Failure+of+Democracy+in+Germany

__**The Failure of Democracy in Germany**__


 * Page By: Ashley Simpson**


 * The History of the Weimar Republic**

Germany had a bloodless revolution in 1918 when the Kaiser fled to Holland and a republic was proclaimed. A major threat to this republic, right from the beginning, was the communists within Germany who were suppressed by the army. However, this dependance on the army do not go well for the republic and an election was held to create an assembly. This assembly's task would be to write the Constitution. They would meet in the small village of Weimar.


 * The Weimar Constitution**

A federal republic with national and state governments was established at Weimar.

The main features of the constitution include:

//**1. The Reichstag**// Elected by universal vote on a 4 year term, it was the real legislative body and practised proportional representation which made it difficult for one party to gain majority.

//**2. Reichstrat**// It represented the states and didn't have much real power.

//**3. Executive**// Made up of a president elected independently for 7 years. He did not have a lot of power, but did have some control over the chancellor. The Cabinet had the real power. The chancellor was the leader of the largest party in the Reichstag.


 * Opposing Forces of the Weimar Republic**

The republic received opposition from both the communists and the monarchists and army. There were 2 attempted revolutions: the Kapp Putsch of 1920 and the Beer Hall putsch or Munich Putsch of 1923. The Kapp Putsch was led by reactionaries within the army. They were able to seize Berlin and placed von Kapp in the chancellor's position. This government was soon brought down by a general strike of the workers. The reactionaries then went underground. The Beer Hall Putsch was led by both Hitler and Ludendorff as an attempted "March on Berlin." It was suppose to be like Mussolini's March on Rome but it was poorly planned and the leaders were quickly arrested and sent to jail. Hitler write his book //Mein Kampf// while in prison.


 * Why was the Weimar Republic so weak?**

1. It was associated with the Treaty of Versailles. It was the Weimar Republic that had signed the treaty. This allowed for Hitler to come up with the "stab in the back" theory in order to condemn the Republic.

2. It was associated with the inflation and collapse of the mark in 1923. Those ruined by the events of 1923 blamed the republic.

3. No party could gain a clear majority because of proportional representation which even further slowed the working of democracy as coalition after coalition failed to maintain a majority. The Germans admired strong government, not weak attempts of various leaders to maintain their coalitions.


 * The Rise of [|Nazism] and the Collapse of German Democracy**

Hitler longed for the strong government of the pre-war years and in 1920 he joined the German Workers' Party. He changed the name to National Socialist German Workers Party better known as the Nazis. It was just after the 1928 election that Hitler, Herman Goering, and Josef Geobbels began to totally dominate the party. Hitler repudiated democratic government and called the Weimar Republic an "abortion of filth." His idea of democracy was to elect a leader and then give him dictatorial powers. An important feature of the Nazis' policies was Lebensraum, which was to become the foreign policy expression of the Aryan myth. It basically said that people who were considered inferior would have to make room for the "superior" Germans.

The Rise Hitler and the Nazis Video


 * Key Ideas of the Nazis**

1. //[|Ultra-nationalism]// Aryan supremacy an rabid anti-Semitism were included in this

2.//Repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles//

3. //Fanatical opposition to [|Communism]// When the recovering economy of the late 1920s looked as if it might help the Germans, the communists did not gain popularity with the people, and hence the Nazis stagnated as well. With the coming of the Depression came widespread unemployment and growth of communist support. Wealthy manufacturers and landowners saw Hitler as their best defence against the communist threat. Somme workers were also attracted because of his promise of full employment. Most importantly, however, was his appeal to the middle class who dreaded the return to the chaotic conditions of 1923. The bulk of his support would come from this group.


 * Nazis' Increasing Strength**



In 1930 the Nazis gained 107 seats out of 647 which made them the second largest party. They used disruptive tactics in the Reichstag. In the first election of 1932 they gained 230 which in turn made them the largest single party. However, president Hindenburg refused to give Hitler the Chancellorship. In the second election of 1932 Hitler's strength weakened gaining only 198 seats. Von Papen and Hindenburg now thought they could safely appoint Hitler as chancellor and use him as a tool against the communists. Democracy was failing and hitler became the dictator of Germany.

More information on Nazism