Former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Weimar Republic of Germany
synonymStressman(Politician and diplomat in Weimar Republic of Germany) Generally refers to Gustav Stretzmann
Gustav Stresemann, a German politician,Weimar Republic He served as Prime Minister for a hundred days (1923) and Foreign Minister for six years (1924-1929).He was recorded in history as a great diplomat. Without the protection of force, he usedTreaty of Rapallo 、Locarno ConventionThe three treaties with the Berlin Treaty successfully broke up the anti German alliance and laid the foundation for Germany's revival.He inheritedBismarckIt can even be said that his career surpassed that of Bismarck, because his Germany lacked the strength of Bismarck Germany.Stressman's strength comes from his ability to adjust himself and accept the fact that Germany was defeated, because he can restrain hisnationalismWilling to create a reasonable foreign policy and have the confidence to revive.
Born in Berlin, Stretzerman's family brews beer and runs hotels.Later, heUniversity of BerlinandUniversity of LeipzigHe studied philosophy and literature and obtained a doctorate in economics.During his doctoral studies, he read a large number of historical and economic works hungrily.He also acted as a spokesman for student groups.
Zealous MP
Gustav Stretzeman
In 1902, at the age of 24, he was foundedSaxonyThe manufacturing guild married Adolf Cliffield, a Jewish businessman and industrialist, the next year.In 1906, he was electedDresdenA member of the city council, who emerged as a powerful politician of the National Liberal Party in Saxony, was elected to the Imperial Parliament in 1907.Even though he lost the election in 1912, he returned to politics in 1914.He cares about social welfare and believes thatGerman EmpireIt should be superior to other countries.As Bismarck andAlfred von Tirpitz Stretzerman, an admirer of Germany, strongly supported Germany's expansion policy in the early 20th century,the First World WarAt first, he complained that Germany did not guide the war effectively.In 1917, he led his Liberal Party to attack politicians who advocated peace, and also supportedUnrestricted submarine warfare 。He opposed the armistice agreement of 1918 and later said that Germany should refuseTreaty of VersaillesSigned on.He said in parliament that he could not tolerate the bondage of slaves to the next generation of Germans.
1918Wilhelm II After abdication, Germany establishedWeimar Republic Although Stretzman was elected to the Constitutional Assembly in 1919, he did not approve of the government.He believed that the government of the Republic was inherently weak and could not resist what he thought Germany sufferedEntenteExtreme harsh treatment given.In 1920, when the rebellion that attempted to overthrow the Weimar Republic broke out, Stretzman was willing to accept the consequences of this illegal action, but this time it was calledKapu riotOur rebellion ended in failure.Since then, he began to adapt himself gradually to the republican system.Stretzeman's reputation as a politician is based on defending the Republic and making it successful.Mathias Etzberg in 1921 and 1922Walther Rathenau After being murdered one after another, Stretzerman turned against ultra nationalists. When Ezberg and Ratnau were assassinated, they were both foreign ministers, and both were strong supporters of the Republic.
Prime Minister
500 million marks issued by Germany during inflation
From August 1923, Stretzman served as the Prime Minister of Weimar Republic for a short period of time. He endedruhr crisis At that time, the passive resistance in Ruhr led to seriousinflationFrance and Germany were both defeated. Stretzeman believed that although the Versailles Treaty was intolerable, we must accept the reality.Although the Rhine must be recovered and the greatness of Germany must be restored in the future, the first thing to do now is to remove the sword that is close to the throat, so he agreed to continue to pay compensation. He launched the real estate mortgage mark to alleviaterunaway inflationA scourge to German society and economy.Because he insisted on refusing to issue more money, the problem was solved.In order to revitalize the economy, he reduced government spending, simplified the bureaucracy and increased taxes.Because it is mistaken asBeer House RiotHis cabinet stepped into power 15 weeks later, but he was appointedWilliam MarxThe foreign minister of a new cabinet.For the next six years, he served as Foreign Minister until his death.
foreign minister
Stretzerman's foreign policy aims to:Soviet UnionContradictions with the United States, Britain, France and other countries, we should engage in balanced diplomacy between the East and the West, get rid of diplomatic isolation, and restore Germany's status as a major country.In 1925, Stretzeman wrote a secret letter to the former German Crown Prince, outlining his realistic foreign policy. The end of the letter said that Germany's foreign policy should be like that after 1809MetternichWhat I did: I was good at coping and avoided making major decisions.As a result, people have different interpretations of Stretzman's diplomatic motives. Some people think that he is a two faced person, dressed inPacifismandhumanitarianismSome people think that the extreme nationalist in disguise is sincere and aboveboard in his desire to seek peace for Europe.However, its actual diplomatic activities were carried out around the objective of realistic foreign policy.
