Why did the Kapp Putsch take place? The end of the First World War saw Germany demobilised and depressed as a state. Those who took part in the Great War were reluctant to simply stand aside while the Weimar government completed the Allies' request to cripple the German economy as well as drastically diminish the once mighty German Army. This Weimar Republic site contains articles, sources and perspectives on Germany between 1918 and 1933. In the evening of 10 March, Lttwitz came with his staff to Ebert's office. It was considered undesirable that Kapp and Lttwitz should be toppled, they must be seen to resign voluntarily. He died before this trial was completed. To emulate the breaking of their oath by a number of officers is prohibited by duty and law. The only way the putschists could communicate with each other was through sending physical telegrams. Ebert then called a cabinet meeting for 4:00am. It is possible that they felt some form of support for a president who had given them a free hand in dealing with the Communists/, The government could not enforce its authority even in its own capital, The government could not put down a challenge to its authority. The Reichswehr (German Army) refused to use violence against their former comrades. Ebert had also asked Noske to attend. A century ago, on 13 March 1920, a far-right coup d'etat was implemented against the nascent Weimar Republic, known as the Kapp Putsch, which stood as an early warning signal for the Nazi Party's rise with General Erich Ludendorff being the playmaker. The response of this call for industrial action was swift. But what made this rebellion, the Kapp Putsch, so different? The Kapp Putsch happened in Berlin. Only a government based on the constitution can save Germany from sinking into darkness and blood. Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. Lttwitz listened to and remembered their ideas but was not dissuaded from his course of action. Who was involved in the Kapp Putsch? [18] Most of the participants were granted an amnesty and on 2 August 1920, the Reichstag passed a law that exculpated crimes committed during the Putsch and the subsequent Ruhr Uprising except those due to "cruelty" or "self-interest". The consequences of the Kapp putsch brought about a great shift in the political landscape. Almost. Red Army units took control of several cities in the Ruhr region, only to be suppressed by the Freikorps and Reichswehr within three weeks. However, in March 1920 the Government attempted to disband the Freikorps and consequently the Ebert government lost control of the Freikorps. One of their number was Walther von Lttwitz, commander-in-chief of Reichswehr divisions in Germanys north and one of the countrys highest-ranked officers. Representatives of the democratic right, Oskar Hergt and Gustav Stresemann also participated. The Kapp Putsch (German pronunciation: [kappt] (listen)), also known as the KappLttwitz Putsch (German pronunciation: [kapltvtspt] (listen)), was an attempted coup against the German national government in Berlin on 13 March 1920. Don't forget, both the Freikorps and the Reichswehr militia would be absorbed into the Wehrmacht. Why did Kapp Putsch fail? [14] Lttwitz first went to Saxony and only later left for Hungary. The Putsch leaders' quest for solutions: Doubting the wisdom of his coup and looking anxiously for a simple way to escape his dilemma, Kapp sought a "compromise" with the Ebert Government, the most important demand of which was that both sides condemn the general strike and emphasize the need for a resumption of production. Colossal dangers loom internally and externally if the people lose their prudence.German people, rally to your constitutional government! Their eventual destination was Zossen, where they would disarm. When Reichswehr fires on Reichswehr all comradeship within the officers' corps will have vanished". 1: Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00015, Friedrich Ebert (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-00015,_Friedrich_Ebert.jpg) by German Federal Archive, licenced as CC-BY-SA 3.0, Fg. [3]:226[14], Adolf Hitler, who had been in contact with the members of the Nationale Vereinigung and was eager to help the coup along, was flown into Berlin from Munich by the Army. [3]:225226 The cabinet proclamation on 13 March, calling on German workers to defeat the Putsch by means of a general strike met with enormous success and received massive support from the working class. Date published: September 17, 2019 [14] Lttwitz returned to Germany as part of an amnesty in 1924. The German army did nothing. Seeckt had no reason to flee, but he did aid in the freeing of Berlin by promising the Freikorps and their commanders that they would not be arrested if they were to leave Berlin. The Reichswehr leadership found itself so divided by the putsch that in the end, it did almost nothing. Kapp took refuge in Sweden for two years before returning to Germany to face trial. On March 13th, 1920, Luttwitz seized Berlin and proclaimed that a new right of centre nationalist government was being established with Kapp as chancellor. Kapp's highest achievement was this very putsch. The five days of the Kapp Putsch are of importance as they showed that: The government could not enforce its authority even in its own capital The government could not put down a challenge to its authority Only the mass power of a general strike could re-establish Eberts authority. However, the military did nothing to stop the putsch and give active support to Ebert. of the users don't pass the Kapp Putsch quiz! Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like When was the Kapp Putsch?, What did Gustav Noske (SPD + minister of Defence) order in Feb 1920? April. In the rest of the Reich, the commanders of the Wehrkreise (military districts) did not declare for or against Kapp but were not neutral and most sympathised more or less openly with the putschists. The leaders fled Germany and the Freikorps were forced to leave Berlin. In June 1920 the USPD became the second largest party in the Reichstag with 81 deputies; in the Landstags of Saxony, 'I'huringia and Brunswick it became the largest party. Due to this paralysis, the putsch ended in just four days. [19] Gustav Noske was forced to resign by the unions on 22 March, as a condition for ending the general strike and because some in the SPD thought that he had not been tough enough facing up to the putschists; Otto Gessler succeeded Noske as Defence Minister. In 1919, the Weimar government attempted to downsize the military, in line with the Versailles treaty, and reform the officer corps to ensure its loyalty. When they were heckled by an unfriendly crowd of bystanders, they opened fire with machine guns, leaving twelve civilians dead and thirty severely wounded. Weimar Republic memory quiz: concepts (I), Weimar Republic memory quiz: concepts (II), Weimar Republic memory quiz: concepts (III), Weimar Republic memory quiz: dates 1918-19, Weimar Republic memory quiz: dates 1920-22, Weimar Republic memory quiz: dates 1923-24, Weimar Republic memory quiz: dates 1925-28, Weimar Republic memory quiz: dates 1929-32. The author here had intended to write a piece in March on the exact . No water, no gas, no electricity, and no newspapers. Only it can issue orders and payments. Leading the Kapp Putsch into Berlin, on the morning of 13 March 1920, was the Marine Brigade of Lieutenant-Commander Hermann Ehrhardt, whose soldiers had served in the German . Since the reason for their creationinternal repressionhad become obsolete with the crushing of the leftist uprisings, they were becoming a threat to the government. Defeat suppressed the nations affection for monarchism and ultra-nationalism but only in some circles. On the fourth day after the putsch began, Kapp fled to Sweden while Lttwitz went to Hungary. The Kapp putsch exposed ongoing tensions between civilian and military authority in Germany, as well as the weakness of the new Weimar republican government. The mobilisation of KPD, USPD and radical union groups in response to the putsch led to several communist insurrections around Germany. This site was last updated on March 6th, 2022. Had the conflict not erupted, it is unlikely that Adolf Hitler and his henchmen would have ever risen to prominence.The Nazi fervor did not emerge out of thin air following the end of World War I in November 1918. The Freikorps grew in strength after the Spartacist Revolt in 1919. With these in mind, German military officials took it upon themselves to overthrow the Weimar government and establish a military autocracy, with which they would prepare the grounds for bringing the Kaiser back. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. For more information, visit our FAQ page or Terms of Use. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. By 1918, thousands of German military personnel were being sent home from the battlefield. The SPD sent the Freikorps to deal with the rebellion. Within two days, Berlin had no trains, no water, no gas and no electricity. [2]:25 Freikorps units were expected to be disbanded. Create and find flashcards in record time. They were all killed. Lttwitz responded by meeting Ebert and defence minister Gustav Noske and issuing a series of nationalist political demands, such as the abolition of the National Assembly and the restoration of the old Reichstag. Shortly thereafter, Kapp's men moved into the Reichskanzlei. The Freikorps left Berlin and Kapp and Lttwitz fled Germany. Kapp was assisted by General Luttwitz and a brigade of Freikorps soldiers, who on 13th March 1920 seized Berlin and proclaimed a new right-wing government, declaring Kapp to be the new Chancellor. