Democratiziation Processes In Post-War Germany

Democratiziation Processes in Post-War Germany
Tanja Jahn Professor McBride ENG 090 05 April 2011
Democratization Processes in Post–War Germany
Germany's first attempt at democracy occurred under the government of the Weimar Republic. It
was unsuccessful for several reasons; it was forced under uncertain defeat, and the population had
little faith in democracy. Democratization after World War II was a completely different scenario,
and it flourished due to international support and the willingness of the German people to assimilate
to a democratic government. The Treaty of Versailles negotiated the terms of defeat for Germany
after the First World War. The Weimar Republic, established in 1919, was a democratic government
with parliamentary ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ideological differences eventually stressed relations between the Soviet Union and the other allies,
and Germany was divided into East and West. An interesting difference in this post–war Germany
involved economic alleviation. The United States had the revolutionary plan to aid Germany instead
of punishing them; a stark contrast in comparison to what occurred under the Versailles Treaty. As
Wikipedia.com indicates" the Marshall Plan allocated millions of dollars in resources to help rebuild
Europe and ward off the spread of communism" (Web). Moreover, the people of Germany were
aware of their defeat. The horrors of Nazism left the people open to a change in political systems.
Germans felt responsible for the war, whereas after the World War I defeat was uncertain. "The
devastation of Germany in destruction, economy, and loss of life far exceeded that caused by the
First World War" (187). Another important factor in the success of democracy was that political elite
were finally purged from the corrupt government. Rothman, Scarrow, and Schain note the
"eradication of Nazism, as well as decentralizing industry contributed to the removal of the elite"
(21). Decentralization as well as occupation allowed for the rebuilding of government to began at a
local level, and a structure was established that allowed for
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The Downfall Of The Weimar Republic
Jacob Hall
Nazi Germany
Final Paper The Downfall of the Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was created in 1919, at the
time of near anarchy, after Germany had lost the First World War. It was named Weimar for the city
the constitutional assembly and conception it took place in. The Weimar Republic was the era
leading up to the Nazi Regime, and obviously ultimately failed. The main party that had created the
Weimar Republic was the Social Demographic Party, which was primarily represented by the
working class. Germans felt that they had received a harsh deal in the Treat of Versailles, and they
resented the government for agreeing to its conditions. During its 14 years, the republic faced many
problems that included hyperinflation, the great depression, and parties on the left and right side of
Germanys political board constantly arguing back and forth on what to do. One of the greatest
weaknesses of the Weimar Republic was the lost of WWI, which weakened the monarchy and left to
the struggling declaration to the Weimar republic in 1918. The Weimar Republic was 'doomed from
the start', and really lacked the support from the majority of the German people, the republic fought
with issues from the very start of its conception of an idea in 1918 with left wing groups constantly
criticizing it for betraying German national interests. Economically it was a time of great crisis
because Germany could not cope with reparations payments in addition to the enormous burden of

How Did The Allied Leaders Agree With Germany And Why?
How did each of the Allied leaders want to deal with Germany and why?
David Lloyd George (Britain)– George had to be hard on Germany to remain in office, as the British
people were after revenge, so he was also after revenge, as his views and values in relation to the
treaty reflected the views and values of the British people. George himself was also worried about
Communism. He was watching the rise of Communism in Russia, and was concerned that it would
spread to the West of Europe. He believed that the treaty should be written to ensure that Germany
would not become a Communist country, and that Germany should be punished, but not to the point
of completely breaking and falling apart into chaos (these views were not shared publicly). ... Show
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Vittorio Orlando (Italy)– The say of Italy in the treaty was minimal. Italy had signed the Triple
Alliance (with Germany and Russia) which stated that they would help each other if any were
invaded or at war with another country. Italy decided not to join Germany's side, but their initial
connection with Germany, meant that France, USA and Britain did not trust Italy as much as each
other. Whilst Orlando was part of the writing of the treaty, he didn't have a major influence at all.
Terms of the treaty? Germany had to take the blame for WWI, they couldn't form a union with
Austria, their military was reduced and restricted to 100,000 men, no air force, no modern weapons,
no tanks, no U–Boats, no battle ships weighing over 10,000 tons, not able to join the league of
nations, loss of territory– land given to Belgium, Denmark and Poland, overseas territory lost;
Chinese ports, Pacific Islands and African colonies
Purpose of the terms of the treaty? The purpose of the treaty was to ensure that a war like the Great
War, would never occur again. Revenge was also wanted by France and Britain, and these countries
felt as

Bismarck And Nazi Germany Essay
The state of the Germany in the early 20th century was a combination of disarray and inconsistency
before the beginning of the Third Reich. The beginning of the Third Reich saw Adolf Hitler become
the chancellor of Germany and the end of the Weimar Republic due to attacks from its opposition.
Adolf Hitler's rise to the chancellorship came from his ability to use the situation of a failing Weimar
Republic to his advantage to rally the masses in his favor. Hitler used the Weimar Republic's
economic and political chaos by exploiting the people's concerns as well as using the Nazi Party as
his political way of obtaining rule over Germany. Otto von Bismarck created a constitution in 1871
which was based on a neo–Bonapartist system, led by a Kaiser, that held a prosperous foreign policy
and was able to constantly form limited majorities between parties in the Reichstag. Bismarck was
able to lead behind this system with success until his resignation in 1890. Bismarck's resignation
brought about instability in the Reichstag and the formation of the Weimar ... Show more content on
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The propaganda made the Nazi Party be seen as the "party of change, dynamism, and movement to a
better Germany" (Moeller 6). The party "appealed to specific interests such as creating organizations
for farmers, civil servants, and women that worked in the household" (Moeller pg. 7). Although
Hitler's propaganda made the party be seen this way, the "original intent of the party was to combine
Nationalist and Socialist ideologies" (Bendersky pg. 34). The National Socialists didn't "threaten the
private property of the middle class and wanted a strong middle class" (Bendersky pg. 34). The Nazi
wanted to "represent the worker, farmer, or middle class over the power economic forces"
(Bendersky pg. 34). The party's economic programs were more towards helping the lower class than
the

Problems Of The Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic had many problems. They had problems that later affected them during the
war.
When the first world war ended, the new republic was created. It was named The Weimar Republic.
This new republic was announced by Kaiser Wilhelm II. In the month of February of 1919, in the
small town of Weimar, a new government was declared. They didn't make the Weimar just for it to
be a government. They made the new government to try and create a "perfect democratic
government", but they didn't.
The Weimar Republic was affected by the Treaty of Versailles because the Treaty basically made
them pay for the reparations. Reparations for what? They had to pay for the reparations for all the
damage they had done during WWI. They had to financial, ... Show more content on
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First of all, the Kapp Putsch, which was named after its leader Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von
Lüttwitz, was an overthrow which aimed to undo the German Revolution of 1918 to 1919. After
trying to do this they were going to establish a government in its place. In March of 1920, the Kapp
Putsch aimed to create a new government. Because many Germans were communist, they wanted to
bring a communist government just like they did in Russia. During this time, there were a lot of
communist uprisings, or rebellions. For example, the Spartcians, at the same time of all the other
uprisings, rebelled in the city of Berlin right there in Germany. The Munich Putsch, also named the
Beer Hall Putsch, started in November of 1923. That same year of 1923, the Weimar tried again and
wanted another attempt to overthrow it. By this year, Germany's economy had been "reduced by
ruins". Hitler once broke up a meeting and tried and forced the leaders to agree to take part in that
rebellion AGAINST the government. Two days later, Hitler was arrested. This time, The Weimar
was about to collapse and was very, very weak. The Munich however, was not at all successful. It
was at last, a

