Growing pressure for democracy

• • main political parties were involved in the process of creating a new constitution
  • September 1918 - SPD and Centre Party (ZP) demanded a change in the law to make the government accountable to parliament
• Social Democratic Party (SPD):

  • largest socialist party between 1863-1933
  • represented interests of german workers
  • party wanted to act legally and tried to work through the Reichstag and the gov to reform the system to improve the working conditions of the w/c
  • contained 57% of the population
  • involved in drawing up the new constitution
• Centre Party (ZP):

  • protect and advance the rights of Germany's Catholics and enjoyed a high level of support from the Catholic community
  • collaborated with SPD to improve welfare provision for the poor
  • 1920 - the party became more authoritarian, believing that democracy was a threat to Catholicism.