germany after world war 1 essays

germany after world war 1 essays Assess the impact of the German army on the political process in Germany between 1918 and 1933 (1200 words) The German army both supported and undermined the political process in Germany between 1918 and 1933. It also held influence over the performance of individual political parties and the power that the government held. However the size of the German army reduced its power to defend or attack the government. In this way the Treaty of Versailles effected the impact the German military could make for or against the government. At the same time the size meant that the army generally remained united and in this way were more efficient when used for a purpose. Overall its impact was as a peacekeeper and thus it spent more time keeping order than upsetting the German political process. To assess the impact of the army on the political process within Germany it is necessary to look at and assess the capabilities of the military. The Treaty of Versailles dramatically decreased the size of the German military. The German General-Staff was abolished and the army itself restricted to 100, 000 men. The effect of this was however to create a very tight nit unit. By reducing the army to only its best and most experienced troops the government were left with little influence within that inner circle. Thus the army held little loyalty towards the new republic. This process also routed out the poorer working class members of the military, potential leftist supporters. Therefore the German army were always inclined to support right wing revolutionaries. Left wing uprisings however were ruthlessly put down allowing men such as Hitler to work his way into power. However the fact that the military was so small allowed revolutionaries hope for success and thus the Treat y of Versailles plays a significant role in distabilising Germanies political process for years to come. The defeat of the Spartacist movement i ...