Chancellor of the Weimar Republic in Germany from 1924-29. He was also Foreign Minister. He aimed to regain Germany's standing in the international community and revise the hated Treaty of Versailles. Stresemann denounced war as a means of settling disputes.
Stresemann's years were marked by success. He helped draft the Treaty of Locarno, which revised the borders on the Western Front, as well as the Young Plan, which reduced reparation payments. Under Stresemann, Germany entered the League of Nations, the Ruhr (occupied by the French) was evacuated and Inter-Allied Military Control Commission was dissolved.
A major feature of Stresemann's run was the acceptance of the Dawes Plan. This reorganised reparation payments, including a two-year moratorium on payments. It also provided for the first of many international loans to Germany.
During the Stresemann years Germany was transformed. A rapid expansion of German industry boosted the economy and halted the pusches. Berlin became a social capital of Europe -- urbane, classy and sophisticated -- and filled with artists, musicians and scientists. Life in the city was identified as New Age.
The monarchist and war legend von Hindenburg was elected President in 1925 and Stresemann continued to run Germany during this time. He ended unemployment benefits and introduced new currency to ease inflation: the rentenmark.
In October 1929, Stresemann died, and the Great Depression began. By the end of the month the Reichstag was dissolved. |
