Germany - Treaty of Versailles and the Post-war Economy, Part 1

Hitler was proving himself a consummate politician, with an uncanny instinct for taking the right action in any situation, and the day was fast approaching when this instinct would be put to its first major test. However, a short step back is needed here to show what had been happening in Germany since the end of the War, while Hitler was consolidating his position in the Party.

As touched on briefly in a previous article, the majority of the German people had been deceived as to who decided to call for an armistice at the end of the War. The Army generals responsible did nothing to correct the people, who thereafter constantly referred to the Social Democrat government as the 'November criminals', particularly so, by Hitler. It followed that any decision made by such a government was going to be ignored or flouted. Germany was not occupied by the Allies at the end of the War (Saarland was put under the control of the League of Nations) and, perhaps partly as a result of what happened in the struggle for power, the winners now always occupy an enemy country to ensure that those who caused the war do not come back to power, and that the government should be democratic. In Germany. 1918 -1920, anarchy very nearly ruled. The declaration of the Weimar Republic on 9th November was not the people's wish but the government having first agreed the abdication of the Kaiser, had heard that a Communist group was about to proclaim a soviet republic, and so the announcement was made. This did not stop the Bolshevists. All over Germany, following Russia, whose own revolution was barely 12 months old, Soldiers' and Workers' Councils had been taking power and they, on 10th November, elected a Council of People's Representatives who were set to govern. In December the Soviet Congress convened in Berlin and demanded the abolition of the Army, among other things. Sailors took over the Chancellery and occupied the imperial palace. The Army demanded that the Social Democrats get rid of these upstarts and, between 10th and 17th January, 1919, they did put down the revolution with the aid of regular troops and men from the Freikorps (free-corps). These latter were groups of regular Army troops who set themselves up as the authority in certain areas, often with brutality. A general election was immediately held on 19th January, with the Social Democrats gaining the most votes but only 185 seats out of 421 in the Assembly. Two moderate parties took 166 seats and two Conservative parties, 63 seats. This unlikely grouping did, however, produce a nearly model constitution within 6 months. But now the day of reckoning for Germany arrived.

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