The Significant Causes For The Fall Of The Weimar Republic
A significant cause of the fall of the Weimar Republic was the political instability and weakness of
the government. The negative response to the government started from its very inception in 1919
when the monarchy of Kaiser Wilhelm II was replaced with a democratic Republic. Many Germans
did not welcome this change to democracy and did not like the new parliamentary government,
preferring to have one strong leader rather than an elected President, Chancellor and Reichstag. The
government was also associated with the surrender of the Allies in World War 1 and was criticized
for accepting the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which was one of the most important treaties
which to end the war in peace. This was an action that many Germans believed to be unfaithful. The
Treaty of Versailles was harsh on Germany, and politicians were termed to the 'November criminals'
for their actions. After World War 1 the 'stab in the back' myth plagued the Republic throughout its
existence. Many Germans had not forgotten or forgiven the November Criminals and wanted the
Treaty overturned. This is where the extremist parties waited for an opportunity to attack the
Weimar Government. The weak Constitution was also a weakness within the government,
Proportional Representation. This meant that it was hard for ant political party to ever have a
majority in the Reichstag. The government had to be made up of different parties (coalition
governments). The republic was usually governed by coalitions

The Collapse Of The Weimar Republic
The collapse of the Weimar Republic did not transpire from one sole reason, but from numerous
short and long term factors. The immediate impact of the Great Depression definitely catalyzed the
demise of the Weimar constitution, however the social, political, and economic instabilities built up
the tension that triggered the initial collapse. These underlying issues fuelled governmental
weaknesses, encouraging the psychological discontent with the Republic. This atmosphere of
disarray enabled the NAZI party to gain power, as they took advantage of the democratic flaws.
With each incident that occurred accumulating tension within the republic, the Great Depression
was ultimately the final event that the government could not withstand, causing the collapse to
occur.
The Great Depression was not the primary reason for the collapse of the Weimar Republic, as it
could have survived if they were able to make logical decisions. When the diktat of the Treaty of
Versailles was signed by the 'November Criminals' in 1919, the government was making the most
adverse decision in Germany's history, and consequently it activated the collapse of the Weimar
Republic. With Germany being a nationalistic country, a vast majority of the public felt betrayed by
the government, as they lost many privileges, in addition to the demilitarization of the Rhineland,
war guilt, and the Reichswehr being cut down to 100,000 men (Mtholyoke, n.d). This began the
slowly growing hatred that the public had

The Weimar Republic Essay
The Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic was created in Germany in 1918 as a result of widespread socialist unrest. A
liberal constitution was drawn up in 1919. There was extensive instability in Germany around this
time. The Weimar government had trouble pleasing right and left wing parties because, at this time,
Germany was very polarised politically. Hitler dissolved the republic in 1933. But was it doomed
from it's beginning?
One of the main fields where problems arose was the legacy of World War 1. Germany's unexpected
defeat was blamed on the "November Criminals" and made people suspicious of the new
government. The Treaty of Versailles associated the government with Germany's acceptance ...
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The make up of the Weimar constitution causes historians to doubt whether it could have survived.
Article 48, which states that the President may "take the necessary measures to restore law and
orderâ€¦by force of arms" meant that the President had a very powerful position and if an anti–
Weimar politician became President he could use it to dissolve the republic. The principle of the
welfare state, fairly revolutionary at the time, was outlined in the Weimar constitution. It turned the
nobility against the "radical" constitution. There was a tradition of militaristic autocracy in Germany
at this time and many people weren't ready for such a radical constitution. K.Fischer says that the
German people were "neither psychologically nor historically prepared for self–government."
The principle of proportional representation is believed by many to have made the Weimar system
unworkable. It meant that there was never a clear majority in the Reichstag and that the President
had even more power as he chose the Chancellor when there often wasn't a clear choice. Because
there was never a clear majority, coalitions had to be formed and this meant that the government was
often split and lacked focus.
So, in 1919, the Weimar Republic faced many problems, but there is some reason to believe that it
wasn't necessarily doomed from

The Weimar Republic And The Rise Of The Nazi Party
After the abdication of the German Kaiser, Kaiser Wilhelm II, in 1918, Germany attempted to turn
their country into a Democratic republic. The Weimar Republic was a parliamentary democracy that
was formed after the fall of Germany in WWI. The German people believed that the Weimar
Republic was responsible for the signing of the 'Treaty of Versailles', which significantly reduced the
power of German to defend themselves and rebuild their county at World War I, the people believed
that the Weimar Republic stabbed the country in the back after the signing of 'Treaty of Versailles'.
Some of the other major weaknesses that assisted in the growth and rise of the Nazi party were:
1. The Weakness of the constitution
2. The French invasion of the Ruhr
3. Hyperinflation
4. The Great Depression although technically the Weimar Republic was in power between the years
of 1918 – 1945, most people believe that the power of the Weimar government ended in 1933 when
Hitler's Third Reich took over the country.
The Weimar Republic was a coalition government made up of eight major parties. These parties
ranged from Social Democrats and communists to the left and the peoples parties to the right. Every
seven years, a new president would be elected by the people, all men and women over the a of 20
years old could vote for members to be elected into the Reichstag, this also made The Weimar
Constitution a democracy. The Weimar Republic voting was based upon proportional
Representation, whereby

Hitler And The Weimar Republic
Is it a coincidence that Hitler and the Nazis increased their popularity, while the Weimar Republic
decreased their spot in Germany's government? The only reason the Nazi Party increased their
popularity was because the Weimar Republic made Germany become distressed and also the Young
Plan of 1928 contributing to the Nazis gaining 18% in the 1930 Reichstag elections. Therefore,
Germany began panicking which led Hitler to gain power, Germany created the Weimar
Constitution to drive Germany out of this economic downfall, and the League of Nations created the
Treaty of Versailles to force Germany to harsh terms and which ultimately led Hitler and the Nazi
Party to take control of the German government. The Great Depression Therefore, Germany ...
As Roger B. Myerson said, "Accepting the Young plan offered the Germans a substantial reduction
of the debt burden and a withdrawal of all Allied forces from the Rhineland, in exchange only for a
solemn promise that Germany would pay the reduced reparation debt. In an attempt to protect the
leaders who accepted this deal for Germany, a supermajority coalition for accepting the Young plan
was negotiated in the Reichstag. But then, with all mainstream parties endorsing the Young plan, the
extreme right led by the Nazis became the only political group that could exploit popular feeling
against the plan. The Weimar constitution allowed a petition signed by 10% of the voters to force a
national referendum on the treaty. In the campaign for this referendum, the Nazis obtained their first
national prominence outside of Bavaria. Although less than 14% of the electorate voted for the
referendum, the Nazis gained respect as the main political organization to repudiate the reparations."
This then led to the Nazis gaining 18% of the vote in the 1930 Reichstag elections, because the
Nazis wanted to revoke the contract, which eventually made the Nazi Party to take control of the
German