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. English. Right-wing nationalist and militarist circles opposed the new republic and promoted the stab-in-the-back myth, claiming that the war had been lost only because the efforts of the undefeated German military had been undermined by civilians at home. What was the response of von Luttwitz, What did Luttwitz decide to do in protest? The latter numbered from 5,0006,000 men and had been stationed at the Truppenbungsplatz Dberitz, near Berlin, since January 1920. They suggested to Schiffer, in the absence of Ebert in charge of the government's affairs, that he appoint Seeckt as head of the Reichswehr, which Schiffer did in the name of Ebert. No political party, no man of sober-minded thought is behind these events. In what became known as the Ruhr uprising, a Red Ruhr Army went on the offensive. Student activity. [3]:232 The unions (ADGB, Afa-Bund and DBB) demanded the creation of a new government made up of SPD and USPD, led by Carl Legien but only a new government based on the Weimar Coalition found a majority in the National Assembly and Hermann Mller (SPD) replaced Bauer as Chancellor. In some parts of the country, the strike had turned into an armed revolt. Its immediate cause was the government's attempt to demobilize two Freikorps brigades. Ironically, the Erhardt Brigade, one of Luttwitzs main fighting force, put a sign on their helmets to identify who they were: the swastika. As soon as the general strike began, Berlin was paralysed. The SPD had made a pact with the Army, which resulted in Communist workers being shot dead, so the Left was permanently fractured. Military commanders and some politicians encouraged and supported the Freikorps. [3]:217[6] An elite force, it had been created from former Imperial Navy officers and NCOs, boosted later by Baltikumer (those who had fought the Bolsheviks in Latvia in 1919). Five days after it had begun, Kapp and von Lttwitzs attempted coup fizzled, forcing both men to flee Berlin. With the failure of the Putschists. He issued a grandiose public statement, attempting to legitimise the putsch by claiming Germany was in danger of communist invasion: Militant Bolshevism threatens us with devastation and violation from the east. With no other vocation, the Freikorps were established, these were volunteer paramilitary units. Balked from boarding a train there by striking railworkers, Berthold had his men occupy the train station, city hall, telegraph office, and post office. "[2]:26, Noske, depressed enough by the disloyalty of the military to speak about suicide to an aide, reported to the cabinet at 4:00am. Its 100% free. [3]:216 Some senior military commanders had started discussing the possibility of a coup as early as July 1919. To do so, Ebert called on Hans von Seeckt, chief of staff of the Reichswehr to fight the rebellious Freikorps. Great for KS5 historians. The dissolution of the national assembly is unconstitutional. A counter-argument to this is that Ebert was irrelevant to the Berliners thinking they simply wanted no more trouble in their capital after experiencing the Spartacists/Communist rebellion in 1919. Such an organisation was illegal under the terms laid down at Versailles but in von Seeckts view was essential for the defence of Germany. The Kapp Putsch of 1920 involved a rebellion by members of the Freikorps when the Weimar Government tried to disband them. One of the brigades took Berlin, with the cooperation of the Berlin army district commander. This in turn only made their situation worse. [3]:218 General Walther von Lttwitz, in command of all the regular troops in and around Berlin (Gruppenkommando I), the highest ranking general in the army at the time and in command of many Freikorps, said at the parade that he would "not accept" the loss of such an important unit. What concept should lead us in this endeavour? Q. A government resting on an act of violence lacks authority domestically and abroad. As a result of a lunatic coup de main, the government buildings of Berlin have fallen into the hands of mutineers. Since troops that are destined for discharge in Dberitz, namely [troops] from the Baltic, have supported this act of madness, the governmentin order to avoid the spilling of bloodhas spared the lives of the few regular troops located in Berlin and has departed Berlin. It was also one of the direct causes of the Ruhr uprising a few weeks later, which the government suppressed by military force, after having dealt leniently with leaders of the Putsch. But, it failed only four days later. However, the success of this strike does indicate that the people of Berlin were willing to support Eberts government rather than a right-wing government lead by Kapp. [2]:26 Lttwitz served as commander of the armed forces and Minister of Defence. [3]:229,233, The Putsch left a rump of military conspirators such as Pabst and Ehrhardt, who found refuge in Bavaria under the right-wing government of Gustav von Kahr (itself an indirect