7) 'Golden Age' 1924-28: Political developments and the workings of democracy

Describe the development of the SPD? (3)

> throughout these years, it remained the largest single party in the Reichstag - leading role in the Nov 1918 revolution & establishment of Weimar Republic/constitution.

> only participated in 1/6 coalition cabinets throughout 1924-28 due to underlying revolutionary, Marxist rhetoric remaining from its foundations laid in the 1860s - made it inflexible on important issues & difficult to compromise as required in a coalition gov. = most comfortable in opposition.

> close links to trade unions + appealed mainly to industrial workers - limited appeal to youths + women - virtually no support amongst farmers, agricultural workers or Mittelstand.

Describe the development of the Z (Centre) party? (4)

> established to defend interests of the Roman Catholic Church in German Empire.

> due to its religious affiliation, appeal crossed class/occupational boundaries > broad-based appeal made the party more flexible/pragmatic in comparison to the SPD but also caused division on economic & social issues.

> participated in ALL coalition governments.

> leadership change in 1928 from Marx to Heinrich Brüning - reflected its growing drift to right-wing.

Describe the development of the DDP? (4)

> liberal DDP in decline by the mid-1920s.

> appeal limited to academics & professional groups - impression of worthy intellectuals with limited political experience.

> experienced internal disputes & struggled to clearly convey what it stood for.

> participated in ALL coalition governments of this period.

Describe the development of the DVP? (3)

> conservative - committed to preservation of parliamentary democracy & participated in ALL coalition governments.

> support came from mainly industrialists & some academics.

> provided leading politician Gustav Stresemann (Chancellor > Foreign Minister) until his death in 1929 - after, DVP drifted to the right & became a narrow pressure group promoting the interests of big businesses.

Describe the development of the DNVP? (5)

> conservative & nationalist - traditionally base of landowners but by mid-20s had broadened support to industrialists, professional groups & *some industrial groups.

> traditionally anti-democratic + main aims of restoring monarchy/dismantling of T of V + refused to join Weimar coalitions as an anti-Weimar party

> BUT growth of diversity within party + newer, younger members began to be more willing to compromise > joined Luther cabinet in 1926 + Marx cabinet in 1927.

> vote share decreased significantly (103 seats in Dec 1924 to 73 in May 1928) so encouraged return to anti-Weimar rhetoric.

> new leader Hugenberg (1928) led DNVP into alliance with Hitler's Nazis in 1929...

Describe the development of the NSDAP (Nazi Party)? (4/7)

• Failure of Munich Putsch 1923 - entered period of decline but also reorganisation - Hitler's imprisonment in which came to conclusion that route to power was not via armed overthrow but winning mass support.

  • until 1927 was not allowed to speak in public.

  • Hitler became undisputed leader of Nazis.

  • only had 75,000 members & 7 deputies in Reichstag by 1927.

• Concentrated campaigning efforts on farmers' discontentment in rural areas - despite performing badly in 1928 election, reached 18% of vote in some northern rural areas.

• Membership grew to 150,000 by Oct 1929 - took control of first town council.

• Heavily involved in the campaign against the Young Plan.

key term 'Mein Kampf'?

> means 'my struggle'

> Hitler's autobiography and a statement of his beliefs; it became required reading for all members of the Nazi Party.

Describe the development of the KPD (Communist Party)? (4/6)

• Largest communist party outside of Russia BUT never became genuine mass party.

• Had support in industrial/port areas e.g. Ruhr & Saxony + significant presence in Reichstag.

• Member of Comintern - it's policies/tactics were dictated by the Communist Party of the USSR.

  • e.g. during hyperinflation crisis 1923, KPD leadership commanded to launch a communist revolution in Germany but uprisings in Saxony & Hamburg were ruthlessly supressed by army.

• By 1924, command for revolution retracted & told to prioritise attacking SPD for 'betraying' the working class - labelled them as 'social-fascists'.

  • Division in the working-class movement weakened the anti-Nazi forces in Weimar Germany.

Results for the 1924 elections?

> In May, republican parties got 61% of the vote/ In Dec, got 67% of the vote.

> May election was first with Nazi Participation - received 6.5% of vote - By Dec, down to 3%.

> KPD declined - down to 12.6% in May 1924 - down to 9.0% in Dec 1924...

What did the election results of 1924 demonstrate?

> overall indicated strong support for the Weimar Republic - republic parties (SPD, DDP, DVP & Z)...

> right-wing nationalist parties saw their influence weakening + began to accept Republic (at least outwardly) - conservative DNVP joined Weimar coalition for first time in 1925.

> (Nazis still banned in 1924 so participated unofficially through the National Socialist Freedom Party - NSFB) declined to a point of apparent irrelevance.

Results for the 1928 election? (4)

> SPD won most amount of seats - 153 seats (29.8%)

> with the DNVP, pro-republican parties received 75% of the vote.

> KPD still did not reach 1920 levels but increased to similar of May 1924 levels... - reached 10.8% of Reichstag!

> support for extremist right-wing parties remained low - e.g. Nazis (ban lifted) only received 2.6% of vote!

Give statistics regarding the coalition cabinets between 1924-30? (2)

> 7 coalition cabinets between November 1923 - March 1930.

> 6 out of the 203 cabinets between 1919 & 1932 had majority support in the Reichstag - any minority government only survived as long as there was some semblance of unity between the parties that made up the coalitions.

Example of collapsed government (coalition cabinet)? (3)

> 1926

> President Hindenburg ordered that the old imperial flag should be flown alongside the new republican tricolour flag at all German consulates in other countries.

> led to the collapse of the government of Luther.

Describe what is known as the 'Grand Coalition'?

> formed in 1928 - lasted until March 1930 - one of the longest-lived governments.

> broadly based with support from SPD, DDP, Z, DVP - led by SPD leader Hermann Müller.

Problems of 'Grand Coalition'? (4)

> established in June 1928 BUT not until spring of 1929 that the parties involved in coalition agreed on government's policies.

> ongoing disputes over the budget and over foreign policy.

> survived mostly due to strong working relationship between Müller and Stresemann, the Foreign Minister.

> resigned owing to failure to resolve budget - Great Depression!

Give examples of problems within forming coalition government? (4)

> SPD/DNVP never working together due to differing attitudes towards the Weimar Republic & because SPD represented industrial workers vs DNVP representing industrial employers!

> KPD 'chose' (ordered by Moscow) to be completely isolated.

> right-centre coalition of Z, DVP + DNVP could be created due to agreement over domestic issues BUT fell out over foreign policy.

> broad coalition formed of SPD, DDP, DVP + Z due to agreement of foreign policy BUT disagreed over domestic economic issues.

Potential reason why governments were able to last if so many inherent problems with coalition governments?

because opposition parties refused to cooperate in bringing them down - Stresemann wanted a more democratic approach to amend & change T of V - more extreme parties just wanted it torn up.

Who was Ernst Thälmann?

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