The Biggest Threat to the Weimar Republic Was the Weimar...
"The biggest threat to the Weimar Republic was the Weimar Constitution itself. Discuss"
The Weimar Constitution was the biggest threat to the Weimar Republic, because it eventually lead
to many problems that would affect the Republic. These were: Hitler's rise to power against the
Weimar Republic, the downfall of the Reichsrat, the passage of the Enabling Act, use of
proportional representation, political extremism and the institution of the Reichspräsident. Hitler's
Chancellorship eventually led to the downfall of the Reichsrat and also the passing of the Enabling
Act. This would lead to Hitler gaining full control of Germany and the end of the Weimar Republic.
One of the factors which shows the Constitution was the biggest threat to ... Show more content on
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The Act– formally titled the "Act for the Removal of Distress from People and Reich"– was passed
by a vote of 441 to 94. Only the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) had voted against
the Act. Every other member of the Reichstag voted in favor of the Act and it went into effect the
following day, 24th March 1933. The passage of the Enabling Act was widely considered to mark
the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the Third Reich. It empowered the cabinet to
legislate without the approval of Reichstag or the President, and to enact laws that were contrary to
the constitution.
The use of proportional representation is another factor contributing to the fact that the Weimar
Constitution was the biggest threat to the Republic. The use of proportional representation in
Weimar Germany meant that any party with a small amount of support could gain entry into the
Reichstag. This led to many small parties, some extremist, building political bases within the
system. Germany was divided into electoral regions. Within each of these regions a political party
would put forward a number of candidates. The number of these who became deputies within the
Reichstag was based on the total number of votes the party received within that electoral region.
One member could be sent for every 60,000 votes cast for the party. The republic did not fall due to
the small parties, but to the strength of the communists, conservatives and national socialists.
The use of

Support of Hitler due to Unpopularity of the Weimar...
Support of Hitler due to Unpopularity of the Weimar Governments
After the 1929 Wall StreetCrash, the Weimar Republic was faced with a series of challenges which
they failed to solve, resulting in their unpopularity. However, Hitler's support grew during the years
after the Crash between 1929 and 1933 when he was ordained Chancellor.
The crash of the American stock market in 1929 resulted in international economical depression.
Germany was hit especially hard as the American businessmen who had loaned German banks
money under the Dawes plan in 1924 now wanted it back as they were now in debt themselves.
For the Weimar Government, this caused great problems. It caused inflation, and the ... Show more
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The treaty also prevented Germany from following the example of other European countries in
using rearmament as a way to fight unemployment. The army could been used to combat the street
battles between the Police, Communist Red Fighting League and Nazi SA, restoring law and order
to the streets of Germany which many Germans wanted. A strong army would also have given the
impression to the people that the Weimar government was still in control, and not the powerless and
indecisive government unable to save Germany from its problems that to many Germans it looked
like, a result of the democratic Weimar constitution.
The democratic constitution using proportional representation led to a collection of small,
individually–powerless parties sharing power. This prevented the government from making any
quick and decisive decisions, stopping them from dealing with a problem initially before it grew too
uncontrollable. For example the problem of the anti–government army leaders and judges who were
mainly right–wing nationalists. They let off right–wing offenders lightly, like Hitler after the
Munich Putsch in 1923 when he attempted to take over Bavaria, which allowed Hitler to later
become Fuhrer instead of his life–imprisonment.
However, the Nazi party began to appeal to a wide range of

How Did The Weimar Republic Doomed To Fail
Was the Weimar Republic doomed to fail? Explain your answer.
There are many different factors that led to the Weimar Republic's downfall: firstly, it had several
issues with its institution: proportional representation prevented laws from being passed whilst
Article 48 later allowed Hitler to run the country as a dictatorship. The public opinion of the Weimar
republic was very low following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, and stooped even lower
during the economic crisis of 1923. Moreover, the constant opposition from extreme parties weighed
down on the public throughout its time, which also attributed to its collapse. However, glimmers of
hope emerged following Stresemann's reign, bringing vitality to the German nation whilst restoring
peace with European countries. Despite this, I feel that the Weimar republic was doomed to fall from
the start. In this essay, I will be reviewing these points in more depth so I can be assured in my
conclusion.
One of the main factors that would determine whether ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This source shows me how the value of the German mark deteriorated after their failure to pay their
reparation payment in 1922 and the Ruhr invasions of 1923, and how Germany entered a state of
hyperinflation in 1923. Its purpose is to show us how the German economy crashed in the 1920s by
displaying the value of the German mark. Although the source wasn't produced during the
hyperinflation crisis, the figures are of reasonable accuracy, despite values changing. Also, its
intended audience is for modern historians to understand the extent to which Germany was in
economic crisis. Its access to information is moderately good, although due to the fact the value of
the mark was changing constantly, it would be hard to put an exact value for any point in time. This
shows that the source's reliability is relatively strong, so I can put trust in

The Challenges Of The Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic was formed in the midst of post–war burdens, unhappy citizens, and created
to be a democracy in a country that had never before had one. Thus, it faced many challenges
throughout its existence. Weimar faced political challenges from the left and right, stemming from
the economic and military sanctions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, along with the underlying
lack of democratic tradition. Though the solutions proposed by the multiple Chancellors succeeded
in solving many of the issues, they were not able to overcome them all. The main cause for political
instability came from the left and right extremists. Within the communist party (KPD) in Weimar,
the most extreme formed what were known as the Sparticists, led by ... Show more content on
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These factors contributed to the severity of punishments imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. The
majority of problems caused by the Treaty of Versailles were economic, though the problems caused
additional political and societal problems for Weimar. The cost of reparations for France and
Belgium was magnified by the territorial loss of industrial heartlands. Weimar's economy was
already at a low point after funding WWI, and losing some its most profitable regions, such as
Alsace–Lorraine, made it difficult to pay reparations. France and Belgium's occupation of the Ruhr
complicated the situation. Though the countries demanded payment of reparations after Weimar
defaulted, the Weimar government knew it would damage its economy further. Having citizens
passively resist was the best option, as Weimar did not pay France and Belgium, and they hoped
other nations might see them as a victim, and help end the occupation. However, for its citizens to
stop working in their jobs and still earn money, the government decided to print more Deutsche
Marks (DM), leading to the hyperinflation crisis. Combined with the weakened economy with a lack
of trust in it, German citizens were not spending as much money as before, and it was not being
stimulated. The value of the DM plummeted to the point of it being virtually worthless, and the
German economy diminished to a barter economy. In addition, due to the reduction of military size,
the Treaty of Versailles left many unemployed soldiers, who contributed to the political resistance,
blaming their situation on the 'November Criminals'. The country was on the brink of collapse, but
the new Chancellor, Stresemann, was successful in resolving the issue. He appointed Schacht to
reorganize Weimar's currency, and created the Fulfillment Policy. Schacht made the Rentenmark
(RM), which was based on mortgages, real estate, and industry so its value could be

