Rebecca Critten
How far did the lives of ordinary people improve under Stresemann?
After Kaiser Wilhelm fled following the loss of the war, Germany was in tatters. Someone had to take control so the Weimar Republic was created with a Democratic government with Gustav Stresemann as the president. There were many changes under his rule.
Firstly, the economy improved vastly. Stresemann introduced a new currency called the Retenmark and reduced Government spending a lot. This helped end hyperinflation which brought ordinary peoples confidence back in the Government and allowed them to be able to afford to develop public works, put into German businesses to buy new technology and create jobs. Also wages became more equal between different jobs for example a university lecturer would have earned ten times the amount of a coal miner but in the 1920s now only earned twice as much. This improved the lives of the working class as it mean they could afford a lot more and feel more equal however didn't benefit all professions.
They also spent more as they were payed more which fuelled the economy further. In addition Stresemann set up the Dawes plan which meant the reparations payments were spread out and allowed Germany to loan a lot from the USA. This meant the Government and German people didn't have to worry about these payments as much and had more money for other essential things instead of just spending all Government money on reparations. Source F tells us how all these factors brought back 'economic growth and affluence' to the country which would have benefitted everyone in Germany. The government could now repair Germany's damages and help ordinary people.
On the other hand, the economy didn't improve for all ordinary German citizens. Even though it appeared the economy was flourishing the...