1920: The Kapp Putsch (& Ongoing Political Violence) | GCSE History Revision | Weimar & Nazi Germany

It’s 1920 and Friedrich Ebert’s government are struggling to control the Freikorps. The year before, the Freikorps had saved the government, crushing a communist uprising known as the Spartacist Revolt, but now the Freikorps are becoming a growing problem for the German government, which is still weak and facing opposition from both the left and right.

#GCSEHistory #GCSERevision #WeimarGermany

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Quizlet Flashcards:
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Practice exam-style questions:
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Revision Notes:
- By 1920, Ebert’s government were struggling to control the Freikorps
- Mar 1920, Freikorps units near Berlin were due to be disbanded
- This made them fear unemployment so they turned on the Republic
- 5000 armed men marched on Berlin
- Ebert ordered General Seeckt (head of the Reichswehr), to resist the rebels
- General Seeckt told Ebert that ‘Reichswehr does not open fire upon Reichswehr’
- The rebels soon gained control of the city
- The rebels put forward right-wing politician, Wolfgang Kapp, as a figurehead leader, declaring a new government in Germany & inviting the Kaiser to return from exile
- In fear of their lives, the government fled to Weimar and then to Stuttgart
- The government encouraged passive resistance, urging people to go on strike and not cooperate
- Many workers obliged - their socialist leanings meant they did not want to see the return of the Kaiser
- Essential services, (gas, electricity, water and transport) in the city, ground to a halt
- After 4 days, Kapp realised he couldn't govern and fled
- Kapp was caught and put in prison, where he later died
- The rebellion collapsed and the Weimar ministers returned

The challenge of ongoing political violence 1919-23:
- They also faced a series of political assassinations, on top of the Spartacist & Kapp uprisings
- 1919, Hugo Haase, one of Ebert’s council of the People's Representatives, was murdered
- Aug 1921, Matthias Erzberger, the politician who signed the armistice, was shot and killed
- Jun 1922, Walther Rathenau, Weimar foreign minister, was machine gunned to death in Berlin
- 1919-1922, in total, there were 376 political murders
- Most victims were left-wing or moderate politicians
- Not a single right-wing murderer was convicted and executed, whilst 10 left wing assassins were
- Judges were sympathetic to the right-wing and even undermined the Weimar Republic in courts

- Most parties chose to hire armed men to guard their meetings
- They often recruited unemployed ex-soldiers
- The KPD’s private army were the Rotfrontkämpfer (red front fighters)
- The DNVP’s were the Stahlhelm (Steel Helmets)
- The SPD had the Reichsbanner Schwartz-Rot-Gold (Back Red Gold Flag)
- Political armies were initially for protection, though their presence often caused violence

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[ananditaagarwal]

So the Kapp Putch went kaput... I'll let myself out.

[Alonglongtimeago]

🚨CORRECTIONS 🚨:
➤ I say 'Chancellor Ebert' in this video but he was in fact President at this point in time so please pretend that I say 'president' instead :D

Spotted a mistake in the video?
If you think you’ve spotted a mistake, leave a polite comment saying what you think is wrong and linking a legitimate source. I’ll check and if you’re right then I’ll add the correction to this pinned comment. :)
✘ I do not engage with corrections comments which are written rudely
✘ If you leave an essay full of corrections, I won’t check it because I have other, better things to do

[Alpokinzi]

please don't ever stop making these videos, they're perfect!

[michaelkirschner]

I'm still so impressed by your German pronunciation. Do you think you might do more on your German channel?

[stelf.]

my teacher used this in class today! thank you!

[nicolash]

4 days strike and the government flee. I'm laughing in french

[florinivan]

60 years from now 'funny animation of the Trumputsch of 2021'.

[harvey]

Hey nice video. Could you tell me what topics came up in your history exam? Also did topics you studied in year 7 and 8 come up in the exams or is it just what you study from year 9 onwards?

[p.]

Hey nice video it was funny and informative :D

[kushia]

plsss do more germany ones for GCSE <3333

[ismaeel]

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[sarastoner]

Thank you. Great extra info to aid understanding.

[ermfaith]

0:11 the way she gets hit and thrown omfg

[his.gf.]

I HAVE A HISTORY EXAM ABOUT THIS TOMORROW AND I FORGOT TO REVISE. *ITS MIDNIGHT*

[commissarblyt.]

2:47 why it sound like ye trying to hold in some laughter...

[kai-quue]

I want you to know that you're an angel

[xylophone]

Who else is here because they have a history exam in a week??! 😬

[justdraw]

I have been watching your videos for a couple of days now and thought it was about time to say how brilliant they are. I'm in my final week of exams and I am totally burned out, so I can't be bothered to do my traditional revision method which is read heaps of texts books, the write down what I've read and then read what I've read. So having everything summarized into short 4 minute videos is really helpful. Thankyou so much!

[MythologywithMike]

"Smelly commie" I'm using that as an insult now

[charlieahluwalia]

Is it possible if you could do an exam structure for aqa exam board like you did with edexel.