How Far the Weimar Constitution Can Be Described as...
How Far the Weimar Constitution Can Be Described as Creating an Effective Democracy
For the first time in the history of Germany, the state was a democratic republic. The constitution
was something of a fragile experiment, a guinea pig. Theoretically speaking, the Weimar
Constitution could be described as the most democratic constitution the world has ever laid eyes
upon, in practice, things were not as clear.
Germany was to be a "Federal State," with each "Lander," (state) retaining limited control over local
affairs. This recognised local differences within Germany, with each Lander being represented in the
Reichstrat. Effectively small states had as much influence as bigger states. This ... Show more
So even extremists could be represented, and thus extremists are given a say in the running of the
country albeit limited to the size of the extremists. Democracy is rule by the people, which the
Weimar Constitution included extremists within.
Plebescites were relatively common, which are effective referenda, giving the German public direct
choice on an issue, thus being ultra democratic, with the German people being allowed to make
decisions by themselves as opposed to simply having elected representatives making decisions on
their behalf.
The Bill of Rights was effectively made for German workers. Trade unions were instituted to
organise a minimum wage. The consideration of workers, in a previously elite class system, reflects
new democratic intentions, giving everybody an equal footing. For the first time in German history
everybody had freedom of religion and speech, regardless of beliefs. This is incredibly democratic
as it means that all people were allowed to express themselves truthfully, no matter how extreme or
unpopular their opinions were. Everyone was considered equal.
The president was politically accountable, being voted by the people every 7 years. The idea was
that the president was not in office long enough to establish a dictatorship; enforcing the foundations
of democracy (i.e. that a democracy is not a dictatorship.) The

Downfall Of The Weimar Republic Essay
The Weimar Republic started and ended as a society filled with violence and turmoil. The creation
of a new government after the abdication of the Kaiser Wilhelm II was due to a large amount of
international pressure and influence from leaders such as President Woodrow Wilson. This new
German government became a democracy without any democrats. However, stating that the Weimar
Republic could have survived had it's own presidents not undermined it, is not a fair statement.
Although the presidents made several poor choices in the way that they decided to run Germany, the
overall collapse of the Weimar Republic can only be blamed on a combination of several factors.
The instability of the Weimar constitution created a society in which over 6 years ... Show more
However, Hindenburg was not the first president of the Weimar Republic. Friedrich Ebert was the
first elected president, however most of his faults were due to the great economic and political
unrest, which was created by the previous government. Hindenburg, although being 84 years old
during the time of his election, had large amounts of experience being an inspirational leader during
times of war. Hindenburg was persuaded into taking power by those who opposed the rise of Hitler,
and continued to be persuaded throughout his presidential career. Hindenburg was extremely
influenced by the Chancellors of Germany. In 1930 Hindenburg allowed Bruning to use article 48 of
the Weimar Constitution, which allowed him to rule by decree, to dissolve the Reichstag. Bruning
used this same article to introduce his deflationary policy that majorly crippled the German
economy. This allowed Hindenburg to display his true self for one of the first times during his
presidency, showing that he was hardly a democrat and more of a dictator. After changing
Chancellors multiple times, Chancellor Schleicher came into power and ruled only to keep control.
Schleicher was a power hungry ruler with little to no rules that could control

The Abuse Of Article 48 In The Weimar Constitution
The abuse of Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution allowed Adolf Hitler to become Chancellor. It
stated, "If public security and order are seriously disturbed or endangered within the German Reich,
the President of the Reich may take measures necessary for their restoration, intervening if need be
with the assistance of the armed forces. For this purpose he may suspend for a while, in whole or in
part, the fundamental rights provided in Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153." It also
allowed the President to withhold civil liberties guaranteed in the Weimar Constitution. Article 48
was not used as a solution for national emergencies, and was rather used as support for totalitarian
rulers to govern through decree. The abuse of Article

The Collapsed Of The Weimar Republic
BISMARK KARIKARI
PROF PETURSSON
GERMAN HISTORY
10/26/2015
The Collapsed of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic came from the German Revolution in 1918 to replace the German empire. The
Weimar Republic existed between 1919 – 1933 and was faced with numerous crisis that led to its
collapsed. Several factors accounted for the collapse of the Weimar Republic when Hitler captured
power on January 30, 1933. The Weimar Constitution drafted in 1919 was accounts for the fall of
the Republic. The structural weakness of the political system of the Weimar Republic played a major
role in undermining the progress of Weimar due to how power was a located. The constitution gave
the presidency an emergency power that permitted him to override the Reichstag. This emergency
power of the president was often called into action which promoted political divisions. Peukert
argued that "The actual drafting of the constitution itself also proceeded in relatively unspectacular
fashion because the politicians in the National Assembly, were there were no clear–cut majorities
and the balance of forces was always shifting, were constantly driven to agree to compromises"
(Peukert 36). Because the National Assembly in 1919 wrote the constitution, it is seen as one of the
most liberal legal deed written in the 20th century. One of the main weakness of the constitution was
how complicated the system of proportional representation was. If the people

The Fall of the Weimar Republic Essay
The Weimar Republic would have continued to be a functional government far longer than achieved
if not for the defeat of WWI, the economic burdens imposed by the Versailles Treaty, and the flawed
Article 48 which all contributed to the down fall of Germany's first attempt at a legitimate
Democracy. This paper will argue that the societal, economical, and constitutional aspects all played
a role in the hopeless Democracy Germany attempted which ultimately lead Germany into a
totalitarian state that would further shake the world with the rise of the NSDAP and Adolf Hitler.
First, the defeat of WWI was not just the beginning of the Weimar Republic but could be considered
a catalyst to its downfall as well. During the later stages of WWI ... Show more content on
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However, Ludendorff's plan backfired when Wilson's Points insisted that Germany lay down all
arms and dissolved its army to no more than 100,000 troops, as well as all parties responsible resign
(Peukert, 1987; 46). If Wilson's constitutional reforms were to be implemented a democratic
parliament could have been formed (Peukert, 1987; 24). Obviously Germany was reluctant, at first,
to accept all of the responsibility of the war. To add to the attempt of keeping Germany a War state
and its reluctant surrender, Keiser Wilhelm II ordered a last attempt by the German Naval Fleet to
attack. This created a mutiny in Wilhelmshaven on October 28, 1918 and a sailor's resurrection in
Kiel on November 3rd and 4th (Peukert, 1987; 27). The peaceful revolutionary movement has begun
in Germany and the citizens began expressing they wanted a new government. During the revolution
the Weimar Republic was forming and it seemed to be doing so with little compromise from polar
parties. Somehow, the Weimar Constitution was written and the new government began to practice
democracy. Most of Germany, by now, wants to be a viable part of the world and achieve a better
standard of living, the newly formed Weimar Republic and fragile economy will be tested with the
Versailles Treaty. Second, the reparations of the Versailles Treaty further stalled Germanys attempt
at a Democracy by critically maiming its economy. Germany,

