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The Treaty of Versailles and Subsequent Hyperinflation in Germany: Finding the Culprit (continued) As the Entente powers pressured Germany for the delivery of 900 war criminals and the reduction of its military to 100,000 personnel and the meager equipment count dictated by the Versailles Treaty, the militant nationalistic faction of German politics came into an increasing number of clashes with the Social Democrats. In February 1920, an irate General Walther Freiherr von L�ttwitz stormed into Ebert’s office, demanding the revocation of the orders to disband two outstanding veteran brigades. This was plain insubordination and Defense Minister Gustav Noske asked him to resign. Instead, L�ttwitz defied him, and along with Captain Hermann Ehrhardt, occupied Berlin on March 13 and declared a new government, forcing Ebert and Noske to flee to Stuttgart. Instead of cheering the new regime, the trade unions went on strike, and five days later, the hapless Nationale Vereinigung acknowledged defeat, thus ending the Kapp Putsch.  16 
Copyright ©2001-2003, Allegra H., all rights reserved. Please contact me via e-mail if you wish to reproduce this material.
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