product of the Kapp-Lttwitz Putsch) and there attempted to organize plots against the republican constitution and government of Germany. What were the putschists planning to do after they had consolidated their power? Appalled by his counter-demands, Ebert had ordered Lttwitz's resignation. The repeatedly fractured and highly angular memorial rose up on three sides, as if thrust up from or rammed into the earth. Sign up to highlight and take notes. While the Kapp putsch produced no change in power, the SPD government was exposed as tenuous, fragile and easy prey for revolutionaries. upon favourably. [5]:51 To defend the government, Noske ordered two regiments of Sicherheitspolizei and one regular regiment to take position in the government quarter but doubted that a Putsch was imminent. [2]:26 Both men used passports provided by supporters in the police. The Kapp Putsch was a direct threat to Weimar's new government. The vast majority of the Freikorps were vehemently anti-Communist ideals and were violent in their crackdown on all those who were seen as Communist sympathisers. The Reichswehr (literally meaning "Reich (Realm) Defence), refers to the German Armed forces. Kapp and Luttwitz fled Berlin on March 17th. The Kapp putsch exposed ongoing tensions between civilian and military authority in . This strike brought Berlin to a standstill and meant that it was very difficult for the new government to do anything as all essential services were stopped. [2]:27 Of 705 cases brought against civilians, only the prosecution of von Jagow ended with a guilty verdict. Publisher: Alpha History The Weimar government fled to Stuttgart but ordered a general strike from the workers in Berlin. [3]:226 Kapp had put Vice-Chancellor Schiffer and the members of the Prussian state government into protective custody on 13 March but they were released the next day and on 15 March, negotiations began. The Kapp Putsch was just the first putsch in the history of the Weimar Republic, eventually leading to the creation of the National Socialist Party and the subsequent rise of Adolf Hitler. Aftermath. What Was the "Stab in the Back" During WWI. In addition, he ordered Walther von Lttwitz to oversee the disbandment. Schiffer also suggested Pabst and Lttwitz should leave the country, until the National Assembly had decided on the question of an amnesty and even offered them false passports and money. When around 5,000 Freikorps marched on Berlin, Ebert initially ordered the German Army to stop the rebellion. Report an issue . The government reconvened in Dresden and the only card Ebert could play was to call for a general strike to paralyse the movement of those who supported Kapp and Luttwitz.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-4','ezslot_7',114,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-4-0_1'); .medrectangle-4-multi-114{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. The Putsch was a badly organised fiasco which was easily put down and showed how weak the. Kapp was assisted by General Luttwitz who led a group of Freikorps men. A rebellion staged by both the far-left and the far-right? Hindenburg, Ludendorff and other prominent military commanders continued to be seen as heroes and were able to maintain their political influence. Hitler and Eckart were approached by Ignaz Trebitsch-Lincoln, who told them that Kapp had fled and the coup failed. The Kapp Putsch happened in March 1920. This only proved one thing: the Weimar government was as unpopular with the right as it was with the left. In many instances, some Freikorps members had entire arsenals consisting of submachine guns, grenades and in some rare cases even artillery at their disposal. Lttwitz, drawing on demands by the right-wing parties and adding his own, now demanded the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly, new elections for the Reichstag, the appointment of technocrats (Fachminister) as Secretaries for Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs and Finance, the dismissal of General Reinhardt, appointment of himself as supreme commander of the regular army and the revocation of the orders of dissolution for the Marinebrigaden. and more. The main goal of the putsch was to overthrow the Weimar Republic and reverse the effects Treaty of Versailles. O Kapp-Putsch ou Kapp-Lttwitz Putsch foi uma tentativa de golpe de Estado, feita no incio da Repblica de Weimar, entre 13 e 17 de maro de 1920, e conduzida pelo jornalista e funcionrio pblico Wolfgang Kapp e pelo general Walther von Lttwitz, visando destituir o Reichprsident, o socialdemocrata Friedrich Ebert.Os golpistas opunham-se ao Tratado de Versalhes, assinado aps o fim . The government has transferred its seat to Dresden. There, they discovered the insurrection was in progress. These included German National People's Party (DNVP) member Wolfgang Kapp, retired general Erich Ludendorff and Waldemar Pabst, who