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Chancellor Hans Luther and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann in Locarno (October 1925)

Relations between Chancellor Hans Luther (1879-1962) and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann had been strained prior to their arrival in Locarno in October 1925. The German National People’s Party [Deutschnationale Volkspartei or DNVP], which formed part of Luther’s center-right Bürgerblock cabinet, strongly opposed the idea of a security pact with the Western powers. In an effort to undercut the foreign minister’s position and to underscore the non-binding nature of the agreement, the DNVP had insisted that Stresemann travel to Locarno alone. But Luther refused to stay at home, and he attended the meetings as a full member of the German delegation. Ultimately, the signing of the Locarno treaties led to the dissolution of Luther’s cabinet. The second Luther cabinet was formed on January 20, 1926, without the participation of the DNVP.

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Chancellor Hans Luther and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann in Locarno (October 1925)

© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz