Hindenberg Flashcards
(15 cards)
Why was there a 1925 March presidential election?
President Ebert died Feb 1925, prompting March 1925 Presidential election
What happened in the second round of the 1925 election?
7 Candidates, 3 main competitors
- Paul von Hindenberg, replaced Jarres as alternative candidate for united right (DVP, DNVP, BVP)-> 48.3%
- Wilhelm Marx, Zentrum, centre left candidate (Z, DDP, SPD)-> 45.3%
- Ernst Thalmann, KPD, far left candidate-> 6.4%
Hindenberg wins and is elected as plurality of votes is required, rather than absolute majority
What happened in the first round of the 1925 election?
First round:
- 17 candidates stood in the first round
- 68.9% turnout
- Karl Jarres, DVP, 39% of vote
- But constitutionally, candidate needs at least 50% of the vote to win, therefore went to second round
Why were Weimar governments unstable due to the parties?
2-5 parties in coalition
- Lack of stability, conflict between the parties
6 Weimar governments between 1924-29, each one a short lived coalition + didn’t have a secure Reichstag majority (sign of unstablity)
- Product of proportional representation electoral system
Why were Weimar governments unstable due to politicians?
Politicians from different parties preferred to stick to principles rather than accept compromises necessary to run an effective government
- No Chancellor was able to hold a government together for more than 2 years
Why did the Weimar government appear stable?
Only appeared stable compared to the turmoil of 1918-23
Why was there public disenchantment
Due to political parties inconsistent attitudes to government.
- Presence of radical right and left in government, so if the moderate parties wanted to get things done they should’ve stuck together. Instead one side would rally the radical parties together against the other moderate side, therefore leading to gridlock
How were sectional parties performing in government representation?
Growth of narrow, sectional parties in government (eventually taken in by the Nazis), but at 1930 peak has 78 deputies
- Only needed 60,000 votes to gain Reichstag representation
Advocacy for narrow interests made it hard for broader compromises to be made for an effective working government
What was the 1928 government known as?
(Muller’s government) Grand Coalition
What economic issues did the Grand Coalition face in 1929?
Wall Street Crash + onset of the Great Depression
What was special about the Muller’s Grand Coalition?
- Last Chancellor who has majority support in Reichstag (till Hitler- not democratic support)
- Last form of Weimar Democracy
What conflict did Muller’s Grand Coalition government have?
Conflict between cutting welfare or increasing/continuing it
Who was Hindenberg?
- 77 years old in 1925
- Veteran for Franco-Prussian war
- Renowned for leadership in WW1
- Strongly conservative
- Nationalist
- Openly disliked democracy
- Anti-Socialist
- Little economic understanding
- Intolerant of cultural ‘modernism’ of Weimar years
- Kaiser substitute? As gave Republic an air of respectability
Helped reconcile some of the Right with the regime?
What was Hindenberg’s approach?
- Accepted he was tied by oath to protect the constitution
- Far more active than Ebert in using his presidential powers-> worked to create coalitions that would exclude the SPD, made it hard for subsequent chancellors to build working and sustainable coalitions
- Hindenberg insisted in inclusion of DNVP in coalitions where possible
- Did not want limitations of his presidential powers-> In 1926 the Ministry of the Interior produced a draft law defining the use of Article 48. Hindenburg blocked this draft from proceeding.
To what extent was Hindenberg facilitating/reflecting the likes of Hitler?
Never did anything undemocratic but was committed to the right and the rise of authoritarian groups
