Political change leading to the formation of the Weimar Republic

Which party was the largest political party in the Reichstag?

The Social Democratic Party (SPD)

How did the Weimar Republic start?

They came from the SPD, and came to power after the 1919 elections

What were the strengths of the Weimar Republic?

They used democracy, the new Reichstag was quite powerful, and they had a bill of rights

Why was using democracy a strength?

All Germans over the age of 20 were allowed to vote in elections for parliament and the president every four years

Why did using the new Reichstag give power to the Weimar government?

The Reichstag appointed the government and made all laws using a system of proportional representation

Why was having a bill of rights a strength for the Weimar Republic?

It guaranteed that every German citizen had freedom of speech and religion

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?

Using proportional representation, and article 48

Why was using proportional representation a weakness of the Weimar Republic?

There were lots of small parties in the German government at the time, making it difficult to pass laws as each party had opposing views, leading to weak and often short-lived governments

Why was using article 48 a weakness of the Weimar Republic?

It gave the president the power to act without Parliament’s approval in an emergency - however, it was vague and overused, especially when Hitler came to power

What was the structure of the Weimar Government?

President, Chancellor, the Reichstag and the Reichsrat

What was the role of the President?

Elected every 7 years, allocated the Chancellor, was the head of the army, can suspend the constitution, dissolve the Reichstag and call for a new election at any time, using article 48

What was the role of the Reichstag?

It was a parliament elected every four years using proportional representation

What was the role of the Reichsrat?

Less powerful than the Reichstag, consisting of members from each local region and has the power to delay measures passed by the Reichstag

What is proportional representation?

The percentage of votes is the same as the percentage of seats in Parliament - it is a very fair system, although it allows extremist parties to influence the laws passed

Why were agreements within parliament difficult to reach?

The opposing opinions expressed within parliament came because of proportional representation, and it led to article 48 being overused, and weakening democracy