Significance of the new constitution
The new government elected in 1919 had to meet in Weimar due to the serious unrest going
on in Berlin. The SPD had secured the largest share of the vote and had the largest number of
seats. The system of proportional representation, however, meant that the SPD did not have
an overall majority and had to form a coalition with the Catholic Centre Party (BVP) and the
liberal German Democratic Party (DDP). One of the first challenges of the new government
was to create a constitution.
1)
Read the key points of the Weimar Constitution.
1) What do you feel were:
a) the strengths of the constitution?
The constitution aimed to appeal to all major parties in Germany, and it did so quite
successfully. The Weimar Republic, on paper, was an incredibly well-built democratic
system. The constitution ensured universal suffrage for all men and women of age, as well as
secret ballots. The Weimar was also based on a system of proportional representation, which
effectively meant that no one party would ever have total control, but power would be
distributed consistently to all members.
b. the weaknesses of the constitution?
While the system of proportional representation was effective in distributing power, it was
also very widespread. This meant that almost every perspective or interest in Germany had a
share of the power, and this very often lead to many coalition governments which never
lasted long. Another issue was the conflict of power caused by the existence of both the
President and the Reichstag. While the Reichstag was effectively meant to hold democratic
power over the country, Article 48 established emergency protocols which effectively gave
the President totalitarian control over the entire legal system, able to create laws without
reporting to the Reichstag.
c. the aspects of the constitution which would appeal to workers?
The constitution addressed workers directly and established them as equals to their employers
in terms of social status. This implied that workers would have a part to play in the decisionmaking aspect of both the industry and the country as a whole – an idea that appealed quite
wholly to them at the time. The Reichstag also promised comprehensive systems of insurance
as well as other methods to motivate workers to support the constitution.
d. the aspects of the constitution which would appeal to more conservative groups such as
industrialists?
The Weimar Constitution not only appealed to workers, but also managed to appeal to rightwing conservatives as well. The constitution guaranteed freedom of private property unless
through due process, which erased a large portion of right-wing opposition, who feared their
properties and assets would be seized or claimed by the government.
2. What evidence can you find to support Ernst Troeltsch's statement that 'Overnight we
became the most radical democracy in Europe'?
The Weimar constitution is, at its very basis, a democratic one. However, one needs to read
through the lines in order to understand that the constitution provided the President with
emergency decree power to effectively render the rest of the constitution null. Article 48
meant that the President could put into effect laws without turning to the Reichstag, the very
parliament the constitution establishes. Ernst Troeltsch’s use of the word ‘overnight’ is not
quite justified in this case – yes, the constitution was signed on August 11, 1919, and did take
effect immediately after that – but the path that led to this turning point in German history is
long and arduous. The Weimar Republic itself was created as somewhat of a defence
mechanism – a last attempt by Ludendorff and others to soften the blow they knew was
coming from the winning side of the war. Therefore, it is possible to argue that this moment
had been coming for a long time, and that many different factors led to this.
3. What were the potential (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of having proportional
representation as the voting system?
a) The system of proportional representation laid out by the Weimar Constitution insured that
no single party could have total power over the government. Every 60,000 votes a party
gained gave it a seat on the Reichstag. This meant that the bigger the party was, as evidenced
by more people voting on it, the more of a say it had in country affairs. On paper, this means
that Germany would become a completely democratic nation, where all the power lay in the
hands of the people, as their opinions directly affected the nation’s actions.
b) The proportional representation system is not without its faults, however, as it also meant
that many small ideologies or parties had a role. While they wouldn’t majorly affect the
Reichstag, multiple small percentages add up, and portions of the population were effectively
voting for parties that never gained traction. Ultimately, this meant that there was a lack of
central power in Germany, and that two or three factions would be juggling for the majority
vote and vying for control, a system which would never effectively last.
2)
The social and economic responsibilities [in the constitution] turned Weimar governments
into uncritical upholders of the demands of workers and tenants in the eyes of industrialists
and landlords. Many on the Right saw the new regime as a ‘workers’ government’ and
sought to undermine its authority. Furthermore, the political parties which contested the
early elections and formed coalition governments were unused to operating on a national
scale or to working with each other... the right wing parties never gave the new
parliamentary system their wholehearted support, although they were prepared to work
through it to secure their particular interests.’
Culpin and Henig, Modern Europe, Longman, pg 265
1) According to this source, what were the weaknesses of the constitution?
The constitution attempted to appeal to every major party in Germany – but in doing so, it
spread itself too far apart. The Weimar Republic appeared to right-wing industrialists as a
workers’ government, as it promised equality amongst people and economic and social
freedom. However, the right-wing’s ultimate enemy was communism, and landlords and the
like were prepared to do anything in order to avoid their assets or properties being taken away
by an all-for-one socioeconomic system. This resulted in a whole side of the political
spectrum half-heartedly supporting the Weimar government out of a sense of obligation, and
not out of any actual belief in its ideologies. A tower with a weak base will always collapse,
and in this case the Weimar Republic never really had any base to begin with. Unlike the
United States of America and France, Germany never fought or killed to achieve democracy,
nor did it seek it out of a need for its own independence. The Weimar Republic was formed
as a last attempt by Ludendorff and other German elite to alleviate the punishing reparations
they knew were about to be forced upon them, and to perhaps avoid Russia’s fate as it had
been the target of harsh sanctions not long before.
The continuity of Traditional institutions
The need for stability in the new constitution meant that they failed to reform the old
traditional institutions of Imperial Germany; thus, conservative forces were able to exert
much influence.
The civil service:
This was left in the hands of those who tended to conform to the anti-Democratic,
conservative values of Imperial Germany. These civil servants had a lot of power in the
government, especially when ministers in coalition governments were frequently changing.
The judiciary:
This was made up of judges who had held positions under the Kaiser. Article 54 of the
constitution guaranteed the independence of the judges, but these men were conservative in
nature and anti-Democratic in their views. In their verdicts against those who threatened the
constitution in the years after 1919, they handed out severe sentences to left wing agitators,
and acted leniently to those on the right.
The army:
As with the judiciary, the officer corps was made up of those who had trained under the
Kaiser. Many of the generals were linked with the Prussian landowners and their sympathies
were anti-Republican. It continued to have great status and influence in the new Republic.
Nevertheless, it is also important to note that the democratic constitution was supported by
many Germans who saw it as a great improvement on the undemocratic constitution that had
existed before World War One. It was perhaps the conditions in which it was created that
would undermine its credibility and ensure that it faced an uphill battle in trying to establish
its political legitimacy. As Ruth Henig writes: 'There could not have been a worse time for
the inauguration of a new democratic republic’. (the Weimar Republic, pg. 15)