Dispatches From the Weimar Republic

Morgan Philips-Price

Description

‘This is a superb text which is relevant for anyone who has an interest in the turbulent post war years of Germany and the Weimar period ... It is very accessible ad easy to read, bolstered by the clarity of its language and organisation.’ History Teaching Review



The period immediately following the First World War was one of great turbulence in Germany. The widespread dislocation throughout the country left morale crushed, and the economy crippled by Allied demands for reparations. Russia was in the hands of the Bolsheviks and Germany seemed on the brink of falling to working-class revolutionaries. Writing between 1919 and 1923 as special correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, Price was one of the very few British journalists in Weimar Germany during these important years. His unique position as an outsider allowed him to record what he saw with an objective eye, and his sympathy with the Bolsheviks gave him an understanding of the deeper implications behind the unfolding of events. These remarkable writings, reprinted for the first time in 80 years, cover the key events in postwar Germany. Price witnesses the establishment of the Weimar Republic, the emergence of Hitler and the Nazi Party, the inflammatory violence in the south of the country, which threatened civil war, and the signing of the Versailles Treaty.
DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

CONTENTS

Chronology

Note on German Political Parties

Introduction

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

Epitaph: 1924–29

Biographical Notes

Notes and References

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Histoire
• World
• Germany
• History

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 avril 1999
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849640336
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

VERSAILLES AND GERMAN FASCISM

Morgan Philips Price

Edited by Tania Rose

Pluto Press LONDON • STERLING, VIRGINIA

First published 1999 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166–2012, USA

Copyright © Tania Roseon behalf of the Morgan Philips Price estate, 1999

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A cataloguerecord for this book is availablefrom the British Library

ISBN 0 7453 1425 2 hbk

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Price, M. Philips (Morgan Philips) 1885–1973 Dispatches from the Weimar Republic : Versailles and German fascism / Morgan Philips Price ; edited by Tania Rose. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0 7453 1425 2 1. Germany––Politics and government––1918–1933. 2. National socialism––History. 3. Political culture––Germany––History––20th century. 4. Political parties––Germany––History––20th century. 5. Nationalism––Germany––History––20th century. 6. World war, 1914–1918––Influence. I. Rose, Tania. II. Title. DD240.P755 1999 943.085––dc21 98–52780 CIP

Designed, typeset and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Production Services, Chadlington, OX7 3LN Illustrations printed by The Witney Press Printed and bound in the EC by T J International, Padstow

CONTENTS

Acknowledgementspage vi

List of Illustrationspage vii

Chronologypage ix

Noteon German Political Parties

Introductionpage 1

1918page 13

1919page 27

1920page 59

1921page 89

1922page 117

1923page 145

Epitaph: 1924–29

page xiv

page 179

Biographical Notespage 189

Notespage 204

Bibliographypage 211

Indexpage 215

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I should liketo thank Nancy Armstrong, Rob Atton, Nick Jacobs, Kindred Rose, John Saville and Eve Zawadski for their help, and Pluto’s anonymous reader for much good advice as well as encouragement.

My thanks arealso dueto staff at theBritish Library, thePublic Records Office, theGerman Historical Institute, theInstitut Francais and to ABZ Berlin.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plates

1. TheItalian, Belgian, Bulgarian, Dutch and British correspondents reporting from the German National Assembly, Weimar, 1919. Morgan Philips Price, reporting for theDaily Herald, stands far right.

2. ‘Organising WhiteGuards from officers and sons of bourgeoisie.’ (page 29) (photo: Willy Römer, Agentur für bilder zur Zeitgeschichte, Berlin)

3. ’... Mown down before machine guns against the walls of Berlin prisons.’ (page 38) (photo: Alfred Gross, Agentur für bilder zur Zeitgeschichte, Berlin)

4. Morgan Philips Price at the Conference of the Independent Socialist Party of Germany, Halle, October 1920.

5. Walter Rathenau, Foreign Minister and one of the most respected German politicians of the early Weimar days.

6. Friederich Ebert, the last Imperial Chancellor and first President of the Weimar Republic, and Philip Scheidemann, thefirst PrimeMinister of theWeimar Republic.

7. The‘Red Army’ in theRuhr.

8. Adolf Hitler, 1923.

9. French troops outside the Paul Gerhardt school, Gelsenkirchen, 1923.

viii

DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

10. Morgan Philips Pricewith C.E.R. Gedye(The Times correspondent in Cologne) and L.M. Gedye, near Bonn, September 1923.

Maps

Map 1. Germany and its provinces, 1920.

Map 2. Main towns in Germany, 1920.

Map 3. Cities of the Ruhr Valley.

