The Weimar Constitution Flashcards
1
Q
Where did the Weimar Republic get its name from? Give 3 details.
A
- The assembly met in the city of Weimar as Berlin was very dangerous in 1919 due to unrest and the various political groups
- They stayed there until early 1920
- Hitler later nicknamed the republic the Weimar Republic
2
Q
When were the first elections held after the war?
A
- 19 January 1919
3
Q
List 3 important facts about these elections.
A
- The voting age was lowered from 25 to 20
- This was the first election that women were allowed to vote in
- 82.7% of people allowed to vote did vote, showing that regular Germans were eager to have a say in the running of the country and to take part in democracy
4
Q
What were the results of the 1919 elections?
A
- The SPD won 38% of votes
- The ZP won 20%
- The DDP won 19%
- The DNVP won 10%
- The USPD won 8%
- The DVP won 4%
- The KPD won 0%
5
Q
Why were the elections disappointing for the SPD, and what did they do as a result?
A
- They did not get the majority they were expecting, so they had to form a coalition
- They formed one with the ZP and the DDP
6
Q
Which parties were right-wing?
A
- The German National People’s Party (DNVP) was the most right-wing
- It was followed by the German People’s Party (DVP)
7
Q
Which party was the most liberal?
A
- The Centre Party (ZP)
8
Q
Which parties were left-wing?
A
- The KPD was the most left-wing
- It was followed by the USPD
- Then the SPD
- Then the German Democrats (DDP)
9
Q
What 2 groups did the DNVP mainly consist of?
A
- Wealthy landowners
- Many of its members were antisemitic
10
Q
Who did the DVP consist of, and who was their leader?
A
- Gustav Stresemann was their leader
- Wealthy industrial middle class that mostly wanted the economy to be fixed quickly
11
Q
List 3 of the ZP’s main attitudes.
A
- Catholic, and therefore defended the Church
- Conservative, but did advocate for social reform
- It was firmly against left-wing policies and communism
12
Q
Who voted for the ZP?
A
- Many of the different social groups
13
Q
How popular was the SPD?
A
- It was the largest party in the Reichstag from 1919 to 1929
14
Q
List 2 of the SPD’s main beliefs.
A
- They had a republican stance
- Moderate social reform (against revolution)
15
Q
Which 2 social groups tended to support the SPD?
A
- Workers
- Middle-class liberals who wanted moderate reform
16
Q
What 2 things did the USPD want?
A
- A more radical system than a republic
- A more equal society
17
Q
What 2 things did the KPD want?
A
- A workers’ revolution
- The establishment of a communist state and therefore the abolition of private ownership
18
Q
Who tended to support the KPD, and why?
A
- The poor, young and unemployed
- The KPD promised them a better future than any of the other parties
19
Q
How was the new president chosen?
A
- Ebert was elected by 277 votes to 51
20
Q
When was the Weimar Constitution passed, and by who?
A
- July 1919
- The National Assembly
21
Q
List 2 social elements of the Weimar Constitution.
A
- Civil rights (such as freedom of assembly and expression)
- Social rights, such as the right to work, or welfare if there wasn’t work available
22
Q
How did the position of the head of state change? Give 3 details.
A
- Before it had been the Kaiser, but it was now the president
- The president didn’t take part in the day-to-day affairs of the government
- He was voted for by the people every 7 years
23
Q
List 5 other aspects of the president’s job.
A
- He was chosen as an individual, not as a member of a party
- He would choose the chancellor
- He could dismiss the Reichstag and call for new elections
- In an emergency:
- he could take control of the army
- he could pass laws by decree using Article 48, but only with the approval of the chancellor, and the laws passed could be undone by the next Reichstag
24
Q
Had the role of the chancellor changed? Describe 3 aspects of his job.
A
- It had stayed the same
- He was the head of the government
- He chose ministers that ran the country
- He would put laws to the Reichstag, which would be passed if he had a majority
25
What had changed and what had stayed the same about the Reichstag?
- Change:
- there were now 528 deputies instead of 379
- deputies could be government ministers
- Continuity:
- laws and budgets could not be passed without their consent
26
How did elections to the Reichstag work?
- Secret ballots were held every 4 years
- Seats were won through proportional representation; people voted for a party, not a person
27
What was the Reichsrat?
