The Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch of 1920

This episode provides a deep dive into the events surrounding the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch, a failed coup attempt that shook Germany in 1920. It was the most dangerous threat that the young and unstable Weimar Republic had to face up to this point. Disgruntled paramilitary forces, anti-republican members of the military and conservative politicians all conspired to overthrow the government and to establish a new, authoritarian state. But what was the background of the coup? Who partook in it and why? What role did the working class play? And why was the putsch of such little actual consequence, despite its sheer magnitude?

Literature:
- Erger, Johannes: Der Kapp-Lüttwitz-Putsch. Ein Beitrag zur deutschen Innenpolitik 1919/20, Düsseldorf 1967.
- Lohalm, Uwe: Völkischer Radikalismus. Die Geschichte des Deutschvölkischen Schutz- und Trutz-Bundes 1919-1923, Hamburg 1970.
- Miller, Susanne: Die Bürde der Macht. Die deutsche Sozialdemokratie 1918 - 1920, Düsseldorf 1978.
- Möller, Horst: Die Weimarer Republik. Demokratie in der Krise, München 2018.
- Schulze, Hagen: Weimar. Deutschland 1917-1933, Berlin 1982.
- Winkler, Heinrich August: Von der Revolution zur Stabilisierung. Arbeiter und Arbeiterbewegung in der Weimarer Republik 1918-1924, 2nd Edition, Bonn 1985.
- Winkler, Heinrich August: Weimar 1918-1933. Die Geschichte der ersten deutschen Demokratie, München 2018.

Chapters:
0:00 Problems of the young Weimar Republic
1:28 The disloyal Reichswehr
4:12 The Freikorps
6:01 A Conspiracy is brewing
11:09 Kapp-Lüttwitz-Putsch
15:01 The Workers fight back
19:22 End of the Coup Attempt
22:53 Consequences
27:13 Outro

[fabovondestory]

Reject cringe Authorianism
Embrace based democracy 🇩🇪

[justinian-the-great]

Have you ever considered doing a biography video on Erich Ludendorff, like you did on Stresemann? I kinda feel that, taking into the consideration that he was literally predecessor to Hitler as Germany's de facto dictator during WW1, he is very unknown. Not to mention that he was basically THE right-wing leader during the early Weimar era and even a member of a Nazi party for a time. I kinda feel that he is really unexplored as a person, particularly compared to his friend/superior Hindenburg.

[RussianRepublican]

“The Kapp Lutwitzz putsch” that is the most German sounding coup I think I have ever heard

[breakfaust]

Just opened a beer and rolled a spliff on my day off, as soon as I sit down to spark up, this video appears. Life is good. Weimar history + beer and a spliff !!!

[alpha-raygaming]

You know between my advancement from armchair historian HOI4 player to actually picks up books and reads them whilst assessing sources and visiting archives actually writes on history type guy. Thus has been such a great channel for analytical and entertaining content.

[SubOptimalUsername]

You are one of the best history tubers on the tube.

[katsmeydl]

I guess you could say, it went kapp-utt!

I'll see myself out

[tomtomtrent]

While calling social democrats “social fascists” seems kind of ludicrous and uncompromising, the actions of the SPD in this era sort of make it understandable why such a comparison arose

[Zestrayswede]

"They weren't punished for their clear acts of treason and many returned to government" I'm getting déjà vu

[milanmajster]

Sehr gutes Video. Ich mag diese historische Nüchternheit mit der du an solche Themen rangehst. Immer klar strukturiert (mit wichtigen und aussagekräftigen Details) und eingeordnet in dem „Großen und Ganzen“. Nichts wirkt überspitzt oder aus der Luft gegriffen, man kann alles klar mitverfolgen und nachvollziehen.
Alles sehr gute Arbeit! Ich finde deine Videos absolut top und freue mich jedes mal wenn was neues hochgeladen wird!

[lupen_rein]

I hate how bad the reputation of the Weimar Republic was, in fact, considering the extreme circumstances of widespread chaos and constant left-wing and right-wing rebellions and insubordination as well as an extremely unpopular (and stupid) international environment and Versailles treaty, the Weimar Republic saved the country from almost certain civil war or a coup and then managed to stabilize the country up until 1929, when factors outside of Germany's control dealt the death blow to the country's system. Democracy solved many of these problems despite being given such a hard time.

[alexanderwhittaker]

Wasn't expecting a video so soon, but always a pleasant surprise. Enjoy the holidays, you've earned it!

[PadelbootStudios]

"The coup that attempted to end the Weimar Republic?
... which one?

This one is somehow the most inspirational and most frustrating. Inspirational, because the coup was ended by workers standing together and going on general strike. It was a clear sign of powerful they can be. Even more powerful than battle hardened soldiers armed to the teeth. Also Noske was finally gone. Frustrating, because the aftermath was handled poorly. Workers were shot by Freikorps, the conspiritors mostly went scott-free with Luddendorff doing A SECOND one later, and barely anything was done to secure the republic. Also Noskes successor was somehow worse than Noske. A bourgeois government is miles preferable to right-wing military dictatorship since a bourgeois democratic republic allows for much more political action that doesn't require violence at every turn.
Who knows if the republic would've been able to stabilize without this coup...

[vallraffs]

20:49 The point about violating the constitution sounds rather silly. The Weimar constitution was at this point less than a year old, the idea of changing the constitution doesn't seem like it would have been a radical or unthinkable idea to anyone on principle, when it was more like the order of the day. And bringing that point up right before saying the coalition parties rejected the union proposals makes it sound like the thing that made all these parties be opposed to restructuring the state to empower the unions was that it would have gone against the Weimar constitution, and not anything to do with the "trade union" part. As though the government parties were all motivated by pure ideals of upholding constitutionalism for it's own sake, rather than them perhaps having economic or political motives.

[sydneytilden]

21:48 is that Oswald Mosley on the far left?

[DocktorPepper]

Liege grad hart verkatert und hab mir das grad im Hintergrund gegönnt, besser als jeder history podcast, kudos :)

[Luxnutz]

Thank You Sir Manatee for another brilliant explanation of the Kapp Putsch. It shows how the Prussian Military Class had the last word and the lesson would not be learned in the Beer Hall putsch in 1923. Could the story about Guillaume Schnaebelé or Wilhelm Schnäbele be told?? As well as Smalkalda War???

[AmethystTheFoxx]

0:10 the German Republic was proclaimed by Phillip Scheidemann, no? Karl Liebknecht was the one to proclaim the Socialist Republic, if I am not mistaken.

[JokerDR]

The Weimar Republic could have greatly benefited from some support of the western democracies, but they got nothing only hardships

[CarneyBarney-qowq]

Another amazing YouTube creator telling about things I would never have thought to learn about. Good work top man!