Germany Independent Study Term 1
Topic: Establishment of Weimar Democracy
Definitions
Article 48 - Gave the Weimar president the power to rule by decree in an emergency.
Autocracy - A system where one person (usually a hereditary sovereign) has absolute rule.
Coalition Government - Usually formed when a party does not have an overall majority in
parliament; it then combines with more parties and shares government positions.
Diktat - A dictated peace. The Germans felt that the treaty of Versailles was imposed without
negotiation.
First past the post - An electoral system that simply requires the winner to gain one vote
more than than the second placed candidate. In a national election it tends to give the most
successful party disproportionately more seats then its total vote merits.
Fulfillment - The policy of conforming to the terms of the Versailles Treaty, while aiming for
moderate revision of the terms. It was initiated by Joseph Wirth in 1921-1922 and later
pursued by Stresemann.
Imperial Germany - Germany from its unification in 1871 until 1918. Also referred to as the
Second Reich.
Junkers - The landowning aristocracy, especially from Eastern Germany.
Kaiser - Emperor. The last Kaiser of Germany was Wilhelm II.
Nationalism - In general, the belief in and support for a national identity. The spirit of German
nationalism helped to unify the German states in the nineteenth century. But many
nationalists wanted to create a Greater Germany for all German speakers.
November criminals - Those who signed the November Armistice and a term of abuse to
vilify all those who supported the democratic regime.
Paris Peace Settlement - The meeting by the allies in 1919-1920 which resulted in five
peace treaties with the defeated enemies and the creation of the league of nations. The
Versailles Treaty was signed with Germany on 28th June 1919.
Proportional representation - A system that allocates parliamentary seats in proportion to the
total number of votes.
Reichstag - The German parliament. Although created in 1871, it had limited powers until the
October reform of 1918.
Revolution from below - The radical elements in the party that wanted to direct the Nazi
revolution from a more local level rather than from the leadership in Berlin.
, Revolution from above - The creation of a democracy by Germany in light of the abdication
of the Kaiser after the defeat in WW1.
Stab in the back myth - The distorted view that the army had not really lost the First World
War and that unpatriotic groups such as socialists and Jews had undermined it. The myth
severely weakened the Weimar democracy from the start.
Totalitarian - A system of government in which all power is centralised and does not allow
any rival authorities.
Weimar republic - Took its name from the first meeting of the National Assembly in Weimar,
which was moved from Berlin because of many disturbances. Weimar was chosen because
it was a town with great historical and cultural tradition.
Weltpolitik - ‘World Policy.’ The imperial policy of Kaiser Wilhelm II to make Germany a great
power by overseas expansion.
Comprehension
1. In fact, Wilhelm’s abdication was announced on November 9, 1918, before he had
actually consented to it. He agreed to leave when the leaders of the army told him he had
lost their support as well. On November 10, the former emperor took a train across the
border into the Netherlands, which had remained neutral throughout the war. He eventually
bought a manor house in the town of Doorn, and remained there for the remainder of his life.
2. The Kaiser was the ultimate decision maker in Germany, and any policy could not be
implemented without his approval. The ministers of the Reich were only answerable to the
Kaiser and not the German Parliament called the Reichstag. This meant that ministers and
the Kaiser could create policy and laws completely independently of the Reichstag.
The Reichstag, was the parliamentary body in Germany made up of elected members who
could discuss and vote on new legislation. They also had the power to amend legislation too,
but if the Kaiser didn’t agree it didn’t happen. Germany had a number of political parties on
both the left and right. To pass laws, the right-wing parties often grouped together and
agreed on the laws. The fact that the Kaiser had ultimate decision making power meant that
the Reichstag was often powerless to act in some cases
3. Article 48 meant that the weimar president could pass laws by decree in an emergency
without the need to consult the Reichstag. This is prominent as it could be abused by a
president to create a dictatorship under a ‘crisis’. Another problem is that the Weimar
constitution did not define a crisis thus leaving it open to abuse. Proportional representation
meant that even niche parties were given a platform to be popular as proportional
representation is where a party gained seats in comparison to votes earnt.
Although some may argue that it led to a fair political system it meant that radical anti
democracy parties gained further popularity. Also, Act 22 was very important as it showed
how democratic the electoral system was with universal suffrage by all men and women over
twenty years of age. This system was arguably more democratic then the other major
European countries such as France and Britain.
