Weimar+Republic

Alison Nichol and Hayley Knapp - editing
 * __WEIMAR REPUBLIC__**
 * __Lucy Higgs and Tori Filipenko__**



The **Weimar Republic** was the name given to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the formal government (imperial). It was named after Weimar, the city where the constitutional assembly took place. In 1919, a national assembly convened in Weimar, where a new constitution for the German Reich was written, then made law on 11 August 1919. Germany's period of liberal democracy lapsed in the early 1930s, leading to the raise of Adolf Hitler in 1933. The constitution in 1919 never officially repealed, but the legal or even illegal measures taken by the Nazi's in February & March 1933, the government could legislate contrary to the constitution. The constitution slowly descended & in 1933 it was the end of the Weimar Republic & the beginning of Hitler's Third Reich.

__THE BLOODLESS REVOLUTION OF 1918__

Germany experienced a bloodless revolution. The Kaiser fled off to Holland & the republic was announced. Germany had feared the communists from the very beginning & were always fearful of invasion & take over. German's were afraid that the republic would eventually be run by communists. They were suppressed by the army & this dependence on the army did not go to well for the new republic. So an election was held to create an Assembly who were supposed to write a Constitution. The Constituent Assembly met in the small village of Weimar, giving it the name the Weimar Republic.

__THE WEIMAR CONSTITTION__

A federal republic with national & state governments were established at Weimar. a) THE REICHSTAG - elected by an universal vote every four years. - it was a real legislative body & made it difficult for one party to gain a majority

b) REICHSRAT - represented the states but didn't have much real power - like our Senate

c) EXECUTIVE - president elected independently for seven years (yet didn't have a lot of power) - had control over the chancellor - the actual power was in the Cabinet, headed by the chancellor - the chancellor was the leader of the biggest party in the Reichstag

__OPPOSITION TO THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC__ At an early time the republic faced problems with the opposition, the left wings (Communists) & also the right wings (the monarch & army). This issues lead to two attempted revolutions:

a) THE KAPP PUTSCH 1920 (//putsch// - means to overthrow a state) - this attempt to over throw the government was led by reactionaries within the army - they seized Berlin & placed Von Kapp as chancellor - they were soon brought down by general strikes - the reactionaries in the future had to make plans underground - political murders in Germany began



b) THE BEER HALL PUTSCH or MUNICH PUTSCH 1923 - during the chaos of the Ruhr occupation Hitler & Ludendorff led his poorly executed " March on Berlin " - similar to Mussolini's March on Rome - leaders were quickly arrested & imprisoned - Hitler spent nine months in prison (this is where he wrote //Mein Kampf// (My Struggle)) - after this there would be no more violent attempts to overthrow the government

__WEIMAR WEAKNESSES__ Germany lacked real democratic traditions. Democracy was questionable. It was associated with the Treaty of Versailles & this allowed Hitler the "stabbed in the back "theory where all the blame is on Germany from WWI. Also the Weimar was associated with the inflation & collapse of the mark in 1923. Where the mark was worth nothing! This was blamed on the Weimar. Then because of proportional representation no party could gain majority. Germany admired a strong government but this Weimar had problems maintaining control & balance.



__SOURCES__ [] [] [] History Twelve Student Workbook - Jerry Falk