Strengths and Weaknesses of the New Constitution

• When was the new constitution drawn up in Weimar

  31 July 1919
• What did the constitution mean?

  Germany was now a republic
• What did the constitution do in terms of leading?

  President was head of state

  Chancellor was head of Government
• What were the two Chambers?

  Reichstag and Reichsrat
• What were the strengths?

  • All men and women over 21 could vote - universal suffrage
  • Civil liberties and freedom of speech were guaranteed
  • System of checks and balances - prevents anyone from holding too much power; power is shared between President, Chancellor, and chambers
  • System of proportional representation - gave a voice to a wide range of different views + different parties had to work together
  • Article 48 - President got powers to rule by emergency decree
• What were the weaknesses of the constitution?

  • Proportional representation = no party could gain an overall majority = coalition governments fell apart
  • Article 48 = gave President the ability to act as a dictator
  • Associated with the defeat of WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles so lacked the wholehearted support of the German People