Hitler's Single Party Dictatorship
Adolf Hitler's Single Party Dictatorship (Nazi Germany 1933–1945) Factors Leading to Hitler's
Consolidation to Power Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933 can be attributed to a series of
developments following Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918. Harsh terms imposed by the
Treaty of Versailles turned public opinions against the newly established Weimar Republic
throughout the 1920s. The Weimar Republic, the democratic government established after Kaiser
Wilhelm's abdication of the throne, faced major public criticism and political instability. The
German public blamed the Weimer government for Germany's humiliation imposed by the Treaty of
Versailles. Under Versailles, Germany's military was limited to 100,000 troops, no air force, and ...
Immediately following Hitler's consolidation to power under the title of Chancellor, he quickly
changed the status quo under his regime with various political agendas. At the time of Hitler's
appointment to Chancellorship by President Hindenburg, Hitler and the Nazi party still lacked
majority representation in the German government. The Nazis only held three out of the eleven
cabinet posts, and only won 288 out of the 647 seats in the election of March 5, 1933. At the height
of Nazi representation, only 44% of the voting electorate supported the Nazi party. Thus, Hitler and
his Nazi party were dissatisfied with the general support of the party, and looked for alternative
methods to bolster their standing to solidify their

The Reasons for the Rise of the Nazi Dictatorship Essay
The reasons for the rise of the Nazi Dictatorship of the 1930's and 40's have been a topic much
debated upon by historians for decades. Arguably the most prominent theory is the idea of a
"Sonderweg" or special path taken by Germany that "deviates from the normal path to modernity...
the British way, the first and therefore classical model." There is ample evidence of a "Sonderweg"
throughout Wilhelmine/Bismarckian Germany, from the lack of a real democracy in 1871 to
attempts to repress threats through policies such as Kulturkampf and the anti–Socialist laws. There
is also evidence in Weimar Germany, such as the structural weaknesses of the constitution, for
example proportional representation and Article 48. There is, however, evidence ... Show more
Another sign of a "Sonderweg" in Germany during Bismarck's reign was his attempts to repress
threats through force. "Bismarck always held that the best foundation for an alliance was to have a
common enemy." This was illustrated in his Kulturkampf policies in which he attempted to appeal to
the Protestant population in the German Empire which made up 61% of the populous by restricting
and persecuting the Catholic population. For example, in 1872, religious schools were forced to
undergo official inspections carried out by the government and religious teachers were banned from
government schools. Then in May 1873 when the May Laws were enacted, nearly half of all
seminaries in Prussia closed as a result. Bismarck's failed attempts to suppress the threat of the
socialists through use of the anti–Socialist laws was another sign of a special German path. The laws
did not ban the SPD directly but instead aimed to cripple it, so that it was no longer a threat, through
various means. Groups meeting who aimed to spread social democrat principles were banned and
trade unions were outlawed. Bismarck also introduced old age pensions, accident and
unemployment insurance and medical care in an attempt to win the support of the working class and
keep them content with the current regime. Despite these attempts to cripple the socialists, the party
continued to gain popular support.
During Bismarck's reign, there were attempts made by him to distract

Problems Of The Weimar Constitution
During the years 1918–1933 the Weimar Constitution was a very significant problem for the
government to deal with, however during these years there was also numerous other problems which
also caused the government to be troubled. In this essay I'll discuss, of the two, what did cause the
most problems for the government between the years 1918–1933?
Firstly, let's start with the Weimar Constitution and how it caused an issue for the government. To
begin with, the most important factor of why the Weimar Constitution was problematic for the
government was the immense dislike of the actual constitution. This all stemmed when the First
World War finished. With the Kaiser abdicated a new set up was made, introducing a democracy,
properly for ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Weimar constitutions set up was the President on top, the chancellor second in power and then
followed by the Reichstag, then Reichstrat. However it was the powers that these people had that
proved to be an issue. For example Article 48, this allowed the president to rule by decree in an
emergency. This obviously sounds like a good idea in hindsight however this could easily be abused
just like some presidents did. For example the Reichstag rejected the finance bill in July 1930
however Bruning had the bill issued by article 48. This meant that presidents could obviously easily
over power everyone else by using this, getting rid of the idea of democracy and instead hinting at a
dictatorship. This meant that because article 48 was used so much, a lot more than it should it
perceived Germany to be in a crisis all the time, as article 48 was only supposed to be used in a time
of emergency. This would be a problem for Germany's government as it not only got rid of the idea
of democracy what they were trying to bring in but it also perceived to other countries that they
weren't a strong country. If it seemed like Germany was in an emergency most of the time then it
ruined Germany's image, and made it seem like an unstable country. In contrast there were other
significant problems which created issues for the government between the years 1918–33. One of
the first significant problems for the government would of course be the Treaty of Versailles. Forced
to sign in 1919,

Hitler 's Inexorable Of Power
Hitler's Maniacal Rise to Power: Rough Draft #1 After World War I, Germany was in ruins. Not
only was Germany physically damaged, the people's morale was destroyed. From the fiery ashes of
WWI, a German leader arose and preached a message of patriotism, prosperity, and racial purity. He
launched a crusade for a 1,000 year empire, setting the stage for tragedy like none the world had
ever seen before. After World War I, Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power due to the weakened
Weimar Republic, which resulted in societal tensions. This environment made Hitler's political
maneuvers that much more effective.
Hitler forced humanity to question the nature of evil, forced man to confront the brutality the human
race is capable of conflicting upon itself, and
After World War 1, Germany was in civil unrest. The citizens were in famine and bloody battles
occurred almost daily, leaving the country in absolute anarchy. The leaders and politicians that took
control of Germany were ambitious reformers. They wanted to create a liberal democracy, a first for
a country that had a history of authoritarian monarchy. In 1919, the Weimar Republic was
established and was one of the most progressive, and democratic constitutions in the world.
Democracies in general are very experimental and fragile. Similar to America's constitution in 1788,
the government demonstrates how easily democracies can fail when the constitution is too ambitious
and internal forces work against it. "Weimar Germany"

The Weaknesses Of The Weimar Republic
The statement to a great extent is false as the period of 1919–1924 in Germany evidenced the
weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, and the seemingly prosperous years of 1924–1928 was built of
shaky foundations and that Weimar Germany was "doomed from the start" (Kershaw). The
fundamental flaws of the Weimar constitution allowed it to be exploited and constantly undermined
by its enemies, such as the extreme right and left wings, in many ways, the longevity Weimar
Republic was tainted from its genesis. The fragility of the Weimar republic was highlighted by its
economic instability, the ongoing impacts caused by the Treaty of Versailles and the complexity of
the Weimar system of Government.
The Treaty of Versailles doomed the Weimar Republic from ... Show more content on
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One of the fundamental flaws of the Weimar Constitution was that parties who were opposed to
democracy, such as the Nazis and Communists, had the ability to be in power, which would later
become a reality in 1933. After the death of President Ebert in 1925, Paul von Hindenburg, who was
a supporter of the monarchy, was elected as President and leader of the German nation, further
adding to the inadequacies for democracy, which were tolerated by the system. The nature in which
seats in the Reichstag could be won also meant that there were constant problems as no one party
ever had the majority, causing the need for coalitions and therefore compromises in policies were
made in order to appease all parties, even in the so–called 'good years' of 1924–1928, there were 6
changes in government due to changes in coalitions. Additionally, the existence of Article 48 in the
Weimar Constitution eliminated democracy despite the good intentions that it was created for.
Article 48 allowed the President to take emergency powers and it was overused during the period of
1930–33 by Hindenburg to keep a Chancellor in power. The Article itself undermined democracy
and as a result, the Weimar Republic was severely impacted, as the stability of any Government
would be reliant on the discretion of Hindenburg. The complex nature of the Weimar system of
Government had drastic

