The Weimar Republic sprang from the ashes of Germany's defeat in the First World War and, in sense, never fully recovered from the circumstances of its birth. It ended when Adolf Hitler achieved dictatorial powers, replacing Weimar democracy with Nazi totalitarianism. Yet we must be careful not to see the Republic as merely an interlude, as though it were doomed from the start, the course of events preordained and the rise of Hitler inevitable. In short, we must attempt to study the Weimar Republic 'from the inside' or 'in its own terms', tracing its connections with the Second Reich (of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and the Third Reich (of Hitler) but also giving due weight to the failures and achievements of the Republic and to the contingent factors which left the future open to different possibilities.

The vital first steps

The first thing is to divide the period into manageable sub-divisions and to gain a good knowledge of issues and events:

a. Examine the years 1918-23, in particular the ending of the war, the formation of the Republic, the impact of Versailles, the uprisings and putsches, and the economic and financial problems of this immensely important, but immensely complicated, period. Avoid getting bogged down in too much detail. Instead, focus on the difficulties facing the Republic and on the reasons for its survival.

b. Next, assess the 'golden years' of Weimar, 1924-9. Note the improvements and successes, especially in foreign affairs and economic matters, but also that some of the successes were more apparent than real. Also, be aware of the new climate of moral and artistic experimentation (some called it decadence) in Berlin and elsewhere. The key figure of these years is Gustav Stresemann. Estimate how important his role was. You should also examine the results of the 1928 Reichstag elections for the light they throw on Weimar's achievements and stability.

c. The period 1929-33 saw continual crises for the Republic. Focus on the economic problems (compiling statistics for falling output and rising unemployment) and on the failure of politicians and parties to achieve stability in government. Construct a narrative from the splitting of the Grand Coalition in March 1930 to the passing of the Enabling Bill in March 1933.

Fundamental issues

a. Why did so many Germans believe that their country had been 'stabbed in the back' by Weimar's politicians?

b. How can we best explain the failures of the Spartacist rising, the Kapp putsch and Hitler's Munich putsch? Did the left and right negate each other?

c. Account for the hyperinflation of Germany's currency by 1923 and for the stability of the new mark after 1924.

d. How important were the foreign policy successes achieved when Stresemann was Germany's foreign minister? What grievances remained from the Versailles settlement?

e. How significant were improvements in Germany's economic performance in 1924-8? Did all share equally in renewed prosperity?

f. Why were there so many political parties during the Weimar Republic?

g. Why was no party, or no coalition, able to achieve a majority in the Reichstag in Weimar's final years?

h. By what means did Hitler come to power in Germany?

High-grade issues

a. Why were so many Germans convinced that it was patriotic to oppose the Weimar Republic?

b. Were the problems facing Germany in 1919-23 less or more severe than those afflicting other European countries at the same time, for instance Italy?

c. How popular a figure was Stresemann with the mass of the German people?

d. Did Stresemann pursue a peaceful foreign policy out of political principle or as a matter of tactics?

e. Estimate how severe the depression was in Germany after 1929. In particular, what percentage of the German workforce was unemployed? Compare Germany's economic problems with those elsewhere.

f. Why did the German Social Democrats and Communists, both on the left, not work together during the crises of 1929-33?

g. Which groups of voters supported the Nazis?

h. Had democracy in Germany ceased to function by the early 1930s? Was there any hope that the Weimar Republic might survive as a democracy?

i. To what extent did Hitler come to power democratically, in accordance with the rules and practices of the Weimar Republic; and to what extent did he flout the law of the land?

READING SUGGESTIONS: Excellent starting points are provided by Edgar Feuchtwanger, Germany 1916-1941 (Sempringham, 1997), Ruth Henig, The Weimar Republic 1919-1933 (Routledge, 1998), and Geoff Layton, From Bismarck to Hitler: Germany 1890-1933 (Hodder & Stoughton, 2nd edition, 2002). Much more detailed, but highly stimulating, is Eberhard Kolb, The Weimar Republic (Routledge, 2nd edition, 2005).