Joseph Wirth

Dr. Karl Joseph Wirth (September 6, 1879–January 3, 1956) was a German Catholic Centre politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922. Along with his foreign minister, Walther Rathenau, Wirth set out to follow a policy of "fulfillment" with respect to Germany's reparations in order to show that Germany was incapable of payment.

First Cabinet, May – October 1921

• Joseph Wirth (Z) – Chancellor and Finance Minister
• Gustav Bauer (SPD) – Vice Chancellor and Treasury Minister
• Friedrich Rosen – Foreign Minister
• Georg Gradnauer (SPD) – Interior Minister
• Robert Schmidt (SPD) – Economics Minister
• Heinrich Brauns (Z) – Labour Minister
• Eugen Schiffer (DDP) – Justice Minister
• Otto Gessler (DDP) – Defence Minister
• Wilhelm Gröner – Transport Minister
• Andreas Hermes (Z) – Food Minister

Changes

• May 29, 1921 – Walther Rathenau (DDP) enters the cabinet as Reconstruction Minister.

Second Cabinet, October 1921 – November 1922

• Joseph Wirth (Z) – Chancellor and Foreign Minister
• Gustav Bauer (SPD) – Vice Chancellor
• Adolf Köster (SPD) – Interior Minister
• Andreas Hermes (Z) – Finance Minister and Food Minister
• Robert Schmidt (SPD) – Economics Minister
• Heinrich Brauns (Z) – Labour Minister
• Gustav Radbruch (SPD) – Justice Minister
• Otto Gessler (DDP) – Defence Minister
• Johannes Giesberts (Z) – Postal Minister
• Wilhelm Groener – Transport Minister

Changes

• February 1, 1922 – Walther Rathenau (DDP) succeeds Wirth as Foreign Minister. Wirth remains Chancellor
• March 10, 1922 – Anton Fehr (Bavarian Peasants' League) succeeds Hermes as Food Minister. Hermes remains Finance Minister.
• June 24, 1922 – Upon Rathenau's assassination, Wirth again becomes Foreign Minister.