Development of political parties

development of parties

• quieter more prosperous conditions of years 1924-28 provided pro-democracy parties with opportunity to try estab stable democ system that could be supported by maj of germans largely fail to do so due to num of fac

• 1st=deputies in reichstag didnt rep a particular constituency, instead under proportional representation, deputies chosen from party lists to collectively rep large area. no direct connection between deputy and constituency

• 2nd= party lists system gave party committees control over reichstag deputies, not allowed to display any individuality had to behave according to dictates of party beaucracy, result that reichstag became sterile debating chamber remote from concerns of ordinary voters.

• leaderships of main pro-democracy parties also at fault, fractional rivalries weakened many parties, when leading party members became ministers in co cabinets party committees not allowed them any flexibility to operate on own initiative

• party leaders often gave higher priority to protecting interests of own party than wider national interest, brought parl system to dispute and support for demo instit suffered as a result.

spd

• throughbyears 1924-1928 left wing spd remained largest single party in reichstag, party that took leading role in rev of 1919 and estab of weimar

• vital interest in sucess of democratic gov, spd participated in only one of six coalition cabinets in these years.

• altho had been in process of becoming a reformist, moderate party in 1890 couldn’t let go of revolutionary marxist rhetoric that had been trademark since foundation

• hangover from past tended to make spd inflexible on imp issues n unwilling to make compromise that participation in coalition gov involved, therefore tended to be party more comfy in opp of gov.

• spd close links w trade unions and appealed mainly to industrialists, limited appeal to young ppl and to women had no support among farmers, agricultural workers or mittelstand.

centre party

• estab to defend interests of roman cath church in german empire and remained priority in weimar,

• as party based on rel affiliation, its appeal crossed class and occupational boundaries

• supported by industrialists, farmers and their landlords tg w prof groups like teachers

• broad-based appeal made party more flexible and pragmatic than spd bit also tended to cause divisions over social and economic issues

• centre party vital to sucess of weimar and no co gov formed w out its participation

• there was an imp leadership change in 1928, reflected growing drift to the right, new leader burning less committed to parl democ than marx, predecessor.

DDP

• liberal DDP in decline by mid 1920s, appeal mainly to academics and preoffesional groups, gave impression of being composed of worthy intellectuals who had limited political experience

• increasingly riven by internal disputes and had great difficulties in conveying clearly what it stood for

• party committed to sucess of parl democ and participated in all co gov in this period

DVP

• conservative DVP, committed to parl democ and also participated in all co cab of the period

• had support amongst academics but main sup came from industrialists

• provided leading politician from 1924-29, Gustav stressmean, after death in 1929 party drifted to the right and became more narrow pressure group promoting interests of big business

DNVP

• conservative, nationalists broadened appeal in 1920s beyond traditional base amongst landowners in east of G

• by mid- 1920s had attracted sup from industrialists, prof groups and even some industrial workers

• anti-democ and nationalist, main aims being restore monarchy and dismantling treaty of versallies

• as anti-weimar party, refuse to join coalition most of time,

• growing diversity in party led to increased divisions over policy and tactics w many of newer and younger members being willing to compromise w democratic parties

• decision to join luther cabinet 1926 and marx 1927 were a sig change in tactics

• 1928 reichstag elec, suffered sig loss of sup, encourage right in party to return to anti-democ ways, when hungenburg chosen as party leader in 1928 shift to right confirmed, him who in 1929 led party to alliance w nazi and parl groups in campaign vs young plan

NSDAP

• after failure of munich putsch 1923, entered period of decline, also reflection and reorganisation

• while Hitler in prison wrote book Mein Kampf and took time to think abt nazi tactic

• came to conc route to power x to do armed overthrow of weimar but by winning mass support, nazi couldn’t hope to win power if had no support of army and other key groups among elite.

