Weimar Germany (including Parties)

What was the Weimar Republic?

Elected following the First World War, the Weimar Republic was Germany's first democratic government. The new government was formed in the town of Weimar, following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

When did the Weimar Republic exist?

The Weimar Republic existed from 1919 until 1933, when Hitler was appointed chancellor.

Where was the Weimar Republic created?

Weimar was the town in central Germany where the constitutional assembly met to set up the new republic. It was too dangerous in Berlin, the capital, because of the unrest.

What was the structure of the constitution of the Weimar Republic?

The political structure of the Weimar Republic was made up of four different elements:

• ❖ The president was the head of state.
• ❖ The chancellor was the head of government.
• ❖ The parliament which was divided into two houses, the Reichstag and the Reichsrat.
• ❖ The electorate was made up of all men and women aged 21 and over who were eligible to vote for the members of parliament.

What was the role of the president in the Weimar Republic?

The president had many powers although they were limited:

• ❖ As head of state, the president did not take part in the day-to-day running of the country.
• ❖ He had the power to appoint and dismiss the chancellor.
• ❖ He could declare when Germany was at war and controlled the army, navy and airforce.
• ❖ He could use Article 48, under certain circumstances, to overrule his government and make emergency laws by decree if he deemed it necessary.
• ❖ He had to be elected every 7 years by the people.

What was the role of the chancellor in the Weimar Republic?

The chancellor had many powers although they were limited:

• ❖ He was chosen by the president, usually from the political party that gained the most votes in the general election.
• ❖ As head of the government, he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the country.
• ❖ He could select all the government ministers.
• ❖ He and the cabinet would propose laws to the Reichstag.
• ❖ He was responsible for law and order, taxation, schooling, health care etc.
• ❖ He had to have the support of the majority of the Reichstag to bring in new laws.
• ❖ He could be dismissed by the president.

What was the role of the Reichstag in the Weimar Republic?

The Reichstag had many powers but they were limited:

• ❖ The Reichstag had more power than the Reichsrat.
• ❖ It controlled taxation.
• ❖ There had to be elections to the Reichstag at least every 4 years.
• ❖ It had the power to create laws but the Reichsrat had to agree to them.

What was the role of the Reichsrat in the Weimar Republic?

The Reichsrat had some powers but the powers were limited:

• ❖ The Reichsrat had to be elected every 4 years.
• ❖ It could advise the Reichstag on the new laws, but the Reichstag could overrule it.
• ❖ It represented all those regions of Weimar Germany that elected representatives.

What was Article 48 of the Weimar Republic?

The constitution of the Weimar Republic included Article 48. This allowed the chancellor to ask the president to take emergency measures without the support of the Reichstag.

What were the Weimar Republic's constitutional strengths?

There were 5 key strengths of the new constitution which prevented any one person or group gaining too much power:

• ❖ All Germans aged 21 and over, men and women, were allowed to vote so it was very democratic.
• ❖ The Reichstag was elected using proportional representation which meant a party was given a certain number of seats according to how many votes it gained in the election. This was considered fairer for smaller parties.
• ❖ The constitution was written in such a way that the power of one person or institution would be limited and therefore, they would not have too much power.
• ❖ The chancellor introduced new laws, but they only became laws if the majority of the Reichstag and Reichsrat voted for them.
• ❖ The Reichstag had more power but the Reichsrat could delay passing laws.

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic's constitution?

There were 4 principal weaknesses of the Weimar Republic's constitution:

• ❖ Proportional representation often meant no single party won enough seats to form a government on its own, so several parties had to form a coalition governments which often fell apart.
• ❖ Article 48 of the constitution gave the president the power to take emergency measures, by-passing the Reichstag. This could effectively create another dictatorship, in all but name.
• ❖ Many judges and civil servants did not want the Weimar Republic and so did not fully support it.
• ❖ The leaders of the army wanted the kaiser back and did not support the Weimar Republic.

What happened when the Weimar Republic stopped paying reparations?

The Weimar Republic paid reparations after the First World War but then defaulted at the end of 1922. France and Belgium took action in January 1923 by occupying the Ruhr to collect the money owed. This led to hyperinflation.

What was the political system of the Weimar Republic?

There were 5 key reasons why politics in the Weimar Republic were difficult:

• ❖ The electoral system used proportional representation which meant that the number of seats a political party gained was in proportion to the number of votes cast for them in the election.
• ❖ Therefore, there were many different parties that could be elected to the Reichstag.
• ❖ Coalition governments were formed of more than one party. For example, in 1925 the government was made up of 5 different political parties.
• ❖ This made politics difficult because the parties had different beliefs and would rarely agree.
• ❖ During the crisis of the Great Depression, a number of coalition governments regularly collapsed.

What was the political makeup of parties in the Weimar Republic?

There were more than 29 political parties across the political spectrum throughout the Weimar period.

Which political parties were the most important of the Weimar Republic?

The 5 most important parties were:

• ❖ The Communists (KPD); an extreme left-wing party.
• ❖ The Social Democrats (SPD); moderately left-wing.
• ❖ The Centre Party (ZP); in the middle.
• ❖ The German People's Party (DVP); moderately right-wing.
• ❖ The Nationalist Socialist Party (NSDAP) ; the Nazi Party and extremely right-wing.

What was the Communist Party in the Weimar Republic?

The Communist Party, or KPD, of the Weimar Republic was:

• ❖ An extreme left-wing party that believed in communism and revolution.
• ❖ Opposed the Weimar Republic and wanted it to fail.
• ❖ Supported by the working class and some middle class people.
• ❖ Supported by the Spartacists who led the Spartacist Revolt in 1919 which tried to overthrow the Weimar Republic.
• ❖ Well funded by the USSR.

What was the Social Democratic Party in the Weimar Republic?

The Social Democratic Party, or SPD, of the Weimar Republic was:

• ❖ Moderately left-wing.
• ❖ Supported by the working class and the middle class.
• ❖ Anti-communist.
• ❖ Very supportive of the Weimar Republic that they helped to create.
• ❖ President Ebert's party.

What was the Centre Party in the Weimar Republic?

The Centre Party, or ZP, of the Weimar Republic was:

• ❖ A moderate political party.
• ❖ Supported by conservatives and Catholics as it used to be the party of the Catholic Church.
• ❖ Supported the Weimar Republic.
• ❖ A part of every coalition government from 1919 to 1933.

What was the German People's Party in the Weimar Republic?

The German People's Party, or DVP, was:

• ❖ A moderate political party.
• ❖ Supported by the upper middle classes.
• ❖ Mostly supportive of the Weimar Republic but they had concerns.
• ❖ Tended to support the monarchy.
• ❖ The party of Stresemann, the Chancellor in 1923 and Foreign Secretary between 1923 and 1929.

What was the Nazi Party in the Weimar Republic?

The Nationalist Socialist Party, NSDAP, or Nazi Party was:

• ❖ Extremely right-wing and nationalistic.
• ❖ Strongly opposed the Weimar Republic and wanted to overthrow it.
• ❖ Supported by the wealthy, businessmen, ex-soldiers, workers and the middle classes.
• ❖ Led by Adolf Hitler.
• ❖ Anti-communist.