Wolfgang Kapp
Wolfgang Kapp was a Prussian civil servant and journalist. He was a strict nationalist, and a failed leader of the so-called Kapp Putsch.
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What did the Kapp Putsch do?
Kapp Putsch, (1920) in Germany, a coup d'état that attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic. Its immediate cause was the government's attempt to demobilize two Freikorps brigades. One of the brigades took Berlin, with the cooperation of the Berlin army district commander.
Why did Kapp Putsch fail?
A right-wing coup d'état in March 1920, the Kapp Putsch–named for its leader, Wolfgang Kapp–failed only because of a general strike. The military had refused to intervene, although it did brutally suppress some Communist-inspired uprisings shortly thereafter.
Was the Kapp Putsch important?
The five days of the Kapp Putsch are of importance as they showed that: The government could not enforce its authority even in its own capital The government could not put down a challenge to its authority Only the mass power of a general strike could re-establish Ebert's authority.
What effects did the Kapp Putsch have on Germany?
Ruhr uprising The effect of the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch throughout Germany were more lasting than in Berlin. In some parts of the country, the strike had turned into an armed revolt. The violence came from local military commanders who supported the new government and arrested pickets, which the workers resisted.
How was the Kapp Putsch defeated?
The threat from the Right: The Kapp Putsch The regular army refused to attack the Freikorps; Kapp was only defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate with him.
Who led the Munich putsch?
Adolf HitlerOn November 8–9, 1923, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party led a coalition group in an attempt to overthrow the German government. This attempted coup d'état came to be known as the Beer Hall Putsch. They began at the Bürgerbräu Keller, a beer hall in the Bavarian city of Munich.
What did the Freikorps want?
The Freikorps was effectively a collection of groups as opposed to a cohesive whole but they all shared the same beliefs and objectives. Members of the Freikorps could be described as conservative, nationalistic, anti-Socialism/Communism and once it had been signed, anti-the Treaty of Versailles.
Are Freikorps right wing?
The Freikorp, translating as Free Corps, were an armed group with right wing beliefs. They were made up of mainly former soldiers who were patriotic nationalistic Germans and anti-communists.
What happened in the Munich putsch?
In November of that year, they conspired to overthrow the democratic government of Germany by launching an ill-fated insurrection. The Beer Hall Putsch was put down by the Munich police. Its ringleaders, including Adolf Hitler, were arrested. Hitler was convicted of high treason and sentenced to five years in prison.
Why was the Spartacist uprising important?
In conclusion, the Spartacist uprising was important in challenging the government because it revealed the strength of support for left wing politics in Germany; the fundamental weakness of the Weimar government from the outset, shown by the ease in which the capital was seized by ordinary people; the infiltration of ...
Who led the Spartacist uprising?
The uprising was primarily a power struggle between the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) led by Friedrich Ebert, which favored a social democracy, and the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, which wanted to set up a council republic similar to the one established by the ...
What was the cause of the Kapp Putsch?
The immediate cause of the Kapp Putsch was the government’s resolve to force the demobilization of the right-wing Freikorps (“Free Corps”) brigades, Ehrhardt and Baltikum. With the cooperation of the commander of the Berlin army district, however, the Ehrhardt troops took Berlin (March 13, 1920).
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
Where did the Kapp family live?
The younger Kapp received a doctorate in law, after which he managed an estate in East Prussia.
Who was Wolfgang Kapp?
Full Article. Wolfgang Kapp, (born July 24, 1858, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died June 12, 1922, Leipzig, Ger.), reactionary Prussian politician who led the Kapp Putsch (1920), which attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic and establish a rightist dictatorship. Kapp’s father, a revolutionary of 1848, had immigrated to ...
Why did Kapp go to Germany?
Kapp fled to Sweden but returned to Germany in April 1922 to stand trial. Kapp believed that a public trial would be the perfect place to defend his actions and to effectively advertise where he stood.
Where was Wolfgang Kapp born?
Wolfgang Kapp was born in New York City on July 24th 1858. His family had moved to America after the failure of the 1848 uprising in Prussia. However, the family returned to Berlin in 1870. In 1884 Kapp married Margarete Rosenow and it was through members of her family that Kapp got involved in right-wing nationalist politics.
What party was Kapp in?
Kapp became a member of the National Peoples’ Party and he was elected to the Reichstag in 1919. He became a vocal supporter of the ‘stab-in-the-back’ legend – that Germany had been betrayed by Socialists, Communists, Jews etc. and had lost the war because of them. In March 1920, the Kapp Putsch took place.