- It was the other (smaller) house that made up Germany's parliament along with the Reichstag
28
Who made up the Reichsrat?
- Members from the local governments of each of the 18 states (Länder, e.g. Bavaria and Prussia)
29
What impact did the Reichsrat have on laws?
- They could veto a law, unless it had a two-thirds majority
30
In what way had the running of the Länder changed?
- Prussia no longer had special status among the rest of the states
31
What were the 3 responsibilities of each Land (state government)?
- Police
- Judiciary
- Education
32
List 4 ways the regular people had a say in the running of the country.
- They voted for the president 7 years
- They voted for the Reichstag every 4 years
- They voted for the parliament where they lived every 4 years
- They could vote in plebiscites
33
What were the 2 main problems with the Weimar Constitution?
- Proportional representation
- Coalitions
34
Describe 3 problems caused by proportional representation.
- Proportional representation was very democratic, but meant that there too many parties in the Reichstag (29 on average), so they would not work together effectively and coalitions were short-lived
- Members then switched parties, or parties would split up altogether
- If something was to happen to one of the deputies, this would not cause a by-election, or allow people to vote for their replacement, but they would be replaced by another member of their party, so it soon felt like deputies were not specifically interested in the people
35
Give a figure to show how unstable coalitions could be.
- There were 9 different coalition governments between 1919 and 1923
36
Describe 3 problems caused by the existence of coalitions.
- The coalitions worked poorly together, as all of the parties tended to focus on their own specific interests, rather than the country's
- Therefore, in order to get laws passed, the chancellor had to ask the president to use Article 48
- As Article 48 was intended for emergencies, its use made it seem like the government was constantly in a crisis
37
List 5 reasons why German people were against the new democratic constitution.
- Democracy was seen suspiciously in Europe between 1919 and 1939
- Respect for the army
- Popular racism
- Political divisions
- Religious divisions
38
Give 4 reasons why people were against democracy.
- It gave uneducated people (like women) a say
- It empowered poor people who wanted to reduce the wealth and power of the rich
- It was based on discussion and elections, which was weak and indecisive compared to traditional methods of government, or contemporary dictatorships such as Fascist Italy
- Germans liked the idea of a 'strong man' who would focus on making Germany strong at any cost, such as Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German Empire
39
What 2 other influential views did Bismarck have?
- He did not believe in running a country through democracy, but by force
- He hated both liberalism and socialism
40
Why the army was so popular in Germany?
- It had won wars in France and Poland in the 19th century and gained Germany colonies in Africa
41
Give 4 reasons why respect for the army undermined democracy.
- It had never been democratically accountable
- It was dominated by the aristocracy and was very hierarchical
- Many groups who campaigned for the expansion of the armed forces also campaigned against aspects of the constitution, such as women's right to vote
- The 'stab in the back' myth painted politicians as the villains while the army continued to be seen as strong and effective
42
What was the 'stab in the back' myth?
- The belief that the army didn't lose World War One, but Germany had been caused to lose it by socialists, communists, Jews and politicians
43
List 3 reasons why people believed in the 'stab in the back' myth.
- German propaganda had promised a German victory right up until they surrendered
- When Germany had surrendered, it had still been occupying French territory
- Due to Germany's general popular militarism, the army was believed to be invincible
44
What 2 forms of discrimination existed in Germany around the year 1919?
- Antisemitism
- Discrimination against minority groups such as Slavs, Poles, Danes and French people
45
How did racism undermine democracy?
- It was associated with Social Darwinism; the belief that human beings were naturally unequal
- Therefore, some Germans did not believe that it was right for people who they saw as inferior to have the same rights as them
46
Give 2 reasons why political divisions weakened democracy in the Weimar Republic.
- The different political groups did not work together because:
- Conservatives were afraid the SPD would take their property and wealth
- The SPD were wary of the KPD after Russian communists turned against the socialists in their country
47
How did religious divisions impact politics?
- The main liberal parties did not want to defend the rights of Catholics (Germany was a majority Protestant country) as they felt they were threatening German culture
48
What was one way that it could be seen that democracy was unpopular?
- Political violence
49
How did political violence undermine democracy?
- Many influential politicians were assassinated, such as Hugo Haase (leader of the USPD), Walter Rathenau and Matthias Erzberger (both associated with the Treaty of Versailles)
