Hindenburg and political stability:
the working of coalition
government.
Connector
• Match the cards up
• Leader/beliefs/names
Outcomes
• All students to know the role of
Hindenberg
• Most students to see how stable the
government was
• Some to see threats to the government
Input
• The stalemate in politics was reinforced by the
new President Hindenberg after Ebert died in
1925
• Elected in April 1926
• This was to have far reaching consequences
due the powers given to the President by the
new Republic
• V Hindenberg- 14.6 million votes
• Marx of Centre party- 13.7 million
• Thalmann KPD- 1.9 million
Hindenberg- The man
• Veteran of Franco Prussian War and World War
1
• He was Conservative and anti socialist
• He could not control the constitution as it was his
duty to protect it, but he could affect how it
operated
• He was seen as the Ersatzkaiser (substitute
emperor)
• He did this by using his presidential powers, as
prescribed by the constituent
Part 2
However
• He had no real sympathy for the republic or its
values
• Many of his supporters were anti-republican
• He preferred to include the DNVP where
possible and exclude the SDP
• He believed that the government should move
towards the right
• This would not have real implications until after
1929
Conclusion
• What implications for the Weimar republic
does the election of von Hidenberg have?
Task
• Research red book p 98
• Write a profile on Hindenberg
Grand Coaltion
• 1926- Hans Luther formed a minority coalition
with the Centre Party / DVP and DNVP, but was
soon dissolved after a vote of no confidence
• William Marx became Chancellor in May 1926,
and a referendum took place on the confiscation
of royal property but failed.
• The government was weak and relied on the
same parties as its predecessors for support,
this time the SPD who withdrew their support
and the coalition collapsed to be replaced by
Luther.
Review
• How stable was the Weimar Republic
under von Hindenberg?