had been behind the murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in January 1919 and Traugott von Jagow[de], the last Berlin head of police in the old Reich. A General who supported the resistance to disband the Freikorps units. The trigger for the putsch came in March 1920 when the government ordered the disbanding of two large Freikorps units. The four big centre-right parties (Democratic Party, Zentrum, German People's Party and German National People's Party) agreed that the main threat was now "bolshevism" and that they had to "win back" the officer corps. [3]:224[12] Admiral Adolf von Trotha, the navy commander, came out in support of the coup as soon as he learned of it. Have all your study materials in one place. The Marinebrigade Ehrhardt was dissolved in May 1920 but most of its members were allowed to join the Reichswehr where they had successful careers. The violence came from local military commanders who supported the new government and arrested pickets, which the workers resisted. The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing uprising against the Weimar Republic . The German Empire was abolished and a democratic system, the Weimar Republic, was established in 1919 by the Weimar National Assembly. [3]:219, Lttwitz went to Dberitz on 11 March and asked Ehrhardt whether he would be able to occupy Berlin that evening. When was the Kapp Putsch? And this adventure will collapse in a few days from its intrinsic impracticality. [3]:222 His exact words were not recorded, but have been reported as: "troops do not fire on troops. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device.We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development.An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. On March 13th 1920, the Ehrhardt brigade occupied critical points around Berlin and took control of the capital, forcing Weimar ministers to flee toStuttgart. Two rebellions in just one year? 4: Walther von Lttwitz circa 1918 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walther_von_L%C3%BCttwitz_circa_1918.jpg) by Bain, licenced as CC BY-SA 4.0, Fig. In Berlin, the strike started on 14 March and by the next day it had spread all over the Reich. [2]:26, In 2009, Layton wrote, "At first sight the collapse of the Kapp Putsch could be viewed as a major success for the Weimar Republic. [3]:217[5]:50 On 29 February 1920, the Defence Minister Noske ordered the disbandment of two of the most powerful Freikorps, the Marinebrigade Loewenfeld and Marinebrigade Ehrhardt. The Kapp Putsch was the result of Chancellor Ebert's plan to adhere to the Treaty of Versailles. : This is the same Reichswehr which would go on to become one of the foundational forces of the Wehrmacht. Which uprising took place in Berlin in 1919? The Kapp Putsch failed because the legitimate government of Germany, the Weimar government, called for a general strike in Berlin, paralysing the capital. The Kapp Putsch of 1920 involved a rebellion by members of the Freikorps when the Weimar Government tried to disband them. [24], To the German people! Fled to Dresden [3]:231 Kapp remained in the country and only fled to Sweden in April. Lttwitz was a figure who Kaiser Wilhelm II regarded as a true leader. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! Its immediate cause was the government's attempt to demobilize two Freikorps brigades. For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. At 6:15am they had to interrupt the meeting and flee. [14] He voluntarily returned to Germany in April 1922 and died the same year in prison while awaiting trial. Challenges and Threats to the Weimar Republic. Traditional political ideas took refuge in a number of political parties and fringe groups, who clung to theories like theDolchstosslegende (stab-in-the-back legend), a baseless conspiracy theory that Germany had surrendered because of weak or treacherous elements in the civilian government. Treaty of Versailles reduced army to 100,000 - and the Freikorps units were ordered to disband. The most senior officer of the land forces was called Chef der Heeresleitung, a post held in early 1920 by General Walther Reinhardt. The putschists sought to bring back Kaiser Wilhelm II to power. It was led by Wolfgang Kapp (hence the name) who opposed all that he believed then-President Friedrich Ebert stood for, and came in the wake of the Versailles Treaty that devastated post-WWI Germany. The government fled to Stuttgart, but passively encouraged the workers of Berlin to go on strike. 1. This time, however, his adversaries were the Freikorps, ex-soldiers who had retained their weapons from the war. The Putsch soon ended after this incident. The following day, the Iron Troop commandeered a train, which crept along unsafe tracks into Harburg, Hamburg. How did Ebert respond to the Kapp Putsch? To achieve this it offered some concessions to the unions, some of them made in bad faith. [23], The monument was arranged around an inner space, in which visitors could stand. 