Where did the government flee?
The government fled the capital and made its way to Stuttgart. Kapp was put at the head of the government in Berlin and was backed by the FreiKorps. However, those involved in the putsch completely underestimated the desire among Berliners for a change of government.
Who led the Kapp Putsch?
Wolfgang Kapp. Wolfgang Kapp led the Kapp Putsch in Weimar Germany. Kapp was a right-wing nationalist who was greatly angered by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which he felt humiliated Germany. Kapp held Friedrich Ebert and his government responsible for such a humiliation and attempted to overthrow the government – an attempt ...
When did Tirpitz resign?
Government pressure was put on Tirpitz to resign and he did so in 1916 – though some regarded this as an effective dismissal. The failure of the 1918 Spring Offensive and the collapse of the German Army on the Western Front, led to some in Germany becoming very vocal in their condemnation of the government.
What did Wolfgang Kapp do?
Wolfgang Kapp was trained as a lawyer, earning a doctorate. He entered the Prussian civil service, rising to managerial positions while accumulating considerable landholdings and personal wealth.
What was the name of the party that Kapp started?
In 1917, Kapp started his own political party, the German Fatherland Party, and served briefly in the Reichstag. The party was popular for a short time but had faded away by the end of 1918.
What was the charge against Kapp?
When the putsch failed, Kapp fled to Sweden for a time before returning to Germany in 1922. He was charged with conspiracy and treason but died before the commencement of his trial.
What did the Putschists offer Kapp and Lüttwitz?
The putschists offered only the resignation of Kapp, and Lüttwitz tried to hold on for another day as head of a military dictatorship but his commanders deserted him. They suggested to Schiffer, in the absence of Ebert in charge of the government's affairs, that he appoint Seeckt as head of the Reichswehr, which Schiffer did in the name of Ebert. When Lüttwitz offered his resignation on 18 March, Schiffer accepted—again in Ebert's name—while granting him full pension rights. Schiffer also suggested Pabst and Lüttwitz should leave the country, until the National Assembly had decided on the question of an amnesty and even offered them false passports and money. : 229–230
What happened to Noske in the Reichskanzlei?
Noske, depressed enough by the disloyalty of the military to speak about suicide to an aide, reported to the cabinet at 4:00 am. : 222 At a confused meeting at the Reichskanzlei, the undefended cabinet took two decisions: to flee the city and to issue a call for a general strike. These were not unanimous, the Vice-Chancellor Eugen Schiffer and some of the other non-SPD ministers refused to leave the city, to preserve the opportunity to negotiate with the putschists. Only Ebert and the SPD ministers signed the call for a general strike. At 6:15 am they had to interrupt the meeting and flee. Within ten minutes of their departure, the Marinebrigade reached the Brandenburger Tor, where it was met by Lüttwitz, Ludendorff, Kapp and their followers. Shortly thereafter, Kapp's men moved into the Reichskanzlei. : 222 Supported by a battalion of regular Reichswehr, they occupied the government quarter. : 26
What does the Kapp Putsch sign mean?
The sign reads: "For peace, freedom and democracy — in memory of the suppression of the Kapp putsch in March 1920". In 2009, Layton wrote, "At first sight the collapse of the Kapp Putsch could be viewed as a major success for the Weimar Republic.
What is the Kapp Putsch?
The Kapp Putsch ( German pronunciation: [ˈkapˌpʊt͡ʃ] ( listen) ), also known as the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch ( German pronunciation: [kapˈlʏtvɪt͡sˌpʊt͡ʃ] ( listen) ), named after its leaders Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lüttwitz, was an attempted coup against the German national government in Berlin on 13 March 1920.
Where did Kapp and Ehrhardt go?
Lüttwitz first went to Saxony and only later left for Hungary. Both men used passports provided by supporters in the police. Ehrhardt went into hiding in Bavaria.
Where did Kapp and Lüttwitz meet?
At 6:15 am they had to interrupt the meeting and flee. Within ten minutes of their departure, the Marinebrigade reached the Brandenburger Tor, where it was met by Lüttwitz, Ludendorff, Kapp and their followers. Shortly thereafter, Kapp's men moved into the Reichskanzlei.
Why did the German coup fail?
Though the legitimate German government was forced to flee the city, the coup failed after a few days, when large sections of the German population followed a call by the government to join a general strike. Most civil servants refused to cooperate with Kapp and his allies.