Essay On The Fall Of Weimar
Many historians have tried to look into the reasons that could have contributed to the fall of the
republic of Weimar and the post–war country of Germany was under the mercy of very many forces
which were economic, political, external, internal, short–term and also structural. In addition, it is
very hard to separate the forces as being responsible for the decline of the republic and looking very
deep into the matter; one can realize that it is Nazism and Hitler who seem to be the main
contributors to the fall of the democracy of Weimar. Some of the main reasons which contributed to
the decline of the empire have been discussed below:
The responses to the Versailles Treaty The peace settlement of the post–war that was signed at ...
Hostility to the parliamentarian and democracy government During the period of Weimar, most of
the political parties gave no support to the political system of Weimar and on the other hand most of
these political parties were attacking it thus making the republic to weaken each and every day,
more so, the attacks on the political system of Weimar made the trust of the public on the republic to
decline by a very big extent and thus the republic had to fall since it has no any other option left.
The great depression impact The collapse of the economy of Germany in 1929 had effects that were
very direct to the nation and many of the people in the nation had no jobs and therefore there was a
very serious problem of unemployment and also there was then the rise of certain groups which
were radical in nature and it gave room for people like Adolf Hitler to take part in the politics of
Weimar and according to history he is one of the people who led to the decline of the republic of
Weimar brought about by the politics which he

The Weimar Republic Failed As A Result Of Many Significant...
The Weimar Republic failed as a result of many significant and underlying factors. The problems
included politics, economics, and the popularity of the Nazis along with the effect of the Great
Depression. However, besides all these faults that appeared after the establishment of Germany's
first Democracy, Weimar was handicapped from the beginning due to the effects of the First World
War. Alongside the repercussions of the war, the Treaty of Versailles further lowered the chance of
success for the Weimar Republic.
The German President, Friedrich Ebert, and his socialist government faced numerable problems.
They were well renowned by the public for having stabbed Germany in the back by signing the
Armistice and agreeing defeat in WW1. By fully accepting the 'War Guilt' clause, Germany was
made responsible for paying £6,600 million pounds worth of reparations in 1919. Majority of the
money was in compensation to the France for the extensive damage to their country. In the previous
year 1918, the national income was roughly one third of what it had been in 1913, and so paying
reparations; equivalent to 2% of the countries wealth, was a financially huge strain. Ebert was torn
as to what to do. Extreme nationalists like the Nazi Party refused to acknowledge Germany's
responsibility and saw these payments as a form of slavery. This is a result of the 'stab in the back
myth' held by many right–wing nationalists. On the contrary many Germans believed to get the
country back on

The Rise Of Hitler And The Third Reich
The process of change in political systems in Germany throughout 1890–1990 stirs up many debates
within historians. Supporters of the early Kaiserreich system suffered as each new regime followed;
from the National Socialists policies to the denazification programme following the Second World
War. The rise of Hitler and the Third Reich can be see as a key turning points as they had absolute
power over the individual and responsibility was inferior to the state. The FRG and the GDR had
both different political aims; however their efforts to remake political cultures shared similarities.
Although the Second World War plays a large part in the formation of political systems in Germany,
the divide between East and West Germany can be seen as ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The shock of defeat combined with the state of Germany caused the new government to inherit
many problems. The failure of the Weimar constitution can be seen in itself as a major turning point;
it was the catalyst for Hitler's rise to power.
In December 1918, Germany was condemned to economic weakness; however this year can also be
seen as a political revolution or the makings of one. The formation of the Weimar Constitution was
Germany's chance to undergo political modernisation, and therefore can be seen as a turning point,
as democratic reform was accepted. Some historians however, argue that it was more of a collapse.
Hans– Ulrich Wehler expresses the discontinuitist and structuralist approach; "The fact that this
break with the past did not go deep enough and that the consequences of the successful preservation
of outwork traditions remained everywhere visible after 1918, accounts for the acute nature of the
problems of continuity in the twentieth century German history..." .
The fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the National Socialist Party and Hitler could be seen
as a greater turning point and proves to be a controversial subject with historians. There were many
factors that caused the failure of the Weimar; proportional representation giving opportunities to
extremist parties to gain power, the army's influence and

The Weimar Government And The Causes Of The Weimar Republic
While war reparations rocked the Weimar Republic, debt wracked the farmers in the French
Republic, leading to dissent and disillusionment amongst the citizens. In this period of instability,
the inability of the republics to propose legislation without dissent opened way for new leaders
taking advantage of the situation, promising a more unified and better society.
With the fall of major monarchies, both France and Germany strived to create representative
governments that listened to the needs of the people. However, that did not work out as intended,
with the government focusing more on the upper class rather than the peasants that made up the
majority of the fledgling republic's population. For example, the Constitution of 1793, advocated by
Maximilien Robespierre, granted universal suffrage for men. Even with the increased rights for the
people, the government did not ratify legislation that appealed to the majority of the population, the
peasants. Instead, legislation that abolished property requirements for farmers, de–christianized
society, and created a republic calendar did not appeal to the farmers swimming in debt with a lack
of food on the table (Tocqueville). As a result, the new republic enabled the common people to voice
out against them, rather than for them. After a few centuries, the Weimar Republic faced a similar
situation. With much of the country disillusioned after their loss in World War I, the citizens looked
towards the new Weimar Republic for a

Positive And Negative Impacts Of Nazi Rule From 1933-1939
Nazi Germany 1933–1939 Essay
"Describe the positive and negative impacts of Nazi rule in Germany from 1933–1939."
Introduction
Nazi Germany was between the dates of 1933–1939. Throughout this essay, Conditions in Germany
when Hitler came to power including the impact of the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression
and the weakness of the Weimar republic, will be discussed. The Concept of a Totalitarian State and
how Hitler and the Nazi party developed in Germany through the use of force, controlled education,
militarism, propaganda, economic policies, and no political opposition. Some of the Positives that
came from Nazi Germany were increased prosperity including full employment and economic
growth, regaining lost territories, increased national prestige and pride, and the hosting of 1936
Olympics. Some of the Negatives that came from Nazi Germany were Persecution of minorities,
loss of personal freedoms, economic growth focused on the military, and expansionism as a path to
war. This essay will re–state weather Nazi Germany was an overall positive or negative experience
for people in Germany.
Paragraph 1 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Life under Nazi rule did have several positive aspects economically and socially for people in
Germany. Some of the Positives that came from Nazi Germany were increased prosperity including
full employment and economic growth, regaining lost territories, increased national prestige and
pride, and the hosting of 1936 Olympics. Increased prosperity including full employment through
the introduction of the DAF or German Labor front
Paragraph 4 – Some of the Negatives that came from Nazi Germany were Persecution of minorities,
loss of personal freedoms, economic growth focused on the military, and expansionism as a path to

