germany-weimar republic

• The end of WWI

  November 1918
• Germany's state at the end of WWI

  • Blockade led to lack of food and supplies
  • People were starving
  • Riots were breaking out
  • Navy had mutinied against the Kaiser
• Kaiser


  King of Germany
• Kaiser's actions


  1. Realised the situation was hopeless

  2. Abdicated (quit his job)
• Social Democrats


  Biggest political party in Germany
• Friedrich Ebert


  Leader of the Social Democrats, took on the job of running Germany
• Ebert and his government's actions

  1. Tried to improve people's lives by giving them better working conditions and freedom of speech

  2. Signed the armistice and withdrew Germany from WW1 in November 1918
• Weimar Constitution


  Set of rules for Germany written by the Social Democrats after winning the January 1919 elections
• Writing the Weimar Constitution

  1. Social Democrats won January 1919 elections

  2. Held first meeting of new government in Weimar

  3. Wrote new constitution for Germany
• Key features of the Weimar Constitution

  • Everyone over 20 could vote
  • People voted for MPs to sit in Reichstag
  • Reichstag would suggest and vote on new laws
  • Chancellor would be head of Reichstag and voted for every 4 years
  • President would choose Chancellor and control army, voted for every 7 years
  • Germany would use Proportional Representation
• Proportional Representation


  Each political party would get a fair share of seats in the Reichstag based on their vote share
• Proportional Representation had problems as it meant no party ever had a majority, so they had to make deals to pass laws, which slowed the process down
• Proportional Representation also helped Hitler get into power later
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Very fair, particularly the voting
  • Proportional Representation meant that there were loads of different parties in the Reichstag – it was difficult to get them to agree on anything
  • State governments would ensure local issues were addressed
  • Wouldn't allow one person to take over – the Chancellor and President balanced each other
  • A poor Chancellor or President would only be around for a limited time
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Article 48 could be abused so that the President stopped listening to the Reichstag
  • State governments could pass laws that went against what the Reichstag wanted