How far did Germany recover under Stresemann between 1923 and 1929?
Gustav Stresemann's role in the recovery, the ending of hyperinflation with the Rentenmark, the Dawes and Young Plans and American loans, the return to the international stage (Locarno and the League of Nations), the cultural flowering of the 1920s, and the limits of the recovery.
A focused answer to the Stresemann era in the Eduqas non-British study in depth, covering the Rentenmark, the Dawes and Young Plans, Locarno and the League of Nations, the cultural flowering of Weimar, and the limits and fragility of the 1920s recovery.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the "golden years" of the Weimar Republic in Eduqas's Component 1 non-British study in depth. You need to explain Gustav Stresemann's role in the recovery after 1923, the ending of hyperinflation (the Rentenmark), the Dawes and Young Plans and American loans, the return to the international stage (Locarno and the League of Nations), the cultural flowering of the 1920s, and the limits of the recovery. Because the depth study uses interpretation questions, learn this well enough to judge how real and lasting the recovery really was.
Stresemann and the end of hyperinflation
The Dawes and Young Plans and American loans
The return to the international stage
Culture and the limits of the recovery
Try this
Q1. How did Stresemann end hyperinflation? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. He called off passive resistance in the Ruhr and replaced the worthless mark with a new, stable currency, the Rentenmark, in late 1923, which restored confidence in money.
Q2. Explain why the recovery of the later 1920s was fragile. [Short explanation]
- Cue. It depended heavily on short-term American loans that could be recalled, unemployment and farming problems persisted, and nationalist extremists still existed, so when the Wall Street Crash hit in 1929 the recovery collapsed.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C100 20184 marksDescribe two features of Germany's recovery under Stresemann.Show worked answer →
The depth-study opener (4 marks, two features, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, developed features.
Feature one. Stresemann ended hyperinflation by replacing the worthless mark with a new, stable currency, the Rentenmark, in late 1923, which restored confidence in money.
Feature two. The Dawes Plan (1924) rescheduled reparations into affordable instalments and brought large American loans, which helped German industry recover and unemployment fall.
Top marks. Two separate features, each with a precise supporting detail.
Eduqas C100 202216 marks'The recovery of Germany between 1923 and 1929 was real and lasting.' How far do you agree with this interpretation? [This question carries marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar.]Show worked answer →
The depth-study interpretations essay (16 marks, AO1, AO2 and AO4, with SPaG marked). Cap shown is 16 to fit the schema; the real Eduqas essay tariff sits at the top of Component 1. Build a balanced argument and reach a supported judgement.
Agree (real recovery). The Rentenmark ended hyperinflation, the Dawes and Young Plans eased reparations, industry and employment recovered, Locarno and League membership restored Germany's standing, and culture flourished.
Disagree (fragile recovery). The recovery rested on short-term American loans that could be recalled, unemployment and farming problems remained, extremists like the Nazis still existed, and many resented Stresemann's policy of fulfilment. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 then swept it away.
Judgement. Decide how far the recovery was lasting. A strong line is that it was a genuine but shallow recovery, built on borrowed money, which made it dangerously vulnerable to the 1929 crash. Write accurately to secure the SPaG marks.
Related dot points
- The creation of the Weimar Republic in 1919, the impact of the Treaty of Versailles, the early threats from left and right (the Spartacist Revolt, the Kapp Putsch and the Munich Putsch), and the crisis of 1923 with the Ruhr occupation and hyperinflation.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE History (C100) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2016)