214 High Street, Kapp Putsch, (1920) in Germany, a coup d'tat that attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic. [11], On the following morning, 15 March 1920, a citizen militia began to coalesce around the school. All attempts to change the method of election for the presidency of the Republic were abandoned. Lttwitz effectively took Berlin. Several of Lttwitz's officers were horrified at this open rejection of the government's authority and tried to mediate, by setting up a meeting between Lttwitz and the leaders of the two major right-wing parties. One of the brigades took Berlin, with the cooperation of the Berlin army district commander. They were mainly a paramilitary militia that could be best described as somewhere between the police force and the army. Citation information During 5 - 12 January 1919, 50,000 members of the post-World War One Communist Party, known as the Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Wolfgang Kapp, Walther von Lttwitz and their rebellion, the Kapp Putsch were all great exampled of this bitter dislike of the Weimar. For the second time, he had to leave his capital once again undermining his status and to some emphasising his weak position within Germany. [9] International con-man Ignaz Trebitsch-Lincoln became Kapp's press censor. It was built according to plans submitted by the architectural office of Walter Gropius. Why were the Kapp Putsch a threat? The president of the national assembly has been requested to convene the national assembly again at once. Wolfgang Kapp would also join and lead the putsch. The Kapp putsch was a March 1920 attempt to overthrow the Social Democratic Party (SPD) government, carried out by army officers, Freikorps members and right-wing nationalists. The putschists offered only the resignation of Kapp, and Lttwitz tried to hold on for another day as head of a military dictatorship but his commanders deserted him. The majority unions, sympathetic to the government dominated by social democrats, joined the call for a strike on the same day, as did the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) and the Democratic Party; the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) followed one day later. His. The violence came from local military commanders who supported the new government and arrested pickets, which the workers resisted. Only the mass power of a general strike could re-establish Eberts authority. government. The return of the Kaiser would mean the end of even the thought of a possible socialist government. SPD ministers also called on the German people to resist the counter-revolution and protect the republic by implementing a general strike. The Treaty of Versailles effectively demolished Germany's ability to have a standing army. Lttwitz ignored the order but agreed to a meeting with President Ebert, suggested by his staff. In the Ruhr, the workers won and did not stop after the Putsch in Berlin had collapsed. On 13 March 1920, 12,000 troops from the Ehrhardt Brigade and the Baltikum Brigade under General Luettwitz, entered Berlin in order to establish a military . February. ONCE THE THREAT of revolution bad subsided, and the workers' councils began to dissolve, the bourgeois looked for the removal of the Noske-Scheidemann-Ebert government. [13] In Bavaria, the Reichswehr toppled the Social Democratic state government and replaced it with the right-wing regime of Gustav Ritter von Kahr. Before the Iron Troop's arrival, Independent Socialist city officials had quietly arrested the commanding officer of the local Reichswehr battalion, leaving the soldiers leaderless. The Dolchstosslegendeallowed the military to dodge criticism or accountability for Germanys defeat in 1918. The effect of the Kapp-Lttwitz Putsch throughout Germany were more lasting than in Berlin. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. The Weimar government fled to Dresden. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which came into effect on 10 January 1920, Germany was required to reduce its land forces to a maximum of 100,000 men, who were to be only professional soldiers, not conscripts. Lttwitz took up exile in Hungary until granted amnesty to return to Germany in 1924. [3]:218 Noske then removed the Marinebrigade from Lttwitz's command and assigned it to the leadership of the Navy, hoping that they would disband the unit. The Kapp Putsch Flashcards | Quizlet The Kapp Putsch STUDY Flashcards Learn Write Spell Test PLAY Match Gravity What did right wing people in Germany want? National president: Ebert In the six days of crisis, it had retained the backing of the people of Berlin and had effectively withstood a major threat from the extreme right. The Treaty of Versailles was effectively the most obvious trigger of the putsch. In the eastern provinces, the