Political

• Threats to Weimar

  • Treaty of Versailles 
  • November Criminals 
  • Proportional Representation 
  • Article 48
  • Coalitions
  • Short-lived governments
  • Private Militias
  • Hyperinflation 
  • Reparations 
• Treaty of Versailles (1919)

  Land

  • Rhineland demilitarised
  • German colonies went to France and Britain

  Army

  • No air force
  • 100,000 soldiers

  Money

  • 132b marks in reparations to Allies
  • Saar (rich coalfields) given to France

  Blame

  • Germany accepts responsibility for outbreak of war
• Strengths of Weimar constitution

  · Highly democratic

  · No party could dominate without 50%+ of the votes

  · Most peoples interested were reflected in gov

  · President’s emergency actions could be checked by Reichstag

  · Decline in political extremism( DNVP & NSDAP had to change political strategy)
• Weaknesses of Weimar constitution

  • Coalitions gave minority parties the balance of power (only 60,000 votes needed for a seat)
  • 50% meant many short-lived coalitions (1924-33, 10 coalition govs and 9 in 1919-23)
  • Many political parties (average 29 in the Reichstag during the 1920s), difficult to work effectively
  • Proportional representation made voters disconnected (votes for party who chose representative)
  • Article 48 used often, suggesting country was constantly unstable
  • Private militias recruited by almost all parties (e.g. Freikorps)
  • Members moved parties & parties split, confusing voters
• First democratic election (1919-20)

  · SPD- 165 to 102, both highest in Reichstag

  · KPD=2.1% in 1920, DVP= 14%

  · High voter turnout (83% to 79%)-> decreased by 5%, but Germans enjoyed democracy

  · Number of seats increased(423 to 459)-> harder for Reichstag to make decisions
• Spartacists uprising(1919)


  Uprising of 100,000 workers in Germany
• The Weimar government's policy on army size wasn't enough to maintain order in Germany, so they used volunteers
• The German government's fleeing from Berlin


  Was a political blunder that made them look weak
• The German public rejected the Spartacists (only supported by 15,000 people) due to fears of Bolsheviks, campaigners of terror seizing terror
• The Weimar government's use of the right-wing army (Freikorps) to attack the Spartacists


  Damaged the left by creating a rift between the SPD and KPD, benefitting right-wing parties
• Short-term success of the Spartacists uprising

  1. Capture headquarters of government newspaper & telegraph bureau

  2. Government fled from Berlin
• The Weimar government made fear propaganda against communists, won support of workers, and employed Groener's volunteer army (Freikorps) to attack the Spartacists (500 killed including leaders)
• Kapp Putsch (1920)

  · TofV meant army must be significantly reduced

  · After Spartacist revolt,  Friedrich Ebert ordered Freikorps to disband

  · Kapp marches w/ Freikorps towards Berlin

  · German army refuses to engage (ordered by Ebert), Berlin is taken

  · Berlin workers unite and go on a general strike, refusing to cooperate with the attempted coup
• Munich Putsch (1923)

  · During hyperinflation crisis, Hitler plotted to take over Munich in revolution

  · Persuaded Ludendorff to back, SA took over army headquarters and local newspapers offices

  · 8 Nov 1923 at night, Hitler & 600 SA members burst into meeting -> force them to agree to rebel then let them go home

  · 9 Nov – March to Munich supposed to be triumphant to take power, met by police and army reinforcements- 16 SA shot

  · Called off by other two leaders, Hitler arrested 2 days later
• Election results


  1919- SPD(38%)

  1924- SPD (26%)

  1925- Hindenburg (3% over Thälmann (6%))

  B/w 1924-1933- 10 coalition govs)

  Late 1920s- DNVP= pro-Weimar

  1928- 7.3% for pro-Weimar parties

  1928- Biggest increase for Nazis (3% to 18%)- 2nd largest party in Reichstag

  1930- KPD(13%), SPD (falls 30% to 24%)

  Jul 1932- Nazis (37%), KPD (15%), SPD (25%)

  Nov 1932- Nazis (33%), KPD (15%)- both 1/2 of Reichstag

  1932- Hindenburg (53%), (40%), no SPD to split vote

  1933- all parties fell except Nazis (44%), anti-Weimar parties control Reichstag