Political Developments - Reichstag Elections and Coalition Governments

Elections

• 2 elections in 1924, where over 61% voted for pro-republican parties in both the May and December elections, and after the May election extremist parties fell (Nazis and Communists - had about 3% of vote each)

• Political developments showed that democratic parties were struggling to provide stable govs with widespread support

• 1928 election showed a further decline in extremist and anti-republican parties - share of votes went lower to 2.6%

• However KPD managed to revive some of their seats

Parties with highest + lowest amount of support in elections between 1924-28

• The SPD (Social Democrat Party) commanded the most amount of support in elections in this period

• The NSDAP (Nazi) Party commanded the least amount of support in elections in this period

Coalition governments

• There were 7 coalition governments between November 1923 and March 1930

• Coalition governments throughout the short history of the Republic were unstable

• Only 6 of the 23 cabinets between 1919 and 1932 had majority support in the Reichstag

Party’s loss of seats in 1924-28 in coalition governments

• Loss of seats from 1924-28:

• KPD - 8

• USPD - 0

• SPD - 0 - gained 53

• Zentrum - 3

• DVP - 0

• DNVP - 22

• Nazis - 20

Weaknesses of coalitions

• Proportional representation - although gave each party a representation - made it hard / highly unable to gain a majority in Reichstag (Number of seats proportional to number of votes)

• Governments were unable to plan for the long-term - such as the 1926 Luther cabinet collapsing from a dispute over flags

• The Grand Coalition in 1928 led by Herman Muller offered more potential for a stable government

1928 Grand Coalition

• Led by Hermann Muller of the SPD

• One of the longest-lived coalition of Weimar - remained in office until March 1930

• Despite established in June 1928, parties involved only started agreeing on policies in spring 1929

• Due to ongoing disputes over budget and foreign policy, arguably the coalition only survived due to the strong relationship between Muller and Stresemann, the Foreign Minister

Summary of elections and coalition governments

• Pro Weimar parties have had the most stable support during 1924-1928

• Anti-Weimar parties only began to rise in the period of the ‘Golden Age’

• Almost all parties suffered a loss in seats