Weimar and Nazi Germany Topic Summaries

The Spartacist Revolution, January 1919:

• The German Communist Party decided they wanted to take over Germany and attempted a revolution on 6 January 1919.
• Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, the Spartacists seized newspaper and telegraph offices.
• Within a week, Ebert and the Freikorps (right-wing ex-WWI soldiers) ended the rebellion and killed many communists, including the two leaders, but riots continued even after the revolution failed.

The Kapp Putsh, March 1920:

• This was led by Dr. Wolfgang Kapp and the Freikorps who seized Berlin as a demonstration against the Treaty of Versailles. 
• The government fled and organised trade union strikes to disrupt the Freikorps.
• When the Weimar ministers returned, Kapp was imprisoned, and the Freikorps eventually fell apart.