Read Next
Discover
History & Society
Kapp Putsch
German history
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
Category:
History & Society
- Context:
- Freikorps
- Weimar Republic
- Key People:
- Friedrich Ebert
- Wolfgang Kapp
- Erich Ludendorff
Kapp Putsch, (1920) in Germany, a coup d’état that attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic. Its immediate cause was the government’s attempt to demobilize two Freikorps brigades. One of the brigades took Berlin, with the cooperation of the Berlin army district commander. Reactionary politician Wolfgang Kapp (1858–1922) formed a government with Erich Ludendorff, and the legitimate republican regime fled to southern Germany. Within four days, a general strike by labour unions and the refusal by civil servants to follow Kapp’s orders led to the coup’s collapse.