The Weimar Constitution Flashcards
what were some issues with the constitution?
proportional rep, president control of reichstag, continuity of traditional institutions
why was proportional representation an issue?
every vote counts which include extremist ones. when only 2% is needed to get into the Reichstag it is very easy for extremist parties to rise in the gov
why was presidential control of the reichstag an issue?
Article 48 allowed to suspend civil rights and to rule by decree, the president could also dissolve the reichstag, this allows for it to be misused and could result in a dictatorship if not used sparingly when it is meant to be democratic
why were traditional institutions an issue?
judiciary had strong favours with the right meaning that trials were unfair. army did not favour the republic meaning that they were independent and did little to help. Universities preferred old political ideas and rules meaning that education was not modern
what main issues did parties face in the reichsag?
because there were so many parts no one could get over 50% meaning that coalitions were heavily relied on even though they rarely worked.
what problem did Ebert face?
despite having the larges amount of seats, he was outnumbered by the amount of anti-socialist parties
what were advantages of the Weimar government?
allowed for armistice, reflective of public opinion, the bill of rights gave illegitimate children and women the right to vote
what were problems with the Weimar government?
weak coalition Govs, unclear final authority (president vs reichstag) both were elected so represented people, Article 48 used 136 times, army was not loyal