bureaucracy fell in line behind Kapp and Lttwitz. [4], Although the Putsch has been named after Wolfgang Kapp, a 62-year-old nationalist East Prussian civil servant, who had been planning a coup against the republic for a while, it was instigated by the military; Kapp played a supporting role. Seeckt spoke about comradeship. The Weimar Coalition lost its majority in parliament and would never regain it. It contains 113,858 words in 201 pages. They objected to it politically and considered it an example of "degenerate art", as Hitler characterized modern works. As we all know, the Freikorps were made up of former soldiers, thus Seeckt responded to Ebert with a stern declination to his orders. VAT reg no 816865400. Kapp was a mid-level army officer, who in march 1920 tried to overthrow the Weimar republic. Both the Reichswehr and Freikorps noticed the reduction and demobilisation of German armed forces by the Weimar government. It was organised by the Freikorps (ex-soldiers) and led by Dr Wolfgang Kapp. Nothing reactionary, instead, a further free development of the German state, restoration of order, and the sanctity of law. Only Ebert and the SPD ministers signed the call for a general strike. Two general officers met Ehrhardt and convinced him to give the government a chance to surrender before being taken into custody, assuming that all of Lttwitz's demands were accepted by 7:00am. Its immediate cause was the government's attempt to demobilize two Freikorps brigades. [2]:25[3]:219[5]:5051 Their goal was to establish an authoritarian regime (though not a monarchy) with a return to the federal structure of the Empire. These events polarized the German electorate, resulting in a shift in the majority after the June 1920 Reichstag elections. A general strike was announced and Berlin was paralysed. German honour and honesty are to be restored.. [1] In early 1919, the strength of the Reichswehr, the regular German army, was estimated at 350,000, with more than 250,000 men enlisted in the various Freikorps ("free corps"), volunteer paramilitary units, largely consisting of returning soldiers from the war. LS23 6AD He was met by striking workers at an airfield outside of Berlin, where he landed by mistake, and had to disguise himself. answer choices . In a matter of a year, Berlin saw an uprising and the downfall of both far-left Communists and far-right Nationalists. Resource type. Kapp Putsch Birth of the USA American Independence War Causes of the American Revolution General Thomas Gage biography Intolerable Acts Loyalists Quebec Act Stamp Act Tea Party Cold War Battle of Dien Bin Phu Brezhnev Doctrine Brezhnev Era Cold War Alliances Cominform Cominform and Comecon Cuban Missile Crisis Dtente Global Cold War Ho Chi Minh Seen as traitors by many for signing the Treaty of Versailles, it was only natural that 'some' even tried to revert this act. It was supported by parts of the Reichswehr (military) and other conservative . The Kapp Putsch took place in Weimar Germany in March 1920. The putschists sought to bring back Kaiser Wilhelm II to power. The abortive putsch failed to produce a reaction against the Right. This was the first instance of what Richard Bessel has termed a defining characteristic of Weimar politics, the tendency of the electorate to punish those parties which had accepted governmental responsibility and thus responsibility for necessarily unpopular decisions. Kapp was born in New York City where his father Friedrich Kapp, a political activist and later Reichstag . The crisis in the relations of Bavaria with the Reich (AugustSeptember 1921) which ended in Kahr's resignation was a further phase of the same trouble. During the civil war in 1919, the brigade had seen action in Munich and Berlin. Ehrhardt said he needed another day but in the morning of 13 March he could be in the centre of Berlin with his men. The workers heavily disliked the right-wing politics of the putschists and thus went on strike, paralysing Berlin. When was the Kapp Putsch? By 13 March, they had gotten as far as Stade. These were not unanimous, the Vice-Chancellor Eugen Schiffer and some of the other non-SPD ministers refused to leave the city, to preserve the opportunity to negotiate with the putschists. These demands were impossible, including the dissolution of the National Assembly (the government) and the restoration of the old Reichstag (which would mean the return of the Kaiser). As the Freikorps grew steadily through 1919, the relationship between Friedrich Eberts government and the Reichswehr deteriorated. Will you pass the quiz? The putsch ended with minimal casualties and was a failure for the putschists. Where was the Kapp Putsch? How big could the German Army be according to the Treaty of Versailles? Ebert and Noske rejected these demands and Noske told Lttwitz that he expected his resignation the next day. How does that even happen? This was reported to Noske who met with Ebert. [22], Between 1920 and 1922 a monument in honour of the workers who were killed in the wake of the Kapp Putsch was erected in the Weimar central cemetery. The Kapp Putsch was an attempted right-wing revolution that took place in Weimar Germany on 13 March 1920. The pilot was Robert von Greim, whom Hitler later appointed as the last commander of the Luftwaffe. He then bedded his troops for the night in the local girls high school. This site is created and maintained by Alpha History. Talks of a possible putsch had now become much more prominent. Noske and Ebert refused and ordered Lttwitzs resignation. