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The Barmat Scandal in 1924 and 1925 in Weimar Republic implicated the Social Democratic Party of Germany in Germany in charges of corruption, war profiteering, fraud, bribery, and financial misdeeds. The scandal provided right-wing political forces within Germany (including the young Nazi Party) with a basis with which to attack the Social Democrats and the republic itself. Antisemitism in connection with the scandal also featured prominently in Nazi propaganda, since the Barmat brothers were Jewish.〔''See generally'' ''Time'', "The Scandals," 16 February 1925; and ''Fulda''.〕 The scandal was used by the German right to foster the belief that wealthy Jewish families, in quasi-criminal operations found fertile ground in the Republic and easily exploited the Social Democrats to do their bidding..〔''Berkowitz'' pp. 17-18.〕 The right-wing press was eager to use Barmat Scandal as a vehicle for antisemitism.〔''Mommsen'' pp. 304-05.〕 ==Background and dramatis personæ== The Weimar government〔Under the Weimar Constitution, a semi-presidential system was established. The President of the Republic shared executive power with a Chancellor, who (along with his cabinet) was responsible to the Reichstag.〕 was headed by Gustav Bauer, a Social Democrat, as Chancellor from June 1919 through March 1920.〔Bauer was also a member of the Reichstag from the beginning of the republic (and even before) until his resignation, as a result of the Scandal, in February 1925; eventually he was politically rehabilitated and served again in the Reichstag in the latter 1920s. He also served in various cabinet posts (including Minister of Finance) in governments headed by other Chancellors.〕 Friedrich Ebert was the Republic's initial President, from the end of World War I〔Ebert served provisionally as President after the Armistice, and then in his own right after the adoption of the new constitution until his death.〕 until his death in February 1925. Julius Barmat was a Jewish wholesale merchant with "less than perfect character."〔''Poor'' pp. 14-15.〕 He bought foodstuffs in the Netherlands to export into Germany (which had suffered badly during and after the war from lack of food) after the end of the war. He made a large amount of money in this endeavor and was—at least from the view of the nationalists—engaged in war profiteering.〔The four Barmat brothers were Jews who had emigrated from Poland after 1918, thus branding them as the "Eastern Jews" who were the easiest targets for European anti-Semitism. ''Mommsen'', pp.234-235)〕 Barmat had profited from political patrongage. He had joined the Dutch Social Democrats in 1908 and after the war had given the Social Democrats Second International free office space in his Amsterdam home. He consequently met German Social Democrats and developed connections that were helpful in transactions in foodstuffs for Germany.〔 Barmat also had connections with Ernst Heilman (the SPD leader in the Prussian Landtag)〔''Kauders'' pp. 126-27. Heilman was also Jewish, adding additional motivation for the anti-Semites to attack and malign him and to promote the Scandal in the press. No charges were ever substantiated against him.〕 and Gustav Bauer (former Reich Chancellor). Heilmann became close friends with Julius and wrote letters of recommendation and served on the boards of six Barmat companies, but did not accept financial rewards. However, Wilhelm Richter, President of the Berlin Police, did receive gifts from Barmat.〔''Ibid''., p. 126-130.〕 Barmat also met Ebert as well as Otto Wels (Chairman of the SPD) and (indiscreetly, it appears in retrospect) bragged about his political connections.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Barmat scandal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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