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The KAPP PUTSCH

The KAPP PUTSCH. 1920. Germany 1918-1945 | A Study in Depth. PUTSCH. The KAPP. March 1920. The Treaty of Versailles is Enforced

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The KAPP PUTSCH

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  1. The KAPPPUTSCH 1920 Germany 1918-1945 | A Study in Depth

  2. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 • The Treaty of Versailles is Enforced • Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Germany army was limited to 100,000 land soldiers. In January 1920, British and French military observers of the Allied Disarmament Commission (ADC) arrived in Germany to make sure this limitation was enforced. • At the beginning of 1920: • approximately 350,000 men remained in the regular German army • 250,000 troops were enlisted in the various Freikorps units • The ADC insisted that Ebert reduce the size of the regular army and disband the Freikorps. • On the 6th March 1920 Ebert ordered the German army to be re-organised into a new Reichswehr(‘National Defence Force’) and called on the Freikorps to disband. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  3. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 The Army Divided The view of the High Command was split. General Walter von Lüttwitzhad been made overall commander of the German army by Friedrich Ebert in 1919. Lüttwitz opposed the reduction of troop numbers and asked Ebert to defy the Treaty of Versailles. When Ebert refused, Lüttwitz began to plot with Freikrops commanders to overthrow the Republic. Ebert replaced Lüttwitzwith General Hans von Seeckt. Seeckt also opposed the reduction of troop numbers but was realistic enough to understand that the time was not right for Germany to defy the Treaty of Versailles. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  4. DIVIDED The ARMY March 1920 Seeckt Lüttwitz I hate both the Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar government. But if we resist the Treaty now, the Allies will destroy Germany. The Weimar government betrayed Germany by signing the Treaty of Versailles Now they will betray the Freikorps by ordering them to disband after the Freikorps saved the Republic in Berlin and Bavaria In any case, the German army should not become involved in politics. For now, the Freikorps should disband. Germany will rise again and then we will have our revenge! The Weimar government in weak and without honour. The army should lead the Freikorps in a revolt against the government! Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  5. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 • Freikorps Reaction • Most of the Freikorps units followed the advice of General von Seecktand disbanded. • However, some of the more extremist Freikorps sided with General von Lüttwitz: • The largest was the MarinebrigadeEhrhardt commanded by Hermann Ehrhardt. • Lüttwitz also recruited Waldemar Pabst, a Freikorps leader who was suspected of ordering the torture and execution of Luxemburg and Liebknecht • The conspirators were joined by a nationalist journalist named Wolfgang Kapp. The conspirators were happy for him to be seen as leader because he was also an elected member of the Reichstag. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  6. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 Waldemar Pabst Wolfgang Kapp Hermann Ehrhardt Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  7. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 The Putsch Begins Putsch is a German word meaning ‘attempt to seize power’. On the 13th March, General von Lüttwitz ordered Ehrhardt and Pabst to lead the Freikorps units under their command into Berlin. Their objective was to overthrow Ebert and the government and make Kapp a puppet leader. Ebert appealed to General von Seeckt to order the Reichswehr to attack. Seeckttold Ebert that while he would not support the putsch, he would not order the army to take action against their former comrades. Unable to defend themselves, Ebert and the government fled to Stuttgart. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  8. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 The Putsch fails Kapp tried to form a replacement government from nationalist members of the Reichstag but even the DNVP refused to be associated with him. The High Command told Lüttwitz that his conduct was unacceptable. They informed him that even if he were able to create a government, the army would not support it. The putsch was failing. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

  9. PUTSCH The KAPP March 1920 The General Strike The workers of Berlin began a general strike in protest over the Freikorps rebellion. Berlin was left without power, water or transportation. Food was not delivered to the shops. The strike continued for four days. Without the support of the Reichstag, the army or the people, the conspirators were left with little choice but to give up. On 17th March, Lüttwitz and Kapp fled to Sweden while Pabst and Erhardt fled to Bavaria where they were given refuge by Gustav von Kahr’s nationalist state government. The Freikorps units involved in the putsch were disbanded. Germany 1918-1945| A Study in Depth

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