The national assembly

• The council of peoples's representatives, which took control of Germany in November 1919, was only temporary. Ebert announced that there would be national elections to select a national assembly. The job of national assembly would be to create a new constitution for germany
• the elections took place on 19th january 1919. They were a success-82% of the electorate voted. Moderate parties gained most of the seats: the SPD won 40% and the centre party won 20%
• The national assembly met for the first time in Febuary 1919. Because there was so much unrest and violence in Berlin, they had to meet in the more peacful town of Weimar, about 250 km away. It took six months to reach an agreement.
• On 31 July, the national assembly agreed a new constitution by 262 votes to 75. The new republic, now governed by the constitution agreed in Weimar, became known as the Weimar Republic
• president: head of the Weimar republic, elected by the people every seven years, plays no part in day-to-day politics, had some important political powers. For example, the president chose the chancellor
• chancellor: head of government in the Weimar Republic, chose all government ministers
• cabinet: the most important ministers worked closely with the chancellor in the cabinet, the main decision-making body of the government
• reichstag: the more powerful of the two houses, controlled taxtation, directly elected by the people at least once every four years
• reichsrat: also elected every four years, however, it represented the regions of Germany, the region sent a certain number of representatives depending on its size