Germany - 1919-1933: Weimar Republic

Vocabulary flashcards covering the establishment, leadership, structure, strengths, and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1933.

Republic

A country governed without a King or Queen.

Kaiser

The King of Germany who realised the situation was hopeless and abdicated (quit his job) in October 1918.

Mutinied

Rebelled; the action taken by the German navy against the Kaiser in 1918.

Social Democrats

The biggest political party in Germany at the end of WWI, which won the January 1919 elections.

Friedrich Ebert

The leader of the Social Democrats who took on running Germany, signed the armistice in November 1918, and worked to improve working conditions and freedom of speech.

Weimar Government

The nickname given to the new German government because politicians held their first meeting in the town called Weimar.

Constitution

A set of rules created to govern a country.

Reichstag

The assembly where elected MPs suggest and vote on new laws.

Chancellor

The official who served as head of the Reichstag, chosen by the President and voted for every 4 years.

President (Weimar Republic)

The head of state who was voted for every 7 years, kept control of the army, and chose the Chancellor.

Voting Age (Weimar Constitution)

Everyone over the age of 20 was eligible to vote for MPs to sit in the Reichstag.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where each political party gets a fair share of Reichstag seats matching their votes (e.g., 10% of votes yields 10% of seats).

Majority (Weimar Reichstag)

Holding over 50% of the seats; an outcome no single political party ever achieved under the Weimar Constitution.

Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

It was very fair (particularly the voting system), allowed many people to have a say, and used state governments to ensure local issues were addressed.

Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

Proportional Representation created so many parties that agreement was difficult, lawmaking was slowed by constant deal-making, and it later helped Hitler gain power.