Failure Of The German Weimar Republic
A noble political experiment attempted at a time of little stability
The Weimar Republic was the government of Germany from the end of World War One until the election of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. It held hope and promise for a new era of democracy and stability. Yet from the start, Weimar was besieged by extremism from both the left and the right, as well as a deep financial crisis.
Early Years
The establishment of the Weimar Republic came during a period of defeat and humiliation for Germany. The imperial monarchy under Kaiser Wilhelm II collapsed in 1918, shortly after defeat by the Allies in the Great War. In the midst of civil unrest, a democratic republic was established in the town of Weimar, by a vote of the National Assembly.
One of the first tasks for the new Republic was to negotiate the terms of surrender with the victorious allies. The terms of the Versailles Treaty were harsh: Germany was obligated to accept responsibility for causing the war. Some German lands and colonies were given away. Large war reparation payments were to be made to the allies. German military power was to be substantially reduced. The country was also banned from joining the newly formed League of Nations.
On the political far right, including sections of the military, the Treaty of Versailles was considered a complete humiliation never to be accepted. The Weimar Republic was seen as a symbol and symptom of this gutless surrender. A few violent coups against the authorities were attempted, including one by Adolph Hitler and the new Nazi party in 1923, but all were put down by the new government.
For the radical left, the new political system was viewed as too capitalist and democratic. Included in the new constitution was the right to private property. They wanted a truly communist regime run by the proletariat put in place. Several communist led revolts broke out, including an attempted revolution in Berlin led by Rosa Luxembourg in 1919. Again, government forces were able to contain these uprisings.
Perhaps the biggest threat to the Weimar Republic was the extreme debt placed on the country by the long war and subsequent reparations owed. Revenue created by German industries, such as coal and iron ore, were channeled to reparations. The government was losing its ability to pay its own debts.
Hyperinflation followed. Prices for most goods and services increased rapidly, leaving the population unable to purchase necessary supplies. The cost of living shot up. In reaction, the Weimar government printed more money, which devalued the German Mark and worsened the problem. A large underground black market economy grew in the vacuum.
Brief Prosperity
With the situation increasingly untenable, the government sought help. A new currency was introduced. With the assistance of the League of Nations, more reasonable reparations payments for Germany were implemented. Germany was also allowed to join the League, opening the way for more international trade.
The mid to late 1920s was a time of general political and economic prosperity for the Weimar Republic. The economy had stabilized and militant political opposition remained on the fringes. Arts and science flourished under successive democratic governments.
With new freedoms, Germans found new and exciting ways to express themselves. This was a time when Albert Einstein and Max Planck were spearheading new scientific discoveries. Martin Heidegger was at the forefront of existential philosophy. New forms of music and painting were produced. Perhaps the most well know aspect of Weimar culture became Cabaret, a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music and political satire. Cabaret was especially despised by fascist loyalists for its perceived political bent and loose morals.
Then in late 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Germany was hit hard. American loans to Germany dried up. International trade collapsed. A new economic crisis ensued. Unemployment quickly skyrocketed and many businesses went bankrupt. The extremist political parties again rose in popularity.
Chaos and Collapse
In 1930, the centrist Catholic Centre Party coalition won the election under chancellor Heinrich Bruning. However, the Communists and the National Socialist Party under Hitler made significant electoral gains. As the economic crisis of the Depression worsened, Bruning temporarily suspended the constitution and ruled by presidential decree. This was an ominous development for the Republic and a blow to the fledgling democratic system.
There were two more national elections in 1932, as governments remained unstable and extremist militias fought each other in the streets. In July, the Nazis garnered over 37% of the total vote, becoming the largest political party in the German National Assembly or Reichstag. The Communists received over 14% voter support. Any new government being formed would need coalition support from one of these parties.
The head of state, President Paul von Hindenburg, who had the power to appoint the next chancellor, passed over Hitler for the role. With no resolution, another election was held in November 1932. The Nazis had slightly less voter support than the earlier election, but still had a strong showing, while the German Communist party increased in popularity. Fearing a potential communist led government, Hindenburg relented and appointed Hitler as chancellor.
Similar to Bruning, Hitler immediately suspended the Weimar constitution and assumed increased powers. A suspicious fire destroyed the Reichstag building in February 1933. Shortly thereafter, the Enabling Act was introduced and forced through by the Nazis, which then allowed the government to issue laws without the consent of parliament. Any remaining political dissent was ruthlessly crushed as the Nazi dictatorship was consolidated. The Weimar experiment had failed.
The Weimar Republic was more than a brief political footnote. Its failure led to the biggest genocide in history. Weimar’s struggles revealed how fragile democracy and freedom is and how important it is to keep fighting for it. After the Second World War, the Federal Republic of West Germany was constantly compared to Weimar and many wondered if it too would fail. Even today, a unified democratic Germany fears a rise in political extremism and sometimes looks back at the Weimar years as a cautionary tale.
