Editing Kapp Putsch (section)

==Background==
[[Image:Plakat der Reichsregierung gegen den Kapp-Putsch 1920.jpg|thumb|upright|Government poster against the Kapp Putsch, 13 March 1920.{{efn|''Translation of the poster's text:''
<blockquote><poem>'''To the German people!'''

As a result of a lunatic ''coup de main'', the government buildings of Berlin have fallen into the hands of mutineers. No political party, no man of sober-minded thought is behind these events. They are to be deplored. Since troops that are destined for discharge in Döberitz, namely [troops] from the [[Baltic states|Baltic]], have supported this act of madness, the government—in order to avoid the spilling of blood—has spared the lives of the few regular troops located in Berlin and has departed Berlin.  For enough blood has flowed since 1914. And this adventure will collapse in a few days from its intrinsic impracticality.  The government has transferred its seat to [[Dresden]]. Everyone remains bound in obedience to the constitutional government. Only it can issue orders and payments. Any decree from another place is legally null. The soldiers of the national army have to defend the constitution, protect the president and government, and be obedient.  To emulate the breaking of their oath by a number of officers is prohibited by duty and law. The dissolution of the national assembly is unconstitutional.  The President of the National assembly has been requested to convene the National assembly again at once.  Only a government based on the Constitution can save Germany from sinking into darkness and blood. If Germany is led from one coup to another, then it is lost. A government resting on an act of violence lacks authority domestically and abroad. The people will starve if new troubles interrupt the economy and commerce and undermine the trust of the father land, which only a constitutional government earns. Colossal dangers loom internally and externally if the people lose their prudence.

'''German people, rally to your constitutional government!'''

Dresden, 13th of March 1920

National president:  Ebert<br>
National government:  Bauer, Noske, Giesberts, Müller, Koch, Gessler</poem></blockquote>}}]]
After Germany had lost the [[First World War]] (1914–1918), the [[German Revolution of 1918–1919]] ended the monarchy. The [[German Empire]] was abolished and a democratic system, the [[Weimar Republic]], was established in 1919 by the [[Weimar National Assembly]]. Right-wing nationalist and militarist circles opposed the new republic and promoted the [[stab-in-the-back myth]], claiming that the war had been lost only because the efforts of the undefeated German military had been undermined by civilians at home.<ref name=wg>{{cite book |first=Anthony |last=McElligott|title=Weimar Germany|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009}}</ref>

In 1919–1920, the government of Germany was formed by the [[Weimar Coalition]], consisting of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD), [[German Democratic Party]] (DDP, left-of-centre liberals), and [[Centre Party (Germany)|Zentrum]] (conservative Catholics). [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President]] [[Friedrich Ebert]], [[Chancellor of Germany#Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933)|Chancellor]] [[Gustav Bauer]], and [[Ministry of the Reichswehr|Defence Minister]] [[Gustav Noske]] were all members of the SPD. According to the constitution, the president was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, represented in peace time by the Minister of Defence. The most senior officer of the land forces was called ''Chef der Heeresleitung'', a post held in early 1920 by General [[Walther Reinhardt]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thoß |first=Bruno |date= 2003 |title=Reinhardt, Walther |url=https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118744291.html#ndbcontent |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=Neue Deutsche Biographie 21 [Online-Version] |page=363 |language=de}}</ref>

Chancellor Bauer was obliged to sign the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in 1919, even though he disagreed with it. The treaty had been dictated by the victorious [[Allies of World War I]]; it forced Germany to assume responsibility for the war, reduced the area of Germany and imposed huge reparation payments and military restrictions on the nation.<ref name=wg/>{{Page needed |date=August 2024}} In early 1919, the strength of the ''[[Reichswehr]]'', the regular German army, was estimated at 350, 000, with more than 250, 000 men enlisted in the various ''[[Freikorps]]'' ("free corps"), volunteer paramilitary units, largely consisting of returning soldiers from the war. The German government had repeatedly used ''Freikorps'' troops to put down Communist uprisings after the war. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which came into effect on 10 January 1920, Germany was required to reduce its land forces to a maximum of 100,000 men, who were to be only professional soldiers, not conscripts. The initial deadline was set for 31 March 1920 (later extended to the end of the year).<ref name="BPB">{{cite journal |last=Sturm |first= Reinhard |title=Weimarer Republik, Informationen zur politischen Bildung |journal=Informationen zur Politischen Bildung |number= 261 |language= de |url=http://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschriften/informationen-zur-politischen-bildung/55943/weimarer-republik |access-date= 17 June 2013 |year=2011 |publisher=Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung |location=Bonn |issn= 0046-9408}}</ref>{{rp |25}} ''Freikorps'' units were expected to be disbanded. Since the reason for their creation—internal repression—had become obsolete with the crushing of the leftist uprisings, they were becoming a threat to the government.<ref name="Haffner">{{cite book |last= Haffner |first=Sebastian |title=Die deutsche Revolution 1918/19 |language=de |publisher=Kindler |year=2002 |isbn=3-463-40423-0}}</ref>{{rp |216}} Some senior military commanders had started discussing the possibility of a coup as early as July 1919.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Review: Der Kapp-Lüttwitz-Ludendorff Putsch. Dokumente by Erwin Könnemann, Gerhard Schulze |language= de |author= Eric D. Weitz |journal=Central European History |volume=38 |number=3 |year=2005 |pages=493–96 |doi= 10.1017/s0008938900005410 |s2cid=145619637 }}</ref>