What was the state of the Weimar Republic by 1924?

Overview:

Optimism of first election of republic gave way to concerns in results of June 1920 election.
i) Support for main democratic parties declined dramatically: SPD declined sharply from 37.9% to 21.7%, DDP declined catastrophically from 18.5% to 8.3% + ZP dropped slightly from 19.75% to 18%
ii) Support for extreme left + right increased: DNVP increased from 10.3% to 15.1% + KPD/USPD increased from 7.6% to 20%.

The Problems of Coalition Government:

H/e in Weimar Republic fragmentation of political parties = matter of great importance since govts. needed to command majority support in Reichstag.
Electoral system based on proportional representation, no one party was ever in a position to form a govt. by itself + therefore all govts. = coalitions.
Fragmentation of political parties reflected how German society was becoming more divided.
Many parties, large + small, desired overthrowing the Republic  placed even greater burden of responsibility on moderate centre parties (e.g. SPD, Centre Party + DDP to work together to form stable coalitions.)
Although party leaders needed to compromise, the country faced unprecedented problems = tough + unpalatable decisions; placed severe strain on coalition govts.(E.g. in June 1919 Scheidemann cabinet resigned b/c couldn’t agree on signing of Treaty of Versailles.)
- Similar disagreements in Fehrenbach cabinet, over accepting Allied ultimatum on reparations = collapse in June 1920.
Another reason why it was difficult to form stable coalitions = in times of social, economic + political crisis, society became more polarized + support for moderate parties ebbed away & more extreme parties on left + right gained support.
Some parties wouldn’t join coalition govs = made forming govt. w/ Reichstag majority became even harder, evident after 1920 Reichstag election.

The 1919 and 1920 Reichstag Elections:

	Party Seats in January 1919	Seats in June 1920
USPD	22	83
SPD	163	103
DDP	75	39
Centre	91	64
DVP	19	65
DNVP	44	71
KPD	0	4

The number of votes for right-wing parties increases, as does the drop in seats for left and centre parties - meaning that the issues facing Germany are causing them to become more radical.

Changing Fortunes of SPD:

First 4 years of Weimar Republic = unstable govts. + shifting coalitions.
- Also changing fortunes of SPD.
1918-19 SPD took lead in establishing Republic + trying to form stable govts. after June 1920 BUT - SPD ceased to take leading role in any coalition govt. due to internal divisions + sometimes didn’t participate in ruling coalition at all.

Government Instability in the Weimar Republic, 1919-23:

February 1919, Chancellor Phillip Scheidemann of the SPD: Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP (moderate socialist-centre) = Fall: Treaty of Versailles
June 1919, Chancellor Gustav Bauer of the SPD: Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP [from October] (moderate socialist-centre) = Fall: Kapp Putsch
March 1920, Chancellor Hermann Muller of the SPD: Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP (moderate socialist-centre) = Fall: Election result
June 1920, Chancellor Konstantin Fehrenbach of the Centre: Members of govt. = DDP, Centre, DVP (centre-right) = Fall: Reparations ultimatum
May 1921, Chancellor Joseph Wirth of the Centre: Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP (moderate socialist-centre) = Fall: Cabinet resigned over partition of Upper Silesia
October 1921, Chancellor Joseph Wirth of the Centre: Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP (moderate socialist-centre)
Nov 1922, Chancellor Wilhelm Cuno (no party): Members of govt. = DDP, Centre, DVP, BVP (centre-right) = Fall: Economic crisis
Aug 1923, Gustav Stresemann (DVP): Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP, DVP (centre-right with socialists, the ‘Great Coalition’
Oct 1923, Gustav Stresemann (DVP): Members of govt. = SPD, Centre, DDP, DVP (‘Great Coalition’) = Fall: SDP left the coalition
Nov 1923, Wilhelm Marx of the Centre: Members of govt. = centre-right.

Between Feb. 1919 + Nov. 1923 = 10 coalition govts.
Infers extreme anti-democratic parties of left + right benefitted most from this undermining of confidence in democratic system.

Conclusion:

Success of democratic parties in Reichstag elections, Jan 1919 - disguised some of the republic’s fundamental problems in its political structure.
Early years of Weimar Republic = instability + political conflict.
Challenges to Republic’s existence; Left, disappointed by what they regarded as betrayal of revolution of November 1918. Right, accused democratic politicians ruling Germany of betrayal of country’s national interests.
Army + judges (whose role it was to uphold rule of law + defend state) weren’t reliable to use power in a fair manner; majority of military officers + civil judges didn’t support democracy.
BUT 1924 Germany’s economy + political system witnessed start of period of growing prosperity + greater stability.
- Partly b/c conservative forces successfully exploited image of left as powerful threat to old attitudes in major national institutions = greatest long-term threat to Republic.