The Great Inflation
Beginning of paper
In late-1922 the German government were forced to ask the Allies for a
moratorium on reparations payments; this was refused, and she then
defaulted on shipments of both coal and timber to France. By January of
the following year, French and Belgian troops had entered and occupied the
Ruhr. The Germ ....
Middle of paper
.... Germany was in the throes of economic and social chaos. Starvation
became a reality for millions of people, despite a bumper cereal harvest,
as shops reverted to the barter system. Farmers refused to accept the
effectively worthless, banknotes in exchange for grain, and food quickly
began to run short in the cities. Prices rose one trillion-fold from their
pre-war level. More importantly, for the long-term political future of
Germany, the middle and working classes saw their savin ....
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Word count: 2278
Page count: 9 (approximately 250 words per page)
