Transcript Streseman + Weimar Policy File

The Question:
What responsibilities
do governments have
to people?
To Pay or Not to Pay?
That was the Question.
Germany and Foreign Policy
Gustav Stresemann
• German Foreign Minister and Chancellor
(leader) of the Weimar Republic (Germany)
from 1923 to 1929.
• Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic
work.
Stresemann’s
Acheivements
• Key foreign policy achievements:
- Locarno Treaties 1925
- German entry into League of Nations 1926
- Treaty of Berlin 1921
- Negotiating the end of Allied Occupation of
Germany
Stresemann and
Government
• When the German government fell as a result of
the inflation (a rise in the general level of prices
of goods and services in an economy over a
period of time), a new government (the
democratic Weimar Republic) was formed by
Gustav Stresemann.
Stresemann and
Government
• Under this new government Gustav Stresemann:
– Announced Germany would pay reparations.
– Introduced a new currency called the
Rentenmark.
– Attempted to cooperate and participate in
international affairs.
Stresemann and Foreign Policy
• Stresemann aimed to
restore Germany’s
position in the world.
• He aimed to end
Germany’s diplomatic
isolation.
• He hoped that
cooperation would lead
to fairer treatment of
Germany and would
speed up Germany’s
recovery.
• He pursued a policy of
Erfüllungspolitik
(fulfillment), whereby he
advocated cooperation
with the other powers and
compliance with the
Treaty of Versailles.
• He aimed to build closer
links with the USA, the
USSR and France.
Treaty of Berlin, 1921
• The Treaty of Peace with Germany or the
Treaty of Berlin.
• Signed on August 25, 1921.
• Were terms used to describe the separate postWorld War I peace treaty between the United
States and Germany.
Washington Naval
Conference, 1922
• The Washington Naval Conference also called
the Washington Arms Conference, was a military
conference called by President Warren G.
Harding.
• Held in Washington from 12 November 1921 to
6 February 1922 and was conducted outside the
auspices of the League of Nations.
Washington Naval
Conference, 1922
• Attended by nine nations: United States, Japan,
China, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium,
Netherlands, and Portugal.
• It was the first international conference held
in the United States and the first disarmament
conference in history.
Re-organizing
Reparations
• The Versailles Treaty had determined that
Germany should pay reparations/money owed
to the Allies for war damage.
• The figure was set at £6600 million in 1921
($400 Billion US Dollars).
– Stresemann decided that he had to address the
reparations issue.
Economic Ruin and a
Moratorium
• In 1922, Germany defaults on reparations and
asks for a 3-year suspension/moratorium on
payments = they could not pay.
– Britain agrees.
– France and Belgium do not.
Occupation of the
Ruhr
• The Occupation of the Ruhr:
– The industrial heartland of Germany.
– 1923-1925: by troops from France and Belgium.
– Was a response to the failure of the German
Weimar Republic under new Chancellor Cuno to
pay reparations.
The Ruhr
Germany
Occupation of the
Ruhr
– Forced the German workers to produce
products.
– Allies could collect reparations.
– There was passive resistance, + strikes = the
French tried bringing in their own workers.
Occupation of the
Ruhr
– Led to a collapse of the German economy.
– There was massive inflation + large increases
in unemployment.
– Germany was unable to pay any reparations.
The Dawes Plan, 1924
• Stresemann negotiated a more rational
payback schedule and secured a large loan to
help stabilize Germany’s economy = The Dawes
Plan.
– Accepted the plan = resulted in the French Army
withdrawing from the Ruhr.
– The plan helped to make Germany’s economy
less vulnerable and meant reparations could be
paid on schedule.
The Dawes Plan, 1924
• An American plan (Charles G. Dawes, an
American banker) for the restructuring of
reparation payments = reduction/spread over
years.
– The Americans involved themselves because they
wanted their War Debts to be repaid so they
adjusted Germany’s ability to pay.
– Unsuccessful = followed by the Young Plan.
