Weimar Germany: Kapp Putsch 1920 Access

: The event highlighted that the Republic could not rely on its own army to defend it against right-wing threats, a weakness that would persist throughout the 1920s.

: Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to reduce its army to 100,000 men. When the government ordered the disbandment of the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt , a powerful Freikorps (paramilitary) unit, its leaders rebelled.

On March 13, 1920, the Ehrhardt Brigade marched into Berlin. The regular army ( Reichswehr ) refused to fire on the rebels, with General Hans von Seeckt famously stating, WEIMAR GERMANY: Kapp Putsch 1920

Weimar Germany: The Kapp Putsch of 1920 The of March 1920 was a right-wing coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the fledgling Weimar Republic and establishing an autocratic government. While the coup successfully seized control of Berlin for several days, it ultimately collapsed due to a massive general strike and the refusal of the civil service to cooperate. 1. Origins and Causes

: Public transport, electricity, water, and postal services in Berlin and other major cities ground to a halt. : The event highlighted that the Republic could

The Putsch exposed the fragile nature of the Weimar Republic and the deep-seated divisions within German society.

The turning point came when the fleeing government and trade unions called for a . This was the largest strike in German history, involving approximately 12 million workers. On March 13, 1920, the Ehrhardt Brigade marched into Berlin

: Without a functioning infrastructure or economy, the Putsch leaders could not govern. Kapp fled to Sweden on March 17, just four days after the coup began. 4. Consequences and Historical Significance