As the foreign minister, Stretzman's primary goal is to moderately amend the Versailles Treaty and establish Germany's position in Europe. This is a very difficult task. In Europe, many people believe that Germany was the culprit in launching the First World War. At home, Stretzman was opposed by various nationalist organizations,They still refuse to accept the Republic and its moderate foreign policy.
In 1924, he and the Secretary of the Treasury of the United StatesDawes Established togetherDawes Plan This plan reduced the annual indemnity amount of Germany. In 1929, he worked with American lawyersOwen YoungJointly developedYoung Plan , revised the compensation schedule again.Stretzerman hoped that these amendments could provide a breathing space for the recovery of the German economy. From 1924 to 1929, Germany's compensation amount was only a part of the total amount of assistance he received, and the German economy achieved an extraordinary recovery.
In 1922Genoa Conference At last, Britain and France negotiated secretly with the Russians, and Britain and France offered that the Soviet Union could get compensation from Germany according to the Treaty of Versailles.The dark cloud of alliance and anti Germany of other countries reappears.In order to break the establishment of the alliance between Britain, France and the Soviet Union and Germany, he worked with the Soviet People's Committee for Foreign Affairs in 1922Chicherin signTreaty of Rapallo The Soviet Union was not interested in the empty promises of the West. It was more afraid that France would ask for the repayment of the huge loans before the war.Germany used the treaty to break up the potential Soviet French and Soviet British alliances, and became an insurmountable wall when the West dealt with the Soviet Union: now Germany is an indispensable country for the Soviet Union to break the western blockade, and also an indispensable country for the West to deal with the Soviet Union.Germany can wander between two parties. When conducting interest transactions with two parties, Germany does not need to give them anything, just nothing to their opponents.
In 1925, when working with the British Foreign SecretaryAusten Chamberlain And the French Foreign MinisterAristide BerianIn the negotiation of, according to France's eagerness to solve the problem of European security as soon as possible, Germany is prepared to give upAlsace LorraineAt the cost of the territorial claims of the two countries, we concluded the "Rhine Security Convention" with France to safeguard the status quo of the border between the two countries, and thus restored Germany's status as a major power.The treaty guaranteed the permanent stability of Germany's western border.From January to February 1925, according to the specific proposal of the British government, the German government submitted a memorandum of understanding to the major European countries and proposed to conclude the Rhine Convention with countries with interests in the Rhine region, which was welcomed.The Rhine Convention stipulates that under the guarantee of the United Kingdom, all countries with interests in the Rhine region jointly guarantee to maintain the territorial status quo in the Rhine region and to resolve their disputes by peaceful means.Stretzeman believes that signing such a convention can not only prevent the formation of an alliance between Britain and France or between France and the Soviet Union, create conditions for the early withdrawal of victorious countries from the Rhine region, but also "internationalize" the Rhine issue and prevent France from attacking Germany in the German Polish conflict.What Germany lost in the treaty was that it would never recover Alsace and Lorraine.Germany just gave up what it did not belong to and what it could not get.The treaty has brought Germany tangible benefits.First, the Anglo French alliance lost its foundation and was successfully broken upAnglo French Alliance。Second, it makesBelgiumWhen the small country in the west of Germany no longer had to rely on France to prevent German aggression.Third, France's sense of urgency to form an alliance with Eastern European countries has declined.Fourth, Germany has made it possible to change the status quo in the east, because the West accepted Stretzmann's refusal to accept the new border demarcation in the east.Fifth, Britain and Italy used force to guarantee Germany's western border, which actually prevented France from invading Germany.So far, without making any substantive concessions, Germany has stranded the policies of the three great powers of Britain, France and the Soviet Union towards Germany in place - Germany has used German British relations to hold back the introverted and frightened Soviet Union, Germany has used German Soviet relations to hold back Britain, which is afraid of disasters, and finally it has used German British relations to suppress Germany hating and Germany fearing France.The three powerful countries cannot move, and the Central and Eastern European countries that rely on the three powerful countries dare not offend Germany.
