The occupation of the Ruhr

In 1922, Germany failed to pay reparations. President Ebert tried negotiating, but France, needing to pay its war debts to the USA and lost patience. In January 1923, French and Belgian troops legally occupied the Ruhr to take reparations in raw materials and goods. The German government ordered a strike, but the French killed 100 workers and expelled 100,000 protesters. The strike halted industrial production, causing the collapse of the German currency.