Setup of the Weimar Republic Flashcards
After the Kaiser’s abdication, a new government was needed. Who was given power?
Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
When was the election which was won by the SDP?
1919.
What were the main components of the Weimar constitution?
1) The president- elected head of state.
2) Parliament, including the Reichstag and Reichsrat - members elected every 4 years.
3) Chancellor- head of Parliament, chosen by the President.
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution? Name at least 3 (out of 5).
1) Proportional representation - small parties had a voice; no one person/group had too much power.
2) Free speech and religion.
3) Elections for Reichstag, Reichsrat and President.
4) All men and women over 20 had the right to vote.
5) Germany, in 1919, was the most democratic european country.
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution? Name at least 3 (out of 5).
1) Proportional representation led to coalitions which often collapsed. 29 parties in power in the 1920s.
2) Article 48 dictated that the president could take control in an emergency - the risk of a dictatorship was built into the constitution.
How many political parties were in power in the 1920s?
29.
Article __ dictated that the president could take control in an emergency.
48.
What was the first thing the Weimar government did?
End WW1, on the 11th November 1918, by signing the Armistice.
When did the WR sign the armistice?
11th November 1918.
What reaction was there to the new Weimar constitution?
The army, judges, civil servants and many ordinary citizens wanted to see the return of the Kaiser.
People felt as if they’d been stabbed in the back by the WR’s signing of the Armistice.
