Fully Recovered?

Did the Weimar Republic recover between 1924 and 1929?

There is some debate about how far the Weimar Republic recovered between 1924 and 1929, following the hyperinflation crisis. There is evidence to suggest the Republic did recover but not fully.

What evidence is there to suggest that the Weimar Republic did recover between 1924 and 1929?

There are 9 main pieces of evidence to suggest that the Weimar Republic did recover:

• ❖ The temporary currency, the Rentenmark, replaced the worthless German Mark and gradually restored confidence.
• ❖ There was greater political stability. The moderate Social Democrats Party won the most votes in general elections. There was greater backing for the political parties that supported the Weimar Republic.
• ❖ Support for the extreme political parties decreased as support for the moderate parties increased. The Nazi Party only won 12 seats in the May 1928 elections.
• ❖ The German economy improved with the loans from the US. Businesses were able to pay off their debts and industrial production grew between 1923 and 1929.
• ❖ Gustav Stresemann was greatly praised for his policies and many felt the recovery was due to his leadership.
• ❖ The wages of industrial workers increased slightly and there were fewer strikes, suggesting workers were happier.
• ❖ By 1928, industrial production had recovered and reached pre-war levels.
• ❖ By 1930, Germany was one of leading exporters of manufactured goods.
• ❖ Greater economic prosperity led to an explosion of culture. This became known as the "Golden Age".

What evidence is there to suggest that the Weimar Republic did not fully recover between 1924 and 1929?

There are 7 main pieces of evidence to suggest that the Weimar Republic did not fully recover:

• ❖ Extremist parties such as the communists and Nazis that wanted to destroy the Weimar Republic still existed and had supporters.
• ❖ Germany was dependent on its loans from the US. If America recalled the loans, the German economy would suffer.
• ❖ Although unemployment did fall between between 1924 and 1929, it never went below 1.3 million.
• ❖ Agriculture did not thrive and farmers struggled. They made little profit and fell into greater debt. They did not have the money to invest in new machinery to modernise their practices. Production was still lower than before the First World War.
• ❖ The basic problem of the constitution remained. As the election system used proportional representation, no one party could secure a majority in the Reichstag and as a result there were frequent, short-lived coalition governments.
• ❖ The cost of living rose and the increase in wages was mostly wiped out by higher prices.
• ❖ Many nationalists opposed the Dawes and Young plans because the plans meant that Weimar Germany still had to accept the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.