Overview
The year 1920 was a turbulent period for the Weimar Republic, marked by political instability, economic challenges, and significant cultural developments. The aftermath of World War I continued to shape domestic and foreign policy, while the young democratic government contended with both right‑wing and left‑wing threats.
Political developments
- 13–17 March – Kapp Putsch: A right‑wing coup attempt led by Wolfgang Kapp and General Walther von Lüttwitz sought to overthrow the Weimar government and restore a more authoritarian state. The plot failed after a nationwide general strike, organized by trade unions and supported by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), crippled essential services and forced the putschists to abandon Berlin.
- 6 June – Reichstag elections: The first parliamentary elections under the new Weimar Constitution were held. The SPD fell from 37 % to 21.6 % of the vote, while the Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP) made modest gains. The far‑right German National People's Party (DNVP) entered the Reichstag with 6 % of the vote, reflecting growing nationalist sentiment.
- June – Formation of the coalition government: Chancellor Gustav Boratino (SPD) continued to lead a coalition of the SPD, Centre Party, and DDP until his resignation in March 1921, after which Konstantin von Saar (Centre) briefly served as caretaker chancellor.
International relations
- July – Spa Conference (17–28 July): Representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and the United States met in Spa, Belgium, to discuss German reparations and the occupation of the Ruhr. The Allies demanded the end of German “passive resistance” to the French and Belgian occupation, and they set a schedule for the delivery of coal and steel to the occupying forces.
- January – Enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles: The reparations commission began supervising Germany’s first installment payments, intensifying the nation’s fiscal strain.
Economic situation
- The German economy suffered from hyperinflation pressures, high unemployment, and a severe balance‑of‑payments deficit.
- In response to the reparations obligations, the government introduced austerity measures, including cuts to public spending and increased taxation, which provoked social discontent.
Society and culture
- Film: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (directed by Robert Wiene) premiered in Berlin, becoming a landmark of German Expressionist cinema.
- Art and design: The Bauhaus school, founded in Weimar in 1919, entered its most productive phase, promoting modernist principles in architecture, graphic design, and industrial arts.
- Literature: The Dada movement, centered in Berlin and Cologne, continued its avant‑garde activities, challenging conventional aesthetics and political norms.
Notable births
- 22 January – Heinz Rühmann, actor (d. 1999)
- 21 March – Wolfgang Killer, physicist (d. 1999)
- 23 June – Günter Grass, writer and Nobel laureate (d. 2015)
Notable deaths
- 20 March – Karl Liebknecht, socialist revolutionary (killed in 1919; still widely commemorated in 1920)
- 18 July – Adolf Beyer, aviation pioneer (b. 1865)
Legacy
The events of 1920 undersc c the fragility of the Weimar Republic. The failure of the Kapp Putsch demonstrated the power of organized labor, while the reparations and international pressures foreshadowed the economic crises that would later culminate in the hyperinflation of 1923. Culturally, the year cemented Germany’s reputation as a hub of innovative artistic expression during the interwar period.