weimar republic political spectrum

left wing parties main priorities

• progressive

• socialists and communists and their sympathisers

  • targeted to their working class demographic

• promote equality

• encourage the state to look after the social welfare of its citizens

  • healthcare, education, pensions

right wing parties main priorities

• individuals and parties in favour of tradition - preserve order and strength of germany

• order and continuity - conservative, status quo

• authority (strong top down leadership)

• nationalist (patriotism, sense of national superiority

sparticist (known as kpd after 1920)

• communist

• revolutionary socialists (extreme left)

• anti-weimar, critical of parliamentary democracy

who founded and led the sparticists?

• rosa luxemburg

• karl liebknecht

• after 1925: ernst thalmann

what were the primary aims of the sparticists?

• aimed to start a one party soviet republic, inspired by the bolshevik revolution led by lenin in october 1917

• rule by workers’ and soldiers’ soviets.

• state ownership of the means of production

• destroy imperialist pro-democratic institutions, replace capitalism

• social welfare benefits and equality

USPD (independent social democrats)

• socialist

• radical socialists (left wing)

• tolerant of weimar parliamentary democracy

who founded and led the uspd?

hugo haase

what were the aims of the uspd?

• desired economic and social change

• desired a socialist society within a democratic system

spd

• moderate socialist (left wing)

• defenders of weimar parliamentary democracy

who led the spd?

• friedrich ebert

• philipp schiedemann.

what were the aims of the spd?

• reform through democratic means in the reichstag

• supported democratic elections

• basic personal rights and freedoms

• increased social welfare measure and payments

• rejected communism

what happened to the uspd between 1920 and 1922?

• lots of internal division and disagreements led to split to kpd in 1920

• 1922 and to other parties

ZP - centre party

• liberals

• moderate liberals

• supporters of weimar parliamentary democracy

who led zp?

matthias erzberger

what were the aims of zp?

• represented and defend catholic views

• work with spd and ddp to establish parliamentary democracy (coalition)

• develop social welfare state

DVP (german people’s party)

• centre right conservatives

• moderate national conservatives (centre right wing)

• tolerant of weimar parliamentary democracy

who led the dvp

gustav stresemann

what were the aims of the dvp?

• reluctant republicans party of heavy industry

• supported by industrialists and junkers (elite and upper class)

• rooted in authoritarianism and strong government

• sought revision to treaty of versailles

DNVP (German National People’s Party)

• conservative monarchists

• radical nationalists (centre)

• Anti-weimar, critical of parliament democracy

who led the DNVP?

alfred hugenburg

what were the aims of the dnvp ?

• nationalists

• traditional, wanting to preserve the status quo

• anti républicain, pro monarchist, pro kaiser

• anti semitic tendencies

NSDAP (nazi party)

• fascists

• radical national socialists (extreme far right wing)

• anti weimar, critical of parliamentary democracy

who lead NSDAP?

adolf hitler

what were the aims of the NSDAP?

• outlined in 25 point memorandum

• populist policies - broad appeal to appear viable and attractive to as wide a range of voters as possible to quickly gain support

• nationalistic - stab in the back myth, wanted overturn the treaty of versailles

• militaristic

• expansionist

• anti-democratic, authoritarian

• anti-semitic, eugenicist, ‘aryan superiority’ propaganda and policies