Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Constitution

Question 1

Did the constitution make the republic weak?

Answer 1

It was a brave attempt to set up a democratic government. However, it can be argued that weaknesses in the constitution made it harder for the republic to cope with all the difficulties it had to face.

Question 2

What are some of the strengths of the Weimar constitution?

Answer 2

• All Germans had equal rights including the rights to vote
• Allowed lots of people to have their say
• State governments would ensure local issues were addressed
• Wouldn’t allow one person to take over the Chancellor and President balanced each other
• A poor Chancellor or President would only be around for a limited time
• Political parties were allocated seats in Parliament according to the number of votes they got. This was fair

Question 3

What are some of the weakneses of the Weimar constitution?

Answer 3

• In 1919, the republic had many enemies. It was not sensible to give equal rights to those who wished to destroy it.
• Proportional Representation meant that there were loads of different parties in the Reichstag – it was difficult to get them to agree on anything.
• The President had too much power. It was possible that he could abuse this power by using Article 48
• The states could try to overthrow the government