Research On Eastern And Western Foreign Policy Of The Early Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic which is between the second Reich and the third Reich reflects the continuity characteristic of Germany's history on many aspects. For example, the basic goal of the foreign policy of the Weimar Republic is to resume the former position of the second Reich in the politics, economy, and even military field in the world. This paper tries to take the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic as a breakthrough point, discusses a defeated Germany how to explore constantly the way of getting rid of isolation and revising the treaty in a changed international structure.The text can be divided into 5 chapters. The first chapter respectively discusses various factors that influence the decision of the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic from three respects. Pointing out historical origins of the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic by looking back three developing stages of the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of Germany from 1870 to 1918, briefly describing influential domestic factors by analyzing Germany's political, economic, military and social situation after World War I, summarizing international environment that the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic faces by analyzing international situation after World War I and goal of the foreign policy of the east and west countries.The second chapter discusses the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic from 1919 to 1921. In the face of the domestic confusion and isolating in the world, in order to consolidate the Weimar Republic, the government balanced the threat from west and east difficultly. In the west, Germany hopes to achieve the goal of revising the treaty by domestic pressure and support of Great Britain and America. In the east, by relaxing the Germany-Russian relation, Germany hopes to on one hand exert pressure for the Entente Countries, on the other hand keep a possible choice for Germany's diplomacy.The third chapter discusses the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic when Wirth is in power. Because of the failure of the Simons' foreign policy, Wirth changed the predecessor's east and west foreign policy after he came into power. In the west, he hopes to achieve the goal of revising the treaty by fulfilling policy which needs to cooperate with the west, instead of confronting with each other. In the east, by signing the treaty of Rapallo, he has not only realized the normalization of Germany-Russian political relation, but also has promoted indirectly the progress of Germany-Russian military cooperation, thus offers larger space for the fact that Germany get rid of the constraint of the Treaty of Versailles.The fourth chapter discusses the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic when Cuno is in power. As the deterioration of the political, economic situation in Germany and the unyieldingness of France policy toward Germany, the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar appears the crisis after Cuno came into power. In the west, after Fulfillment policy and Passive resist policy fail in succession, Germany is closer and closer before collapsing. In the east, though Germany-Russia's relation is closer, it not merely can not eliminate the crisis of Germany, and bury the hidden danger for the turmoil in the future.The fifth chapter discusses the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic when Stresemann is in power. The emergence of the Ruhr crisis enables Germany understand finally that it must pursue a pro western policy so as to achieve the goal of revising treaty, thus it must limit the development of the Germany-Russia's relation. Therefore, after Stresemann came into power, in the west, he pursues the Germany-France conciliation policy under Great Britain and America's support. In the east, he pursues the policy of making Germany-Russian relation move towards normalization progressively.The conclusion briefly discusses some questions such as the basic task of the Eastern and Western Foreign policy of the early Weimar Republic, its relationship with international structure and domestic politics, consequence which it brings, etc...