social nd political

• Weimar


  The new democratic government formed in Germany after World War I
• Groups that wanted a revolution in Germany

  • Ex-soldiers
  • Communists
  • Nationalists
• Weimar was too weak to stop these uprisings on their own, so they relied on the Freikorps (free corps) to crush the uprisings
• Weimar Constitution


  • Included voting rights for men and women over 20
  • Used proportional representation for elections
  • Reichstag was the sovereign authority
  • President elected every 7 years, Chancellor headed the cabinet
• The Weimar Constitution was described as the most liberal and democratic document of its time, but had two main problems: proportional representation leading to weak coalition governments, and Article 48 allowing the President to rule by decree
• Conditions of the Treaty of Versailles

  • German army limited to 100,000 soldiers
  • No air force, tanks or submarines allowed
  • Germany had to pay 132 billion gold marks in reparations
  • Germany lost 13 of its colonies
• The Treaty of Versailles was extremely unpopular in Germany, leading to the "stab in the back" theory and further challenges for the Weimar government
• Problems faced by Weimar

  • Economic issues
  • Organizational issues
  • Unpopularity and uprisings from left and right
  • Reparation payments