Transcript Gustav Stresemann - Oban High School

Gustav Stresemann
• “Germany’s Greatest
Statesman” J Wright.
Career
• Founder / Leader of the
DVP
• August 1923:
Stresemann becomes
Chancellor for a brief time
in Weimar’s darkest
period.
• He was to remain as
Foreign minister until his
death on 3rd October
1929.
Aims and Methods
• Stresemann’s long term goal was the revision of
the hated Versailles Treaty while at the same
time seeking rapprochement with the Allies.
• However because of German military weakness
he could only pursue his ends through
negotiation and open diplomacy.
• He used Germany’s economic potential and
links with Russia to put pressure on the Allies to
improve relations with Germany.
• He tried to reassure France that Germany wasn’t
a threat by his policy of Erfullungspolitik
(fulfilment).
Success?
• Astonishingly
successful ( Kolb)
• 1923 Germany
isolated and
vulnerable
• 1929 USA had been
won over to assist
German recovery
• From the longer term
perspective … he
achieved very little
(SJ Lee)
• Terms of Versailles
intact
• Stresemann’s own
assessment “ dancing
on edge of volcano
Hyperinflation
• Appointed Chancellor in
August 1923.
• In November Stresemann
took decisive action to
call off passive
resistance.
• New currency, the
Rentenmark, was quickly
accepted.
• Stresemann lost the
confidence of the
Reichstag and was forced
to resign but his
successor appointed him
Foreign Minister.
Foreign Policy
• “The central objective of Stresemann’s
foreign policy was the restoration of
Germany as a sovereign “great power”
with equal rights” ( Kolb)
• “ Stresemann believed that the revival of
German power would inevitably lead to
revision of the treaty….while he lived,
Europe moved towards peace and treaty
revision at the same time.” AJP Taylor
The Debate
• Was Stresemann being pragmatic or
devious?
• “Nothing great and permanent has ever
been done in the world without give and
take, compensation and compromise”
Stresemann.
Dawes Plan 1924
• Named after the
American banker who
helped draft the plan.
• Total payments
unchanged at 132,000
million marks.
• However annual
payments reduced to take
account of economic
performance 1,000 million
in the first five years
rising to 2,500 million.
Benefits of the plan
• The French agreed to leave the Ruhr and
the Allies undertook not to occupy German
cities in the event of non payment
• The Germans were given an 800 million
mark loan
• However the German railway system and
allied control of the Reichsbank was given
as security for the loan
Results of the Dawes Plan
• The Dawes Plan provided short term economic benefits
to the German economy.
• It softened the burdens of reparations, stabilized the
currency, and brought increased foreign investments and
loans to the German market.
• However, it made the German economy dependent on
foreign markets and economies, such that problems in
America (e.g. the Great Depression) would directly and
severely hurt Germany
• After World War I, this cycle of money from US loans to
Germany, who made reparations to other European
nations, who used the money to pay off their debts to
America, locked the western world's economy on that of
the US, a situation which would prove disastrous.
Locarno 1925
• The cartoon shows
Stresemann, Briande and
Austen Chamberlain the
French and British
Foreign Ministers
• Germany accepted
Western borders as laid
down by the Versailles
treaty.
• Germany also signed
treaties with Poland and
Czechoslovakia agreeing
not to use force to revise
Eastern Borders
The Spirit of Locarno?
• Stresemann and Briande jointly awarded
the Nobel peace prize.
• “By means of Locarno Germany had finally
broken out of her moral and political
isolation of the post war years” ( Kolb)
• “the most important and significant
development based on the European
order of 1919” Scheider
League of Nations 1926
• Germany invited to join proposed by
France
• Given Great power status with veto on
council.
• Could not join in collective action because
disarmed
• Stresemann used every opportunity to
raise issues of German minorities
Treaty of Berlin
• Stresemann used relations with the USSR
as a lever to get concessions from the
West.
• In 1926 he signed the Treaty of Berlin
which had secret economic and military
clauses
Allied Occupation
• 1924-5 French troops left the Ruhr
• 1925 Area around Cologne evacuated by
Allied troops
• 1929-30 Allied occupation of the
Rhineland ended early
Disarmament
• 1926 Allied Military control commission
which monitored the military terms of
Versailles withdrew
• 1928 Kellog Briande pact outlawed war
• Germany was secretly rearming
Success or Failure?
• “No man…. did more to
destroy the Treaty of
Versailles” Marks
• Reparations reduced and
rescheduled
• Early evacuation of the
Rhineland
• Restoration of German
prestige on joining League
• Stresemann lucky because the
Western Allies were more
sympathetic towards Germany
in this period.
• Domestic politics were more
peaceful and allowed him to
concentrate on Foreign policy
• Peukert argues that by 1929 it
was clear that Stresemann’s
policy of combining revisionism
with rapprochement failed.
• Germany was more dependent
on America and vulnerable to
instability of world markets.
• Few concessions had been
granted.
• Still demilitarised
• His policy had failed to rally
support behind the Weimar
Good European or Good
German?
• Gave up his
nationalist past
• Idealist
• Sincere
• Sought
rapprochement
• “Germany desires to
cooperate on the
basis of mutual
confidence with all
nations in the league”
Stresemanm
• German nationalist
through and through.
• Opportunist
• Deceitful
• “German policy must
be one of
machination”
Stresemann
Controversy
• Up until 1935 and after 1945
Stresemann was much
admired.
• After release of his complete
diaries there was a
reassessment of his
transformation from a
nationalist to a European.
• Crucial letter to Crown Prince.
• Almost all recent research
agrees that he was “ coolly
calculating realist, nationalist
power politician” ( Kolb)
Assessment of Stresemann
• “Without a doubt
Stresemann’s
contribution towards the
steady improvement in
Germany’s international
fortunes was a significant
one. On the other hand a
favourable, international
situation, American
financial support and
Germany’s growing
economic power probably
contributed as much”
Carr