The putsches of 1919-23
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the political threats to the early Weimar Republic that emerged from both the left and right.
Key learning points
- The Weimar Republic faced violent threats from both sides of the political spectrum.
- In January 1919, the Spartacist Uprising rebelled in Berlin but was crushed by the Freikorps.
- When the Freikorps were ordered to disband, they launched a failed attempt to take over Berlin: the Kapp Putsch.
- The army refused to attack and it was only defeated by a workers' strike in Berlin.
- Other rebellions took place during the 1923, most notably an attempted putsch in Munich by a group called the Nazis
Keywords
Nationalism - devotion and loyalty or showing strong support to one's own country or nation
Authoritarian - demanding total obedience to those in positions of authority
Freikorps - meaning 'free corps'; a private army formed by ex-soldiers from the First World War
Paramilitary - a group which is organised like an army, but is not official
Common misconception
The Weimar Republic’s reliance on the Freikorps might suggest that the government supported right-wing ideologies.
The Weimar Government used the Freikorps out of desperation to suppress left-wing uprisings, but this reliance highlighted its inability to maintain order independently, rather than an alignment with right-wing ideologies.
Teacher tip
Show posters or propaganda from both left-wing and right-wing political groups from the period. Ask pupils to decode the symbols and messages to understand the clash of ideas.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Many Germans believed in the Dolchstoss theory: the belief that the soldiers on the front were ‘ __________ in the back’ by the Weimar politicians.
Q2.The __________ of Versailles was the formal written agreement that ended the First World War.
Q3.Which of the following best defines "diktat"?
Q4.What did the reparations imposed by the formal written agreement that ended the First World War require Germany to do?
Q5.Which of the following were requirements placed on Germany by the formal written agreement that ended the First World War?
Q6.Why was the Rhineland demilitarised under the Treaty of Versailles?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following best describes the political threats faced by the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1923?
Q2.The Weimar Republic turned to the __________ to crush the Spartacist Uprising.
Q3.Why were the Freikorps ordered to disband?
Q4.What is a paramilitary group?
Q5.What was the goal of the Kapp Putsch in 1920?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, put the following events in the correct chronological order.
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The putsches of 1919-23, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The putsches of 1919-23, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Germany 1890–1945, Democracy and dictatorship unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.