Joseph Wirth

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Joseph Wirth
Joseph Wirth

In office
May 10, 1921 – November 14, 1922
Preceded by Konstantin Fehrenbach
Succeeded by Wilhelm Cuno

Born September 6, 1879(1879-09-06)
Died January 3, 1956 (aged 76)
Political party Catholic Centre Party

Karl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, (September 6, 1879January 3, 1956) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922. Along with his foreign minister, Walther Rathenau, Wirth set out to follow a policy of "fulfillment" with respect to Germany's reparations in order to show that Germany was incapable of payment.

Wirth was the youngest Chancellor Germany has had as of 2007. He is nowadays best known for his speech in front of the Reichstag after the assassination of Walther Rathenau by rightist extremists in 1922. Wirth - as a centre-right politician - famously proclaimed "The enemy is on the right!". His words later turned out to be prophetic.

[edit] First Cabinet, May - October 1921

Changes

[edit] Second Cabinet, October 1921 - November 1922

Changes

  • February 1, 1922 - Walther Rathenau (DDP) succeeds Wirth as Foreign Minister. Wirth remains Chancellor
  • March 10, 1922 - Anton Fehr (Bavarian Peasants' League) succeeds Hermes as Food Minister. Hermes remains Finance Minister.
  • June 24, 1922 - Upon Rathenau's assassination, Wirth again becomes Foreign Minister.
Political offices
Preceded by
Konstantin Fehrenbach
Chancellor of Germany
1921–1922
Succeeded by
Wilhelm Cuno
Preceded by
Friedrich Rosen
Minister of Foreign Affairs
1921–1922
Succeeded by
Walther Rathenau
Preceded by
Walther Rathenau
Minister of Foreign Affairs
1922
Succeeded by
Hans von Rosenberg
Preceded by
Carl Severing
Minister of the Interior
1930–1931
Succeeded by
Wilhelm Groener