Failure of Parliamentary Democracy in Germany and...
Failure of Parliamentary Democracy in Germany and Hitler's Rise to Power
German history is seen as a 'painful issue for thousands of Germans and other Europeans' . However
it has interested many historians over the years into inquiring how and why Hitler came to power
and how much of this was to do with the failure of parliamentary democracy in Germany. To fully
ascertain to what extent these events have in common and what reasons led to the fall of democracy
and rise of the Nazis, each have to be looked at individually. Also it seems beneficial, to be able to
evaluate these in the relevant context, to look at the situation in Germany was in prior to 1920.
In 1919, the treaty of Versailles was signed marking the end of World War ... Show more content on
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Nor did Weimar satisfy the questions of why Germany had surrender even though allied troops had
never entered Germany.
Since the Weimar Republic was established in the aftermath of World War One, it was almost
inevitable that it would be blamed for Germanys surrender and the Treaty of Versailles. The
supposed surrender was even harder to accept since in 1918 Germany had signed an armistice with
Russia. Weimar was in essence 'brought about by defeat' . The 'November Criminals' who signed the
armistice were always associated with Weimar, thus making it difficult for Weimar to be associated
with anything but defeat and humiliation. The war guilt clause was also difficult to accept because it
lay all the blame on Germany for starting the First World War. This along with reparations were
crippling not only the economy but German society itself
The Weimar Republic had a system of proportional representation in elections. This is a method of
voting by which political parties are given legislative representation in proportion to their popular
vote. This would allow all parties to be represented, including extremist parties such as the NSDAP
(Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or Nazis) and the KPD (communists). It would also
produce

Weimar Republic And Its Effect On The Republic
The Weimar republic by:Efren Camacho, World History, pd 1 Weimar republic weaknesses were
important because, the Weimar republic was elected for a new republic of Germany later on,that did
not turn on well. First, the weimar republic was elected for new government Jan,1919. The Nazis
came to power in the 1930's, and manich to establish a dictatorship.why were the Weimar republic
weaknesses significant? The origins of the Weimar republic, weaknesses, how did Hitler come to
power. This are some of the ideas why was why was the Weimar weaknesses significant. Germany
was forced to drop out of the first WW.Kaiser Wilhelm 2 fled the country. A new republic was
created in Jan, 1919. Elections were done for a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
What i 'm trying trying to say, they were weak because of WW1. The weimar republic was the
consequence of a newly Democratic germany. When the hyperinflation kicked in, the germans
blamed the government. Any republic that doesn't have the confidence of its citizens has hard time
keeping peace and order. What i 'm trying trying to say, they were weak because of WW1 The
government of weimar republic had some issues before. But though the weimar was unsuccessful in
gaining popularity in the military as it attracted much resentment by being the signator of the
versailles. But the weimar republic fighting off the strong opposition received from the spartacist in
germany. Gustav Stresemann, was planing to solve germany's economic problem. He became
chancellor in 1923 and supported by the social democrats. He wanted to fix problem germany's
reparation problems but then later on it got worst. Hitler's rise to power cannot be attributed to one
event,but a mixture of factors. The strengths of the nazi party, and the weaknesses of the parties
within germany. Hitler use this to his advantage in 1933 he gained wages and unemployment pay
the worst thing to do during a depression. In Conclusion, this explain the weimar weaknesses ,and
how the republic was in the time they serve. In other words, this shows what the republic had to face
through time. To

The Weimar Republic Essay
The Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was set–up in January 1919. It seemed like a new start
for Germany after the revolution, this new republic was a democracy, chosen by the people.
However, the Weimar Republic, like many new parliaments, was having teething troubles.
The main trouble came from the communists. In March they organised strikes, demonstrations, riots,
etc. in Berlin. Their one aim, to win power. They wanted to model Germany on Bolshevik Russia.
The Weimar Republic's solution to this problem was to send in the Freikorps. They were ordered to
shoot anyone carrying a gun. During just a few days ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Weimar Republic did not like this system and thus Munich was put under siege. Food was not
allowed in and at one time giving milk to a person who wasn't dying was a criminal offence with
death being the punishment. On 1 May, the democratic socialists invaded, not sparing a single
communist. 600 men, women and children were killed. Of course again the main brunt of the attack
had been supplied by the Freikorps.
The politically unstable infancy of the Weimar Republic is marked by violent street demonstrations
by paramilitary organisations bitterly opposed to the new Weimar constitution. This political unrest
in Germany and the immediate aftermath of the war was as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, where
the victorious Allies imposed the terms of peace on Germany. Apart from the territorial loses
(Germany lost 6 million subjects, 13% of her territory, plus her colonies) imposed on her and the
massive, economically–crippling, sums of reparations that she was forced to pay to the Allies
(notably France), Germany, by Article 231 of the treaty, also had to accept the blame for all the loss
and damage inflicted on the Allies "as a consequence of the war imposed on them by the aggression
of Germany and her allies". This was deeply humiliating for Germany, and was the cause of much
right–wing resentment of the treaty and of the victorious Allies. The new Weimar government

How Fair Was The Armistice In Germany
Some historians might argue that the armistice of 1918 caused a lot of problems for Germany, and
that in the long run this caused complications which did more bad than good. Many people may look
at examples such as 'The November criminals' and say this is were all of Germany's problems
started, for example, people could argue that Germany was destined and was heading towards
failure from the beginning. Germans understood they could only get armistice by agreeing to the
demands of the Americans, this meant getting rid of the Kaiser whether they liked it or not.
Armistice also caused a lot of problems for Germany as it divided the country, geographically and
politically, the soldiers felt that they had not actually lost the war as they believed ... Show more
Coalitions showed how weak Weimar was, he couldn't work single handedly with his party alone
because he knew they had no support , I believe that coalitions were ineffective aas his longest
serving coalition only lasted 2 years. proptitional representation also highlights the weakness of the
constitution , it may seem fair but in reality it is not as a majority may of voted against Weimar. I
believe that the biggest weakness in the Weimar government/constitution was the enabling act and
article 48, this would later allow Hitler to became a dictator there was also no given time or amount
of uses a person was allowed to have when using this, what counts as an emergency or a national
crisis, this showed the weakness of the Weimar constitution as it allows one person to have too
much

Weaknesses Of The Weimar Republic In Effecting Hitler's...
How significant were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic in effecting Hitler's rise to power?
At the end of World War One, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and fled to Holland. The new
Government which replaced him initially met in Weimar as there were security risks in Berlin. So, it
became known as the Weimar Republic. This new Republic was ultimately unpopular with the
German population and helped Hitler rise to power. However, there were other contributing factors
which include the Wall Street Crash of 1929, political instability highlighted with three chancellors,
alongside the Reichstag Fire.
Negative aspects of the Weimar Government Parliament was elected through a system of
proportional representation, in which German citizens would vote for a party rather than a candidate.
This then lead to the election of many small parties. No one party could gain a majority and the
country was run by coalitions (majorities brought about by different parties working together). This
led to disagreements between parties and a lack of decisive action. Article 48 of the Constitution
stated that in an emergency, the President could take control of ... Show more content on
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This action was very unpopular in Germany and was used by enemies of the Government to claim
that it had 'stabbed Germany in the back' by ending the war. The Treaty of versailles was unpopular
with the people of Germany because it also came along with a few terms. Territory was taken from
Germany, depriving it of valuable industrial income. Germany had to accept responsibility for
starting the war, leading to feelings of humiliation and anger. This was the War Guilt Clause, which
left many Germans feeling humiliated. Germany had to pay reparations of £6.6 billion, which would
ensure that the economy would not recover. Germany's armed forces were severely reduced. For
example, there was no air force, a maximum 100,000 soldiers and a reduced

