The Rise of the Nazis - Strengths and Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic

Question 1

what were the strengths of the weimar republic?

Answer 1

• it was a genuine democracy
• the parliament had the power
• the bill of rights

Question 2

how was the democracy of the weimar republic a strength?

Answer 2

Elections for parliament and the president took place every four years and all Germans over 20 could vote. this meant government was fair.

Question 3

how was the power of the Reichstag in the Weimar Republic a strength?

Answer 3

The Reichstag appointed the government and made all laws. This was a considerable strengthening of its powers before the war under the Kaiser (Emperor)

Question 4

how was the Weimar Republic’s Bill of rights a strength?

Answer 4

This guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law

Question 5

what were the weaknesses of the weimar republic?

Answer 5

• proportional representation
• article 48

Question 6

how was proportional representation a weakness of the Weimar republic?

Answer 6

Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election. This meant there were lots of small parties in Parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments

Question 7

how was Article 48 a weakness of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 7

This gave the president the power to act without parliament’s approval in an emergency. However, it did not clearly define what an ‘emergency’ was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans’ confidence in democracy

Question 8

Did the Weimar Republic recover between 1924 and 1929?

Answer 8

There is some debate about how far the Weimar Republic recovered between 1924 and 1929, following the hyperinflation crisis. There is evidence to suggest the Republic did recover but not fully.

Question 9

What evidence is there to suggest that the Weimar Republic did recover between 1924 and 1929?

Answer 9

• The temporary currency, the Rentenmark, replaced the worthless German Mark and gradually restored confidence.
• There was greater political stability. The moderate Social Democrats Party won the most votes in general elections. There was greater backing for the political parties that supported the Weimar Republic.
• Support for the extreme political parties decreased as support for the moderate parties increased. The Nazi Party only won 12 seats in the May 1928 elections.
• The German economy improved with the loans from the US. Businesses were able to pay off their debts and industrial production grew between 1923 and 1929.
• Gustav Stresemann was greatly praised for his policies and many felt the recovery was due to his leadership.
• The wages of industrial workers increased slightly and there were fewer strikes, suggesting workers were happier.
• By 1928, industrial production had recovered and reached pre-war levels and by 1930, Germany was one of the leading exporters of manufactured goods.
• Greater economic prosperity led to an explosion of culture. This became known as the “Golden Age”.

Question 10

What evidence is there to suggest that the Weimar Republic did not fully recover between 1924 and 1929?

Answer 10

• Extremist parties such as the communists and Nazis that wanted to destroy the Weimar Republic still existed and had supporters.
• Germany was dependent on its loans from the US. If America recalled the loans, the German economy would suffer.
• Although unemployment did fall between between 1924 and 1929, it never went below 1.3 million.
• Agriculture did not thrive and farmers struggled. They made little profit and fell into greater debt. They did not have the money to invest in new machinery to modernise their practices. Production was still lower than before the First World War.
• The basic problem of the constitution remained. As the election system used proportional representation, no one party could secure a majority in the Reichstag and as a result there were frequent, short-lived coalition governments.
• The cost of living rose and the increase in wages was mostly wiped out by higher prices.
• Many nationalists opposed the Dawes and Young plans because the plans meant that Weimar Germany still had to accept the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 11

What created the culture change in the Weimar Republic?

Answer 11

There was a revival in culture during the Weimar Republic which saw people express themselves through art, architecture, cinema and experimentation. This was driven by the new freedoms of the 1920s.

Question 12

What opposition was there to the changes in arts and culture in Weimar Germany?

Answer 12

• Traditionalists criticised these cultural changes because they believed it undermined family values and Germany’s traditional way of life. In particular, right-wing political parties such as the Nazis were highly critical of Weimar culture and saw it as ‘degenerate’.
• Many socialists and communists were also highly critical because they believed that the new art and cultural developments only benefitted the middle and upper class, while the working class were still suffering from a lower standard of living.