weimar constitution

• PRESIDENT: elected, controlled armed forced

  Voted every 7 years
• Chancellor: the PM, proposes new laws
• Reichsrat

  Represent 17 states 

  Elected every four years
• Electorate

  All men and women over 20
• Reichstag:

  One deputy per 60,000 votes

  Elected every four years
• constitution

  • Drafted and outlined by lawyer HUGO PREUSS
  • Came into force on the 14th August, 1919
  • Influenced by the long-established democratic ideals of Britain and the US
• PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION:

  • No party ever had a majority in parliament: coalition governments caused instability (Frequent changes of Chancellor + of govt.)
  • Encouraged small splinter parties; encouraged the emergence of political extremism (often turned violent: many political parties had a private army
  • During 14 years there were 9 coalition governments
  • One representative per 60,000 votes
• RIGHT CRITICISM

  • Right-wing: members of the judiciary, army, civil service and industry
  • Did not support the new government: preferred the previous monarchy, blamed them for the loss of war
  • INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE: very dangerous to have in opposition (e.g- rebellions like munich putsch)
• THE PRESIDENT + ARTICLE 48

  • Article 48 gave him leadership “above parties”, seen as amounting to those of an ERSATZKAISER
  • President had the authority to suspend civil rights: HISTORIAN GORDON CRAIG “a constitutional anomaly”
  • President could suspend the constitution and pass laws by decree “in an emergency” Evert invoked article 48 136, only occasionally in an actual emergency
• SLOW DECISION-MAKING

  • Balancing of powers made it difficult for the chancellor to make decisions
  • In a crisis, if the chancellor could not get the biggest parties support, he had to heavily depend on the president and article 48
  • Arguably undemocratic/unconstitutional
  • By 1930 the chancellor regularly relied on the president to pass laws