• released from prison early set abt rebuilding the party, altho severely hampered by fact that the party and its stormtroopers were banned from organisations, until 1927, not allowed to speak in public

• end of 1927, only had 75,000 members and 7 deputies in reichstag,

• key decision taken in 1928, to broaden nazi appeal, bid to capitalise on discontent of farmers, began to concentrate efforts in rural areas, especially in mainly protestant north of G,

• across the country, nazis did badly in 1928 reichstag election, loosing 100,000 votes, in some rural areas in north nazi share was as high as 18%

• party membership grew to 150,000 by oct 1929 in same year party took control of first council

• even bfr campaign against young plan (that gave hitler chance to make name for self as national politician) party show clear signs of revival.

KPD

• greatest communist party largest communist party outside russia never became a genuinely mass party

• had support in important industrial and port areas like ruhr, saxony and hamburg and also in berlin

• sig presence in reichstag throughout period, as an avowedly rev party, it was dedicated to overthrow of weimar

• as a member of comintern, policies and tactics of kpd were dictated by communist party of soviet union

• 1923- kpd leadership summoned to moscow to be instructed to launch com rev in G

• led to communist uprising in saxony and hamburg, ruthlessly suppressed by army

• after 1924 soviet leadership instructed kpd that opportunity for rev had receded and main priority was to attack spd as a party that betrayed wc, kpd labelled spd as social fascists, concentrated on attacking them rather than countering influence of nazi party, division in working class in wc movements in G weakened anti-nazi forces

Election of Hindenburg as president in 1925

• Ebert, first president of weimar republic, died on 28th feb 1925, indirectly elected by national assembly, his successor had to be elected according to terms of weimar constitution, which meant that a full national election would have to be held

• under terms of constitution, unless a candidate received more than 50% of the vote in first round voting, had to be second ballot and possible to nominate alternative candidates in second ballot

• in first round, there were 7 candidates inc Karl jarres for right (DVP + DNVP) otto braun (SPD), Marx for centre, thalmann for communist and Lunderdorff for nazi. Jarres won most, with SPD in second no outright winner

• in second round, jarres withdrew in favour of Hindenburg, who allegedly consulted exiled ex-kaiser before reluctantly agreed against Hindenburg than Braun, so withdrew candidate and advised SPD supporters to vote for Marx

• number of candidates lowered to 3, Hindenburg, Marx and Thalmann, bc of Thalmanns candidacy left vote was split and in election on 26th april Hindenburg won w 48.3%

• Hindenburg was a symbol of past, w military uniform, war medals and authoritarian views, revered by the right, who regarded his election as the beginning of restoration of the old order.

• for many Hindenburg was substitute emperor his election was major step from parl democ, in short term proved to be false

• took oath- appealed to parties in reichstag to work w him in restoring national unity, stuck closely w contitution letter and didnt abuse powers

• election imp in reconciling, at least temp, some anti-democ political parties like DNVP to existence of rebublic and to playing more constructive role in making parl democ work

• by early 1930s becoming impatient with party political manoeuvring at time of serious economic crisis and used powers to decree on routinely basis.

Attitudes to the republic from the elites and other social groups

• weimar only be truly stable of succeed in winning support and loyalty of majority of citizens, old elites were hostile to parl democ and held firm to view weimar betray father land. hostility strengthened by signing of treaty and by political n economic crisis

• selection of hindenburg went some way towards reconciling elites to existence of republic only bc believed he would steer G back to authoritarian form of gov

• other end of social spectrum, there were many industrial workers who felt that republic hadn’t delivered on promises of greater equality and social justice crushing revolts by army and police a5 behest of demo elected politicians, clear evidence that parl democ failing

• mc support for moderate political parties was therefore vital if weimar was to succeed in estab solid foundations, diff to generalise w mc as very diverse variations in wealth, religion and political affiliations.

• many among mc who continued to prosper and were broadly supportive of weimar, many more esp among lower mc mittlestand had suffered a catastrophic decline in incomes bc of hyperinflation who had no organised way to defend interests

• ppl in this group welcomed return of economic stability under stressmen and political stability under hindenburg but resentment of republic continued to fester.