4.The Reichstag, elected for a four-year term, was the central legislative body under the
Constitution of the Weimar Republic. Its main functions were legislation, including approval
Topic: Establishment of Weimar Democracy
Definitions
Article 48 - Gave the Weimar president the power to rule by decree in an emergency.
Autocracy - A system where one person (usually a hereditary sovereign) has absolute rule.
Coalition Government - Usually formed when a party does not have an overall majority in
parliament; it then combines with more parties and shares government positions.
Diktat - A dictated peace. The Germans felt that the treaty of Versailles was imposed without
negotiation.
First past the post - An electoral system that simply requires the winner to gain one vote
more than than the second placed candidate. In a national election it tends to give the most
successful party disproportionately more seats then its total vote merits.
Fulfillment - The policy of conforming to the terms of the Versailles Treaty, while aiming for
moderate revision of the terms. It was initiated by Joseph Wirth in 1921-1922 and later
pursued by Stresemann.
Imperial Germany - Germany from its unification in 1871 until 1918. Also referred to as the
Second Reich.
Junkers - The landowning aristocracy, especially from Eastern Germany.
Kaiser - Emperor. The last Kaiser of Germany was Wilhelm II.
Nationalism - In general, the belief in and support for a national identity. The spirit of German
nationalism helped to unify the German states in the nineteenth century. But many
nationalists wanted to create a Greater Germany for all German speakers.
November criminals - Those who signed the November Armistice and a term of abuse to
vilify all those who supported the democratic regime.
Paris Peace Settlement - The meeting by the allies in 1919-1920 which resulted in five
peace treaties with the defeated enemies and the creation of the league of nations. The
Versailles Treaty was signed with Germany on 28th June 1919.
Proportional representation - A system that allocates parliamentary seats in proportion to the
total number of votes.
Reichstag - The German parliament. Although created in 1871, it had limited powers until the
October reform of 1918.
Revolution from below - The radical elements in the party that wanted to direct the Nazi
revolution from a more local level rather than from the leadership in Berlin.
, Revolution from above - The creation of a democracy by Germany in light of the abdication
of the Kaiser after the defeat in WW1.
Stab in the back myth - The distorted view that the army had not really lost the First World
War and that unpatriotic groups such as socialists and Jews had undermined it. The myth
severely weakened the Weimar democracy from the start.
Totalitarian - A system of government in which all power is centralised and does not allow
any rival authorities.
Weimar republic - Took its name from the first meeting of the National Assembly in Weimar,
which was moved from Berlin because of many disturbances. Weimar was chosen because
it was a town with great historical and cultural tradition.
Weltpolitik - ‘World Policy.’ The imperial policy of Kaiser Wilhelm II to make Germany a great
power by overseas expansion.
Comprehension
1. In fact, Wilhelm’s abdication was announced on November 9, 1918, before he had
actually consented to it. He agreed to leave when the leaders of the army told him he had
lost their support as well. On November 10, the former emperor took a train across the
border into the Netherlands, which had remained neutral throughout the war. He eventually
bought a manor house in the town of Doorn, and remained there for the remainder of his life.
2. The Kaiser was the ultimate decision maker in Germany, and any policy could not be
implemented without his approval. The ministers of the Reich were only answerable to the
Kaiser and not the German Parliament called the Reichstag. This meant that ministers and
the Kaiser could create policy and laws completely independently of the Reichstag.
The Reichstag, was the parliamentary body in Germany made up of elected members who
could discuss and vote on new legislation. They also had the power to amend legislation too,
but if the Kaiser didn’t agree it didn’t happen. Germany had a number of political parties on
both the left and right. To pass laws, the right-wing parties often grouped together and
agreed on the laws. The fact that the Kaiser had ultimate decision making power meant that
the Reichstag was often powerless to act in some cases
3. Article 48 meant that the weimar president could pass laws by decree in an emergency
without the need to consult the Reichstag. This is prominent as it could be abused by a
president to create a dictatorship under a ‘crisis’. Another problem is that the Weimar
constitution did not define a crisis thus leaving it open to abuse. Proportional representation
meant that even niche parties were given a platform to be popular as proportional
representation is where a party gained seats in comparison to votes earnt.
Although some may argue that it led to a fair political system it meant that radical anti
democracy parties gained further popularity. Also, Act 22 was very important as it showed
how democratic the electoral system was with universal suffrage by all men and women over
twenty years of age. This system was arguably more democratic then the other major
European countries such as France and Britain.
4.The Reichstag, elected for a four-year term, was the central legislative body under the
Constitution of the Weimar Republic. Its main functions were legislation, including approval