Allied War Debts
– War debts:
• Money owed by Allies to each other.
• USA only creditor and would not cancel.
• Note: The collection of US loans to Britain and
France could only be repaid if Germany paid
reparations to GB + Fr.
Dawes Plan’s Five Points
• Dawes came up with a five
point plan which left the
total of reparations
unchanged:
– 1) France and Belgium
(Allied forces) would
evacuate the Ruhr (by
1925 they were all out).
– 2) German Government
pledge government
revenues for reparations.
– 3) German payments
should begin at $250
million and build to
$600 million.
– 4) Payments were still
to be tied to German
prosperity.
– 5) A foreign loan of
$200 million was
offered to get Germany
started.
Locarno Pact, 1925
• Introduced an era of European affairs that brought
an air of optimism to Western Europe.
• It was a series of treaties that included the
following:
Locarno Pact, 1925
– The Locarno Pact:
• Britain, France, Belgium, Italy and Germany
agreed to guarantee existing frontiers and
demilitarization of the Rhineland.
• Germany accepted their western borders and all
sides rejected the use of invasion.
Locarno Pact, 1925
– The Demilitarization of the Rhineland:
• The German Rhineland was made a
demilitarized zone after World War I by the
Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and was then
occupied.
• The occupying armies consisted of American,
Belgian, British and French forces - acted as a
buffer zone = restrict/segregate regions.
Locarno Pact, 1925
– France, Britain and Belgium agreed not to make
war.
– Brought security and hope for lasting peace.
The League of Nations
(1926)
• Germany finally was permitted to join the
League in 1926:
– Was recognized as a legitimate and stable power.
• Given great power status on the League
Council:
– Given the right to veto (to stop with authority).
Kellogg–Briand Pact ,
1928
• Named after its authors: Frank B. Kellogg and
French foreign minister Aristide Briand.
• The Kellogg–Briand Pact was an international
agreement in which signatory states promised
not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts
of whatever nature or of whatever origin they
may be, which may arise among them".
Kellogg–Briand Pact ,
1928
• Parties failing to abide by this promise "should
be denied the benefits furnished by this treaty".
• It was signed by Germany, France and the
United States on August 27, 1928.
The Young Plan, 1929
• Stresemann helped to negotiate the Young Plan in
1929.
– The Weimar Republic had paid it’s reparation
payments on schedule since 1924; however, the
debt was still a burden.
• Another plan introduced at the start of the
Depression by another American banker, Charles
Young.
The Young Plan, 1929
– Cut reparations in total to $29 billion including
interest, reduced annual payments, ended Allied
supervision of payments.
• It would have taken 59 years to pay back (1988).
– Allied occupation of the Rhineland was to end/
secured the withdrawal of Allied troops from
Germany (1930).
• This was carried out and the Allies lost their last
pressure point to make Germany pay.
Stresemann’s Foreign Policy
Helped …
• Germany seen to be stable enough to be
trusted with it’s own affairs.
• The Dawes and Young Plans helped to make
the German economy more stable.
• Note: Would fall apart with the Great
Depression.
Stresemann’s Foreign Policy
Helped …
• The Locarno Pact and membership of the League
of Nations helped to improve relations between
Germany and other important nations.
– Both of these moves highlighted Germany’s
commitment to a peaceful future and also helped
Germany to raise it’s own issues with the other
powers.
. . .while it also hindered
• Failed to achieve
significant revision of the
terms of the Treaty of
Versailles.
. . .while it also hindered
• Failed to achieve widespread
support from the German
population:
- Right wing opponents argued
that decisions like the Locarno
Pact and the Young Plan were
compromises, and made
Germany look weak.
. . .while it also hindered
- The Nazi Party was
involved in opposition to
Stresemann’s plans.
- The majority of Germans
felt that Stresemann had
failed to restore national
pride.
In your opinion, did
Stresemann’s Foreign policy
decisions HELP or HINDER
the Weimar Republic?
The Question:
What responsibilities
do governments have
to people?