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. Why did the Red rising in the Ruhr fail? The Kapp Putsch was led by two men disgruntled with the Weimar Government, Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lttwitz. Though some of these former soldiers joined the ranks of the Freikorps it was not a proper job per se, it was but a voluntary paramilitary formation. Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. The Freikorps grew in strength after the Spartacist Revolt in 1919. Peace was more important than political beliefs. The country was paralysed. [16], With the country paralyzed, Kapp and Lttwitz were unable to govern; in Berlin, communication between military units was by courier only. P.S. Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan. Ebert ordered the Reichswehr to free Berlin but the Reichswehr refused to shoot their former comrades. A military/armed force that operates as an unofficial organisation. The Weimar Government sought to implement the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and as such sought to ensure loyalty from the Reichswehr (and with it the Freikorps). But ironically, the putsch lasted only four days. [3]:220 The regimental commanders decided not to follow orders to shoot, a decision that received the approval of Chef des Truppenamts General Hans von Seeckt. With neither police nor Reichswehr troops to restrain the gathering militia, and little ammunition among his troops, Berthold realized he had to negotiate a surrender. The general strike called for by Ebert ensured that those who supported Kapp could not move around and such paralysis doomed the putsch to failure. All but two of the officers (one of them was Reinhardt, Chef der Heeresleitung) refused to follow an order to shoot at the rebel troops. This resource would provide a good opportunity for consolidation or for flipped learning. In March 1920, a large Freikorps brigade seized control of Berlin and a public servant named Wolfgang Kapp claimed the chancellorship. A video about the failed rising in Germany (1920) led by Wolfgang Kapp The trigger for the putsch however was Chancellor Ebert's attempts to bring the German soldiers and former soldiers under the Weimar Republic's heel. For discussion and debate about anything. One of the brigades took Berlin, with the cooperation of the Berlin army district commander. Some of these former soldiers joined the ranks of the Freikorps, the paramilitary brigades and militias formed to suppress the Spartacist revolution in early 1919. 30 seconds . Is this government capable of fending it off? The capital was in the hand of Lttwitz and the Freikorps. The Kapp Putsch also known as the Kapp-Lttwitz Putsch, after its leaders Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lttwitz was a coup attempt in March 1920 aimed at undoing the results of the German Revolution of 1918-1919, overthrowing the Weimar Republic and establishing a right-wing autocratic government. Best study tips and tricks for your exams. In Thuringia and Saxony the military defeated the workers after bloody fights. 13th-17th March 1920 What caused the Kapp Putsch? By 22 March, the Ruhr was under the control of the revolutionary workers. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. Second, Hitler decided that armed revolution was not the way to obtain power in Weimar Germany. Wartime commanders like Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, themselves both public exponents of the Dolchstosselegende, were able to avoid personal responsibility for Germanys defeat. The treaty had been dictated by the victorious Allies of World War I; it forced Germany to assume responsibility for the war, reduced the area of Germany and imposed huge reparation payments and military restrictions on the nation. "[8][pageneeded] Among the grievances which Kapp and his followers had against the government were that the national assembly, which had been elected to serve temporarily, was beginning to act as a permanent Reichstag and that it seemed this assembly might revise the constitution with respect to the election of the President of the Republic, which would make the Reichstag, rather than the electorate, responsible for the Presidential election. 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