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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Rathenau
Some believe that Rathenau's assassination may have significantly influenced the long-term political, economic, and social development of Europe (or was the result of such development, particularly the development of leftward-trending parties, class consciousness, nationalistic feelings, and antisemitism). It was certainly an early sign of the instability and violence which were eventually to permeate and destroy the Weimar Republic.

The British writer Morgan Philips Price wrote:
In June 1922 Walter Rathenau, a big Jewish industrialist and progressive economist, was assassinated by gangsters of the extreme Right who were the heart and soul of the Freikorps. I was present at the memorial service in the Reichstag and noted an extraordinary outburst of enthusiasm among the workers of Berlin, as expressed in their trade union leaders and socialist parties, for the Republic and for President Ebert. The rank and file of the Majority Social Democrats were now thoroughly aroused...first Communists, then Socialists, and now a big industrialist were murdered for having Liberal views and, in the last case, for being a Jew. The situation in Germany was becoming more and more sinister.

Others, such as historian Erich Eyck, argue that the murder of Rathenau may have been the singular event that set into motion the period of extreme hyperinflation in Germany during 1922–23:

"But as great as was the impact of Rathenau’s death upon German domestic politics, it left an even greater mark upon the economic scene. Now the tumble of the mark could not be stopped. The dollar, still under 350 on the day of the murder, climbed to 670 by the end of July, to 2000 in August, and to 4500 by the end of October."

Albert Einstein later commented that he was "greatly disturbed" by Rathenau's assassination, since he saw it as early proof of an immense anti-pacifist and anti-semitic presence in Germany.

What if this politician were not assassinated by the far right in 1922?

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Rathenau (more information).

Hostility because of his contradictory political attitudes from all sides, after the war Rathenau had trouble at first, for the new policy to take action. As an economic expert and member and co-founder of the German Democratic Party (DDP) in 1920, he worked in the Socialization Commission and participated in the conference at Spa in part. Because of his negotiating skills and promoting relaxation of its international reputation in May 1921 he was minister of reconstruction in the cabinet of Chancellor Joseph Wirth and graduated in October with France , the Wiesbaden Agreement on private property, supplies to French German war victims. Rathenau resigned in late October, but was in London and the Cannes Conference continued to work for the government. On 31 January 1922 he was appointed foreign minister in the Cabinet Wirth II appointed to Germany at the World Economic Conference of Genoa to represent. Here he does not get progress in the reparations , but he was willing to concerns on 16 April 1922, with Soviet Russia at Rapallo, a bilateral contract special finish to Germany to give more freedom of action in foreign policy. Although this move was welcomed especially by the national side, he held the extreme right-wing organization Consul (OC) does not depend on an attack against this first successful foreign policy of the Weimar Republic carried out.
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