the leaders of the party, government and army in control of Bavaria, Hitler's beer hall coup has evolved into a big threat to the destruction of the Weimar Republic!
The uprising in Munich hit the soft underbelly of the Weimar government! Now, with the rapid depreciation of the currency, the popular anger caused by the French occupation of the Ruhr industrial region in Germany is about to explode completely!
When the news reached Berlin, Friedrich? Albert, right-wing leader of the German Social Democratic Party and the first president of the Weimar Republic, immediately called an emergency meeting.
Albert is now in his fifties, and since he became president, he has not lived a day of peace, Germany, has always been in turmoil, and now, the problem of the Ruhr industrial area has not been solved, and there is a rebellion in Munich!
"Hitler's conspiracy must not be allowed to succeed, the whole Workers' Party, it is crazy, if they are allowed to come to power, it will bring the entire German nation to the precipice!" Albert said worriedly.
"Yes, we must uphold our democracy and the rule of law in Germany, and I suggest that we immediately send troops to suppress it!"
Gustav? Stresemann, the German chancellor who took office just this year, also fully agreed with Albert's judgment at this time.
This group of rebels is not at all for the benefit of the Republic, they are constantly promising promises to the people that are impossible to fulfill, they are only trying to seize power in Germany!
"We can send troops, but what are we going to do?" Defense Minister Otto? Cal? Geisler asked, turning to the two of them.
What are you up to? Now the news is coming, the situation is quite not optimistic.
This group of rebels has introduced Ludendorff as the spiritual leader, and at the same time, they have also taken control of the commander of the Bavarian garrison, Losov, and the governor of Bavaria, Karl, and the other leader, Sessel, has died in the riot!
These Bavarian governors were taken hostage, and a large number of people were bewitched! It is conceivable that when such a stream of people came to Berlin, it would reach tens of thousands!
If you send troops to quell the rebellion, then you have to confront these people, and if they push out Losov and other hostages, should you take care of the safety of these hostages?
If there is a conflict, will the guns of the army be aimed at the demagogic people? If there is serious bloodshed, will the Weimar government lose its prestige in the whole country?
Geisler could send troops, but he had foreseen the possible consequences, and he had to make it clear.
"Anyone who comes to Berlin is a rebel, and we must unswervingly suppress it! We must not allow the Roman march in Italy to happen in our Germany! Albert said firmly.
Italy, Rome marches! All this was done by the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, who was dissatisfied with the fascist party's 105 seats out of 535 in the 1921 Italian parliamentary elections and called on 30,000 supporters to enter Rome.
The rebellion succeeded in causing King Emmanuel III of Italy to appoint Mussolini as prime minister. From then on, the fascists in Italy began to come to power!
Why did Hitler carry out the Beer Hall Coup d'état? In fact, he wanted to follow the path of Italy, and Mussolini's success inspired him!
It's a pity that he doesn't know it now, and history can't be replicated.
Just as the October Revolution could bury the Russian Tsar but could not ignite the land of China, Mussolini's success could not be repeated in Hitler!
Because, the Weimar government was not a weak Italian king!
As long as those who come to Berlin to make trouble, they are rebels, they are trampling on the legal system of the republic, and we must not be soft on such people! Albert was determined.
This also has something to do with Albert's style, after all, if you want to save Germany, you have to use strong means!
In 1918, Albert ordered the Wehrmacht to suppress the riots in Berlin, and at that time, it was almost bloody!
The Weimar government will not bow its head in front of the rebels!
"In my opinion, it is better to let the Free Corps go out, and when the time comes, we will also end up." Stresemann said.
Freedom Corps! Germany, as a defeated country, withdrew from World War I and was greatly limited by the Treaty of Versailles, with an army of 100,000 and a navy of 15,000.
In this way, there are a large number of soldiers who need to be discharged, and many of these retired soldiers have formed a semi-military organization, the Free Corps!
It wasn't official anyway and wasn't within the limits of the Treaty of Versailles. In Germany, there are quite a few such organizations, for example, Hitler's stormtroopers, which are also such civilian military organizations.
The Free Corps were also very combative, for example, in 1919, they suppressed the workers' uprising in Berlin. Luxembourg vs. Karl? Liebknecht, they all killed it!
After the incident, Albert specially approved it and handed it over to a military court for punishment, and as a result, the handling was not over.
This kind of dirty work is better for the Free Corps to dispatch!