1.3. Weimar Constitution Flashcards
Who won the January 1919 elections with what percentage of the vote?
SPD (38%)
Who were the 2nd and 3rd parties after the 1919 election?
Z (20%)
DDP (19%)
What was the turnout of the January 1919 elections?
83%
Who was Germany’s first President?
Friedrich Ebert
Why could Weimar claim to be the most democratic country in Europe?
Universal Suffrage
Proportional Representation
Why was Weimar Germany named such?
Because the assembly met in Weimar due to the instability in the capital caused by the January revolution
What did the workers’ and soldiers’ councils do upon the formation of the Weimar Assembly?
Handed over their power
What did the new Weimar Constitution begin by saying?
‘Political Authority derives from the people’
What was Article 54?
Guaranteed judicial independence
What was Article 48
Gave the President the power to rule by decree
How often did Ebert use Article 48 whilst in power?
136 times
What personal rights were protected under the Weimar Constitution?
"All Germans are equal before the law" "Personal liberty is inviolable" "The right of property is guaranteed" "Full religious freedom" "Censorship is forbidden"
How many Länder was Weimar made up of?
17
Why couldn’t Prussia dominate Weimar?
It was shrunk to roughly the same size as other Länder full local democracy meant more autonomy separate from other districts
No state had more than 40% of seats in the Reichsrat
In what circumstances could referendums be called?
By the President, the Reichstag or 1/10th of the people
