100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
‘The Weimar constitution was not democratic nor did it provide the basis for a stable government’. Assess the validity of this view. $7.11
Add to cart

Exam (elaborations)

‘The Weimar constitution was not democratic nor did it provide the basis for a stable government’. Assess the validity of this view.

 164 views  0 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution

‘The Weimar constitution was not democratic nor did it provide the basis for a stable government’. Assess the validity of this view.

Preview 1 out of 2  pages

  • December 14, 2022
  • 2
  • 2022/2023
  • Exam (elaborations)
  • Questions & answers
avatar-seller
‘The Weimar constitution was not democratic nor did it provide the basis for a stable
government’. Assess the validity of this view.

In December 1918, elections were held for a National Assembly tasked with creating
a new parliamentary constitution. On February 6, 1919, the National Assembly met in
the town of Weimar and formed the Weimar Coalition. They were tasked with
creating a new and stable government, in order to create peace amongst a country
with people that believed that they had lost the war due to the government of Prince
Max Baden and not the faults of soldiers and generals. Those involved with the
armistice were given the title ‘November Criminals’ and now the new weimar
government had to try and bring the country into stability via a new constitution that
would please all, amongst the discontent created by the signing of the Treaty Of
Versailles and the abdication of the Kaiser.

Firstly, the new constitution was a clear break from Germany’s autocratic past. It was
considered to be more democratic then Britain or France with Article 22 of the new
constitution which allowed for universal suffrage by all men and women above the
age of 20. Also, the new democracy used a system of proportional representation
which enabled smaller,niche parties to win seats in the Reichstag and influence the
decisions made by the government. Thus showing a very democratic government
which allowed for participation of parties from all sides of the political spectrum. This
differed from the previous governments which banned parties such as the SPD ban
under the command from Bismarck. As D.Peukert said ‘It brought different groups
into the new order,’ further showing that in terms of suffrage and constitutional
aspects the Weimar government was very democractic. However this didn’t provide
the basis for a stable government. The proportional representation had clear
consequences, one of which was the proliferation of small parties. This allowed
smaller parties with anti-republican sentiments to get large amounts of publicity. Also
these smaller parties meant that none of the larger parties could form a majority in
the Reichstag, thus leaving the parties dependent upon a coalition. These coalitions
were inevitable to fail as parties possessed different agendas and perhaps this is
why many coalition governments were short lived. As Hans Von Seekt said
‘Everything depends on making the government strong and keeping it strong.’ From
this perspective it is clear to see why the proliferation of smaller parties and
proportional representation made the Weimar government unstable in the eyes of a
soldier too.

Another prominent article is number 48 which gives the president power to pass laws
without needing to consent to the Reichstag. This is very useful as the president can
act quickly in order to correct a problem or issue effectively. However the president
can only do this in times of crisis. The problem this creates for democracy is that the
president can make a drastic change that is not wanted or representative of what the
people want. As a result of this democracy can be questioned under article 48 as

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AMstudyhelp. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $7.11. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

52510 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
$7.11
  • (0)
Add to cart
Added