The New Weimar Constitution Flashcards
The New Weimar Constitution
Background Fact 2 - What two parts was the New Constitution split into?
In August of 1919, the German Constitution Assembly accepted a new constitution and with it introduced multiple laws, which were split into two parts: The German Constitution and Human Rights.
The New Weimar Constitution
Elections - Certain Elections
- All men and women aged 20 and above had the right to vote in certain elections in 1919.
✓ This meant that Germans had an equal influence and had the ability to make a change
x This led to too many opinions within voters, making it much more difficult to choose one leader from thousands of votes
The New Weimar Constitution
Elections - The President
- The president was voted by the public every 7 years by those aged 35 and above
✓ This gave the public more power in voting for who would lead them and prevented the same person from being in power for a prolonged period of time.
x The age restriction prevented the youth from having a say in the election, which may have led to unpopular leaders within the youth being elected.
The New Weimar Constitution
President- Armed Forces
- The new constitution gave the president the control over all armed forces.
✓ This allowed him to use armed forces in an emergency to protect the people of Germany.
x This also gave him the ability to start conflict with other countries easily.
The New Weimar Constitution
President - Article 48
- Article 48 allowed the president to pass any law in case of emergency.
✓ This allowed him to easily protect Germany in case of conflict or threat.
x This also gave him the ability to pass laws without reason and to his own benefit.
The New Weimar Constitution
Reichstag - Chancellor’s
- The Reichstag had the power to remove members of the government, such as the chancellor, from the occupation.
✓ This allowed the Reichstag to remove unpopular government members, suggesting democracy within Weimar
x However, this also gave them the power to elect new chancellors, and ones who could have been unpopular within the public, therefore undermining the democracy of Weimar.
The New Weimar Constitution
Reichstag - Coalition System
- Reichstag elections used a ‘proportional representation’ voting system, which made it difficult for one party to win the majority vote, which caused the Weimar government to be made up of coalitions.
✓ This stopped one group from becoming too powerful.
x However, the coalition governments revealed Weimar’s instability, causing distrust within the public.
The New Weimar Constitution
Historians - The President
Eric D. Weitz: “The powers granted to the president in emergency situations were too extensive.”
The New Weimar Constitution
Historians - Reichstag
Eric D. Weitz: “ German society was so fragmented.”