In October 1925, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, PolandCzechoslovakiaSeven countries in SwitzerlandLocarnoHold meetings.Hans Luther The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Stretzerman attended the Logano Conference on behalf of Germany and signed the《Locarno Convention》。One of the preconditions for the entry into force of the Locarno Convention is Germany's accessionLeague of Nations。Germany hopes to take this opportunity to amend the Versailles Treaty, relieve its war responsibility, obtain the colonial mandate, restore equal rights in armaments, and restore its status as a major power.Britain and France demanded that Germany unconditionally accept Articles 16 and 17 of the League of Nations Convention, that is, in fact, Germany was required to participate in economic sanctions against the Soviet Union in the event of a conflict between the Western countries and the Soviet Union, and even allowed French troops to pass through German territory.In consideration of its own interests, the German government pursues the diplomatic strategy of "maintaining balance between East and West" and categorically rejects it.Stretzerman insisted that Germany had the right to decide whether to participate in the joint sanctions against the so-called "aggressor countries" on its own, citing Germany's lack of armed forces and the prevention of revolution.In September 1926, Germany formally joined the League of Nations and served as the sixth permanent member of the Council on the premise of adhering to the reservation conditions.
Before and after the Locarno Conference, the German government also focused on developing relations with the Soviet Union to maintain diplomatic balance.Before the Locarno Conference, the German government had repeatedly expressed to the Soviet side that it attached importance to the development of German Soviet relations and suggested that the two countries strengthen cooperation "in accordance with the spirit of the Rabalo Treaty".During the Locarno Conference, Germany and the Soviet UnionMoscowTo sign an economic treaty, the content of which goes far beyond the scope of general trade treaties and consists of general treaties and a number of special agreements, including agreements on residence and general legal protection, economic agreements, railway agreements, tax agreements, trade and navigation agreements, commercial arbitration court agreements and industrial property protection agreements.After the Locarno Conference, the German government signed a five-year friendly and neutral treaty with the Soviet Union on April 24, 1926, further guaranteeing Germany's neutral status.
Stretzeman (right) and his wife (middle) and son
Only eight years after the defeat of the First World War, the Weimar Republic greatly improved the strategic situation of the former Second Reich. Although it lacked the military strength of the Second Reich at this time, it realized the dream of Bismarck. The bad news of other countries' alliance against Germany disappeared. The strategic inferiority since ancient times has become a first-class strategic asset, and the besieged victims have become strategic masters,Germany allied itself with the East and the West.Both the East and the West need him. He can prevent the West from intervening in the Soviet Union, and can also use a Soviet Union that depends on him to deal with the West.Neither the East nor the West can take action against the other without German cooperation.The relations between the big powers on both sides of Germany were thus in the hands of Germany, which in fact had the veto power over the East West relations.All the conflicts in Europe are centered on Berlin.
meanwhile,StretzemanIn order to further eliminate the estrangement between Germany and France, we strengthened our personal ties with French Foreign Minister Berian.At 11:00 a.m. on September 17, 1926, Stretzeman and Berian avoided journalists and left secretlyGeneva, came to the French town near GenevaTuvaliHold secret talks.The two sides reached the so-called "Tuvali Agreement".In this oral agreement, France promised to end its occupation of Rhine and return it to GermanySaarAnd Germany agreed to pay 1 billion yuan to FranceKingmakerIndemnity to ease the currency crisis in France.Due to the opposition of other senior officials of the two governments, the Tuvali agreement could not be implemented, but the atmosphere of reconciliation between the two countries has been greatly enhanced.During the 1926 annual meeting of the League of Nations, Stretzeman and Berian went boating togetherLake GenevaOn.This action further enhanced the detente atmosphere in Europe and even the world.
His series of seemingly cooperative diplomatic means were very popular in Europe, and Germany also stopped arms reduction.In 1926, he also won the same prize with French Foreign Minister Jean Bertrand Berian in 1926The Nobel Peace Prize。In 1928, Stretzeman agreed thatPact of Paris In 1929, he supported Berian's proposal to establish the European Union.
Even though Germany has made some progress in many aspects, Stretzmann is still criticized by his political opponents and is accused of taking a "policy of submission" to gradually realize the provisions of the Versailles Treaty.
Stretzeman's funeral ceremony
Stretzeman died suddenly on October 3, 1929.In the same year, the world economic crisis broke out, and the golden age of Weimar Republic ended.
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Stretzeman's Cemetery
According to the documents released later, Stretzeman's goal is totally different from his performance in front of the public.The document revealed that he was a scheming realist who pursued traditional national interests in the spirit of never giving up until he reached his goal.What he sought was to restore the imperial border in 1914, relieve the burden of financial compensation, obtain military strength equivalent to that of Britain and France, modify the eastern border, and complete the unification with Austria.As well as obtaining a colony in Africa by trusteeship or other means to ensure that important tropical resources are not scarce, his diplomacy is just one of the means to achieve his goal. His early death interrupted his career,HitlerGo on down this road[1]。
