The Weimar Constitution Flashcards
What is a constitution?
A set of laws for how a country is governed
What was the main difference between the President and the Chancellor?
The President was the head of state, and mostly did ceremonial work (a bit like the Queen). The Chancellor was involved with the day-to-day work of government (like the Prime Minister)
How often was the President elected?
Once every seven years
What was the Reichstag?
The German parliament
How did someone become Chancellor?
The President had to appoint them from the Reichstag
What voting system was used to elect the Reichstag?
Proportional representation
What were some of the problems of proportional representation?
1) Proportional representation meant lots of small parties got into the Reichstag. These could often be extremist parties
2) No one party could get a majority of the seats, which meant governments were often weak and indecisive due to being coalition governments
What is a coalition?
A coalition is a government made up of two or more parties
Why do coalitions not necessarily make strong governments?
They can be slow and indecisive
Who could vote in German elections?
All adults (men and women) over 20
What was Article 48?
Part of the constitution that gave the President power to rule in an emergency. It meant he did not have to consult the Reichstag.
Ebert used it 136 times
What did the Chancellor need from the Reichstag?
Support of over half the Reichstag - otherwise he could not pass laws
What fundamental problem did the Weimar Republic face?
There was no history of democracy in Germany. Since Germany became a nation in 1871, it had been ruled by strong, male leaders. Many were unconvinced democracy could work - and the Republic faced huge problems that required decisive leadership to deal with.
