October 1929
3 October
Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann passes away after suffering a severe stroke. The Reichstag gathers for a memorial ceremony for Stresemann.
[Overesch/Saal, p. 424]
24 October
On 24 October there is an unforeseen stock market crash at the New York Stock Exchange. This is due to long-lasting over speculation, which led to an investment boom and increases in production that were by no means in line with actual demand. This imbalance becomes evident in October 1929 and creates bedlam. The American banks react to the falling prices by withdrawing and reclaiming money that had been invested in Europe. Germany is particularly affected by this since the total value of its short-term foreign loans, primarily originating from the US, amounts to 15.7 billion Reichsmarks.
[Winkler, p. 357-358]