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Political challenges in the Weimar Republic
Political challenges in the Weimar Republic
Political challenges in the Weimar Republic
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Recommended: Political challenges in the Weimar Republic
Politics and Economics in the Weimar Republic
Statement:
Was a firm political and economic foundation established for the long
term survival of democracy or whether the events justify the view that
the Weimar was a ’republic without republicans’.
After 1923 politics became more peaceful. There were no attempted
coups from right or left between 1924 and 1929 and also there were no
assassinations of major political figures. Extremist parties though
was still on the streets, there was frequent fights between the SA and
the red fighting league, over 50 people were killed. Elections also
gave support to the Republic, as the economic situation stabilised in
1924, so Germans switched back to voting for the main democratic
parties.
But the sense of stability was reduced by the fact that there was six
Weimar governments between 1924 and 1929, each one a short lived
coalition and most didn’t have a secure majority in the Reichstag and
no chancellor was able to hold a government together for more than two
years.
Another cause of public displeasure with politicians was the voting
system, Voters, in 35 electoral regions, voted for a party list rather
than individual politicians. It was therefore the party machine that
decided who actually became a Reichstag deputy, on the basis of the
number of votes the party list had won. The voters didn’t choose their
deputy. The prospects for a stable government were further reduced
during this period of growth of sectional interest parties which
gained a total of 78 deputies at their peak in 1930. Sectional groups
were encouraged by the proportional representation system cos only 60k
votes were needed to get a representation in the Reichstag. Their
support for narrow interests reduced the chances of the broader
compromises required for successful democratic government.
Weimar lacked a leader to deepen people’s support, it was served by
able politicians like Streseman but no body built up a dynamic support
for the government. That was a big thing it was missing cos people
looked up to charismatic and inspiring people.