The Flaws of the Weimar Constitution Essay
The Flaws of the Weimar Constitution The majority of people believe that it was the Weimar
constitution which was fundamentally flawed and that this damaged the long term prospects of the
Weimar republic, although strong points can be identified in the constitution which support the
argument that the constitution wasn't to blame for the republics downfall. From this some historians
have determined that the role of the constitution in the downfall of the republic is exaggerated.
There were a wide variety of things that played a part in the collapse of the republic; one of these
was the problems linked with proportional representation. There were two main problems with
proportional ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Another factor that made the public begin to lose faith in the government was the dual system of
President and the Reichstag. Following the end of the war it was difficult for the German people to
adjust to not following one ruler and to govern the country by the democratic process. Throughout
the Weimar period the people were unclear to whether it was the president or the chancellor of the
Reichstag who was the ultimate source of authority. The powers of authority that the president had
were in fact very similar to that of the old Ersatzkaiser, many left wing Germans would have
criticised this for taking power away from the Reichstag an effectively reinstating parts of the old
monarchy. This could have been a way of compromising to gain support from the left and right.
Throughout the Weimar period the president held the right to bypass the Reichstag in times of
emergency. This is thought to be a major flaw by many historians in the Weimar constitution,
although it was not uncommon for articles like this to be included in constitutions. The reason this
was seen as such a failure was that Hitler used this article to take control and set up the nazi regime
during the 1930's. Other evidence indicates that that having this article in

Collapse of the Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazis...
Collapse of the Weimar republic/ Rise of the Nazis
This essay will examine how the lack of effective opposition and the weakness of the Weimar, was a
major factor in the Nazis rising to power between 1919 and 1933.
On the 28th of June 1919, a peace treaty, also known as the treaty of Versailles, was signed, ending
the First World War. The treaty had a humiliating effect causing great resentment. Germany had no
choice but to accept the terms of the treaty, which later had a considerable impact on the countries
running. The negotiations for this treaty took six months, at the Paris peace conference. Germany
was forced to accept all responsibility for causing the war, making substantial territorial concessions
along with disarming, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By introducing proportional representing, it was extremely hard for any party to receive a majority
of the votes within parliament, this led to the creation of coalition governments.
During the period of 1919–23, Germany endured great political upheaval, firstly, in January 1919
when the Social Democratic Party oppressed the rebellion of the communists, better known as The
Spartacist Revolt.
Between March and May 1919, the communists were suppressed by the Freikorps, where they
attempted to takeover the Munich and Soviet republic. They were ordered to crush the revolt and
shoot anyone carrying a gun, Then in March 1920, the Kapp Putsch took place, which attempted to
overthrow the Weimar government but failed, following a general strike instigated by the trade
union workers.
In 1923, Belgium and France invaded the Ruhr due to Germany's failure to repay the massive
reparation payments. They entered industrialised areas of Germany resulting in workers striking
which caused problems and had a devastating effect on the German economy. In order to help with
the strike and reparations the government printed more money.
They printed astonishing amounts of money leading to hyperinflation, which affected the price of
goods. The Weimar was crumbling, people on fixed incomes were adversely affected by the
hyperinflation, their pay remained the same, and this caused financial ruin in the Weimar. However,
financers, industrialists and landowners benefited

Modern Day Era And Its Impact On Our Society
Humans have been communicating with each other as long as the human race can remember. It has
been the essences of our survival allowing us to be able to pass on our knowledge, express ideas,
and covey emotions. As time passed, we have learned different methods to communicate. For
example, we have learned to communicate with words and symbols which has helped us evolve and
form a foundation for our society. Words and symbols have allowed to us expand our ability to
communicate and the ability to express our ideas in a greater way. Typography has become one of
the most influential ways that we use to communicate in this modern–day era; and it plays a major
role in our society. Typography essentially is found everywhere – from posters to books, magazines
to signs and generally anywhere where type is involved. Now the history of type itself is quite long
which definitely states that type has come a long way and has a great history behind it. Two of the
most well–known movements in type, which introduced new principals and brought change to type,
would be the Bauhaus movement and Futurist movement. These two movements have brought forth
change and principals that have influenced the typography work in todays world. In this essay I will
be discussing how the Bauhaus movement and the Futurist movement are different in terms of their
philosophy of type, the characteristics and works of art.
The philosophy of these two movements are different in terms of how they both follow

The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich
The Weimar Constitution was a genuine attempt to create a perfect democratic country. In his book
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), American historian William L. Shirer described the
Weimar Constitution as "on paper, the most liberal and democratic document of its kind the
twentieth century had ever seen ... full of ingenious and admirable devices which seemed to
guarantee the working of an almost flawless democracy." The constitution guaranteed equal rights to
the German people, yet also contained the fundamental structural flaws that would play a major part
in the Republic 's downfall (and thus the Nazi Party's rise). Two clear examples of such weaknesses
were the use of an excessively proportional electoral system and the ... Show more content on
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All of these factors made it very difficult for the German people to be trustworthy, faithful and
supportive of the regime of the Weimar Constitution. This idea is re–affirmed through German
historian Friedrich Meinecke saying that "true loyalty to the Fatherland requires disloyalty to the
Republic", leading to an opening for extremist parties as well as the Republic's doom.
The system of proportional representation was intended by the Weimar Republic to avoid the
wasting of votes and to reduce political conflicts, causing many parties to gaining seats in the
Reichstag. The quantity of political parties was multiplied and coalitions were made necessary. This
resulted in unstable government and, consequently, frequent changes of government as each party
had different aims. This was reflected in 376 political assassinations up to 1923. Similarly, despite
being from the democratic left, during the early 1920s Friedrich Ebert relied heavily on the
traditionally right–wing army and Freikorps in order to keep control of the country. Conservative
attitudes tended to overemphasise the threat from the left, whilst the threat from the right was
severely under estimated. The rise of a multitude of small trivial parties, many of which represented
the extreme ends of the political

Role Of Women In The Weimar Republic Essay
Many historians would disagree that the Weimar Republic aided in creating a dramatic improvement
of the workforce for women. Before the establishment of the Weimar Republic in the late 1918,
women did not traditionally take on a role in the workforce, but many were traditional housewives
whose responsibility was to care for their families.' However the number of women in the workforce
increased after the establishment of the Weimar Republic and women developed a larger role for
themselves in German society both socially and economically as they became involved workforce.
As women joined the workforce, the Weimar Republic established some standards to ameliorate the
labor force. The improvement in the labor force started with the mass increase of women in different
career fields, but also because the welfare standard was not met as women faced harsh working
conditions and discrimination. The Weimar Republic and its constitution helped improve the welfare
and workplace environment while also allowing for women to have a widespread of job options.
The Weimar Republic opened new doors for women in the workforce and also introduced a diverse
age and status range of women; there were married, single, young and older women working.
Therefore, the Weimar Republic on played a moderate role in improving the issues in the workforce
for women.
Women's roles began to change in Germany after the establishment of the Weimar Republic. Women
had to the opportunity to take on jobs

Democratiziation Processes In Post-War Germany

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