Many German people wanted the return of the Kaiser, and the new republic was unpopular from the very beginning, with its position further weakened by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The period from 1919 to 1923 was one of continuous crisis and this further damaged the reputation of the Republic. The economic and social legacy of the war only added to the problems of the Republic.
what period was the weimar
1919 - 1923
Constitution
Weakened the Republic
Created instability
Key elements of the constitution
The president was directly elected by universal franchise; he chose the chancellor and could declare a state of emergency
The Reichsrat was the upper house, where individual states were represented
The Reichstag was the lower house, elected by universal franchise and on the basis of proportional representation
The Reichstag system allowed many small parties to gain representation and meant that governments were coalitions, which were subject to frequent change
Parties opposed to the Weimar democracy
Right-wing DNVP
The occupation of the Ruhr
In January 1923, Germany fell behind in its reparation payments and France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr.
This united Germany; reparation payments were halted and workers in the Ruhr went on strike.
This put pressure on the economy and added to inflation, made worse by the government printing money to pay the strikers.
The French brought in their own workers and this increased tensions further.
when did the invasion of the Ruhr take place
January 1923
how long did the occupation of the Ruhr last
more than two years
French and Belgian troops crossed the border and took control of many places in Germany's Ruhr valley
it had an effect on both politics and the economy of the Weimar Republic
it is thought that Paris ordered troops into the Ruhr because the weimar government had failed to follow the terms of the treaty of versailles and pay its reparations instalments
there is also some evidence to suggest French prime minister and his government had been plotting to occupy the Ruhr since 1919
the coalition government and amount of parties saw instability as it dilutes the government and means its a lot harder to make decisions which please everyone leading to the voting of left wing extremists
president Hindenburg didn't have the will and determination to make a stand against nazism even though he had no respect for hitler
