The Reichswehr, the Republic and the primacy of foreign policy, 1918-1923

Mulligan, W. (2003) The Reichswehr, the Republic and the primacy of foreign policy, 1918-1923. German History, 21(3), pp. 347-368. (doi: 10.1191/0266355403gh288oa)

Abstract

This article contends that the relationship between the Reichswehr and the Republic was shaped by the primacy of foreign policy between 1918 and 1923. In this period the major concern of the officers was the stabilization of the German Reich, which would preserve Germany as a Machtfaktor in Europe and serve as the basis for a revisionist and militarized foreign policy. Foreign policy matters and aims shaped their attitude to domestic politics. Cooperation with the Republic enabled the officers to achieve the stabilization of the Reich by 1923. They were also able to introduce important reforms in the military structure of the Reich, which showed that cooperation with the Republic could pay dividends. In terms of the substance of foreign policy the Reichswehr followed a pragmatic, unideological approach by developing links with the Red Army. By examining the relationship between the Reichswehr and the Republic from the perspective of the primacy of foreign policy, it is possible to come to a fuller understanding of the shifting nature of civil-military affairs in the Weimar Republic.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mulligan, Dr William
• Authors: Mulligan, W.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DD Germany
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
• Journal Name: German History
• ISSN: 1477-089X