CREATION OF WEIMAR CONSTITUTION - Major Parties Flashcards
Order of the 7 main political parties in the 1919 elections from most lw to most rw?
Left
- KPD
- USPD
- SPD
- DDP
- Centre
- DVP
- DNVP
Right
When was the KPD set up?
1919
What did the KPD want?
- workers’ revolution
- establishment of communist state
- abolition of private ownership
What were the supporters of the KPD like?
young, poor, unemployed
- promised a future that was far better than what the other parties had to offer
When was the USPD set up?
split from the SPD in 1917
What did the USPD want?
- more radical system than what Weimar/SPD wanted
- social reform
- creating a more equal society
Who were members of the USPD?
Liebknecht and Luxemburg were before forming the Spartacists
When was the SPD set up?
long-established party and largest party in the Reichstag from 1919-29
What did the SPD want?
- wasn’t originally anti-monarchist but in 1917 shifted to Republican stance to keep its members
- SPD members believed in the Republic + moderate social reform
- NOT revolution
What were the supporters of the SPD like?
- straight after war attracted many workers’ groups
- but had a liberal, middle-class following who wanted moderate reform
When was the DDP set up?
newly formed in 1918 for the 1919 elections
What did the DDP want?
- supported idea of a republic
- more representative constitution
- social reform
- incl. regulating industry to give workers a better deal
- reforming the army
What were the DDP members like?
liberal, educated professionals
Was the DDP in power?
part of many coalition governments incl 1919 gov
When was the Centre Party formed?
long-established party - 1870
What were the supporters of the Centre Party like?
- catholics
- drew in people from many social groups
What did the Centre Party want?
- defending the church
- conservative values
- but did advocate social reform
- against lw policies
- completely against communism - used anti-comm propaganda
When was the DVP formed?
new party restructured from the older National Liberals in 1919 under leadership of Gustav Stresemann
What did the DVP want?
- moderately conservative
- accepted without supporting the Republic
- not in favour of social reform but wanted economy fixed quickly so business could go on
- nationalist
- supported the army
When was the DNVP formed?
created from older conservative parties in late 1918
What did DNVP want?
- conservative
- nationalist
- monarchist
- wanted NO social reforms
- dislike the idea of a Republic, only grudgingly accepted it
- supported the army
What were DNVP supporters like?
- majority = wealthy landowners
- many were anti-semitic
