New Govn 1918 🇩🇪

Question 1

Problems facing new govn

Answer 1

• Army- low morale/mutiny
• Need to negotiate peace
• Defeat in war
• New govn blamed for defeat- ‘stab in the back myth’
• New govn lack experience/ no constitution
• Gs used to autocracy- no experience w/ democracy
• Economic problems
• Fear comm Rev

Question 2

Beginning of Weimar Republic/democracy in 🇩🇪

🇩🇪 democracy 1st 2 challenges:-

Answer 2

• 1-signing peace treaty (Treaty O’V)

* 2-writing/accepting constitution

Question 3

Weimar Constitution (AUG 1919)

Writing constitution:-

Answer 3

• Jan 1919- elections for constituent assembly (draw up constitution)
• Moderate socialists-hope gain majority-❌
• 3/4 voters chose parties supporting new Republic
• Constituent Assembly met in Weimar to write constitution
• Aug 1919-Constitution accepted (262-75 votes)
• Ebert=president / Scheldemann=chancellor of coalition govn
• Constitution=most democratic in world (major reason for failure)

Question 4

Weimar constitution (AUG 1919)

Main elements:-

Answer 4

• Head of State-President
  
  • elected every 7 years
  • Power to appoint/dismiss Chancellor
  • Command army
  • Article 48-rule by decree-emergency=issue laws
  • Pres decided if emergency
• Govn- Chancellor/ministers
  - propose laws to reichstag
  - had to have reichstag support
• Reichstag (Elected Parliament)
  - Elected every 4 years-all g’s over 20
  - PR voting
• Reichrat
  - Assembly-67 representatives of 17 states
  - could advise/reject new laws
  - could be overridden by reichstag
• Supreme Court
  - role=interpret constitution
• Federal System- 17 state Parliaments
  - ran major services in their state
  - eg education/police
  - emergency-federal govn may intervene in state

*Fundamental Rights/Duties of German People
-g’s range of civil/social rights
-eg freedom of speech/welfare provision/right to
join a union

• Plebiscites
  - g’s could vote of these

Question 5

Weimar constitution

Strengths:-

Answer 5

+opportunity for experiment in democracy

+brought different groups into new order

  - Social Democratic Labour movement
  - catholic political groups                                
  - sections of middle-class

+new corporatist ways to attempt to reconcile basic social divisions

+foundations for expansion of welfare state

+Successful by international standards- possible for transition into peace time economy