1918 29 September

2 October 3 October 3 November 8 November 9 November

10 November

16 December

23 December

24 December

31 December

1919 3 January

7–17 January 15 January 19 January 6 February 11 February 13 February 21 February 2–9 March

CHRONOLOGY

German Army High Command calls for armistice Prince Max appointed Chancellor German government proposes armistice Kiel Mutiny Bavaria declares Republic Germany declares Republic Kaiser abdicates Formation of Provisional Government: Ebert appointed Chancellor; Gröner–Ebert Pact National Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils meets in Berlin Ebert besieged in Chancellery by People’s Naval Division Troops fire on sailors; Independent Socialists resign from Provisional Government Foundation of German Communist Party (KPD)

Dismissal of Eichhorn (Berlin Police President) Spartacist uprising in Berlin Murder of Luxemburg and Liebknecht Elections to National Assembly National Assembly meets at Weimar Ebert elected President of Germany Scheidemann elected Chancellor Murder of Eisner in Bavaria Renewed street fighting in Berlin

x

DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

2 March 21 March 7 April–2 May 7 May 16 JuneAllie 20 June

28 JuneGe 11 August

1920 10 January 13 January

13–16 March

27 March

6 June

5–16 July

16 October

1921 24–29 January 21 February– 14 March 20 March

5 May 10 May

26 August 12 October 5 November

1922 6–13 January

Foundation of Third International (Moscow) Soviet Republic declared in Hungary Soviet Republic in Bavaria Allies publish peace terms d ultimatum to Germany Scheidemann Cabinet resigns; new government formed by Bauer rmany signs Treaty of Versailles Weimar Constitution comes into force

Versailles Treaty comes into force Demonstration outside Reichstag ends in bloodshed Kappputsch; general strike Reichswehr sent to Ruhr when strike continues Resignation of Bauer Cabinet; new government formed by Hermann Müller Reichstag elections. New government formed by Fehrenbach Spa Conference (disarmament and reparations) Halle Conference: Independent Socialists (USPD) split

Paris Conference (reparations)

London Conference (reparations) Plebiscite in Upper Silesia Attempted Communistcoup(March Action) Allied ultimatum re reparations Resignation of Fehrenbach; Wirth becomes new Chancellor; ‘policy of fulfilment’ Murder of Erzberger Partition of Upper Silesia Wirth forms new Cabinet

Cannes Conference

DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

18 January 10 April– 19 May 16 April 24 JuneMurde 18 July 7–14 August August 24 September

28 October 14 November

1923 10 January

11 January 13 January

12 August

26 September

16 October 8–9 November

11 November 15 November 23 November

30 November

1924 13 February 1 April 9 April 16 April

Poincaré becomes Premier of France

Genoa Conference Treaty of Rapallo r of Rathenau Law for theProtection of theRepublic passed London Conference Accelerated inflation begins Reunification of Social Democrats and Independent Social Democrats Mussolini’s ‘March on Rome’ Resignation of Wirth; new Cabinet formed by Cuno

Germany declared in default of reparations payments French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr Germany declares policy of ‘passive resistance’ Fall of Cuno government; Stresemann forms ‘Great Coalition’ Passive resistance ended; state of emergency declared Establishment ofRentenbank Attemptedputschby Hitler and Ludendorff; executive authority of Reich conferred on von Seeckt Hitler arrested Introduction ofRentenmark Fall of Stresemann government; Wilhelm Marx appointed Chancellor; Stresemann remains in government as Foreign Minister Reparations Commission appoints Committee of Experts to look into reparations

End of state of emergency in Germany Hitler sentenced to five years’ detention Publication of Dawes Plan German government accepts Dawes Plan

xi

xii

4 May

7 December 17 December

1925 15 January 27 February 28 February 26 April 14 July 5–16 October 1 December

1926 19 January 24 April 12 May 8 September 17 December

DISPATCHES FROM THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

Reichstag elections; Nationalist parties gain ground but Marx remains Chancellor Reichstag elections Hitler released

New government formed by Luther Refoundation of NSDAP (Nazi party) Death of Ebert Hindenburg elected President Evacuation of Ruhr begins Locarno Conference Treaty of Locarno signed in London

Luther reconstructs his Cabinet Treaty of Berlin (with Soviet Russia) New government formed by Marx Germany joins the League of Nations Fall of third Marx government

1927 29 January Marx forms fourth Cabinet 31 January Inter-Allied Military Commission withdraws from Germany 1928 20 May Reichstag elections 29 June Hermann Müller forms new government August League of Nations discussions on final reparations settlement and evacuation of Rhineland 1929 11 February– 7 June Paris Conference on revision of Dawes Plan chaired by Owen D. Young 7 JuneYoung Plan signe d 3 October Death of Stresemann end October Crash of New York stock exchange 22 December Failure of Nationalist referendum against acceptance of Young Plan