Collapse of German Democracy in the 19th Century

The financing of unemployment relief caused bitter wrangling amongst the parties, thus the depression wedged the parties apart, and revealed the ineffective nature of what the parliamentary system consisted. “The depression created a situation in which the parliamentary system broke down, opening way to presidential government by decree” (W.M.Simon). The shift towards radical anti-republican parties became more prominent the lack of charismic leaders lead to the decline of support to the political system, having a significant impact towards the later collapse of the German republic in 1933.

The fragile Republic had survived all of its ups and downs of the 1919-1923 period. Attempts to overthrow had failed, hyperinflation overcome by introduction of a new currency, and modifications of reparations payments were made. A major contributing factor to the survival of all the pressures and threats towards the democracy’s existence was the sufficient amount of support, which was later lacked, making a further contribution to the collapse of the democracy in 1933.

It was the role of such as the conservatives/elites, retained in key positions of power due to the lack of changes made to the constitution, who’s anti-republican views influenced political decisions, and the social attitudes in the acceptance of the Weimar republic. The army itself was a key influence to and essential for the survival of the republic.

The army’s strong anti-republican lead by General Von Schliecher lead to the manipulated political scene of 1930-1933, and became largely responsible for conditions which enabled Hitler to come to power. The importance of the army is demonstrated with the “Ebert Groener deal” of 1918, in an attempt to save the republic, it was up until 1929 when Goener withdrew his support from the Muller SPD government, forcing their resignation. The army were a strong force, without their support the democracy was more susceptible to failure. The right wing Kapp putsch movement illustrates this reliance of the army within the republic and the relationship with Friekrops, “reichswehr does not fight reichswehr”.

The early instability of the Weimar relied on the army to hold back violent attacks against the republic, during the spartcist revolt of 1918; it was the army that ensured their defeat and the survival of the republic. In the later years of 1923 during the Munich Putsch it was the reichswehr unitsthat fired upon Hitler and his extremist party.

It was the lenient sentences that the unchanged judiciary had put in place towards right-winged Convicties, industrialists, Junkers etc. as historian A.J.Nicholls stated, “ majority of the judges had been appointed by imperial authorities before the November revolution”, it was because of this that their hostility to the republic influenced their decisions, which severely weakened democracy and contributed to the failure of the German democracy in 1933.

As the Weimar republic became weaker and the appeal of Hitler and Nazism became greater. Hitler’s new approach and the reconstruction after the “period of prosperity”, of the nazi party’s 25-point programme, lead to a greater popularity. Propaganda in 1928 became extremely effective, by exploiting the Weimar and the ’stab in the back’ legend. As expressed by Hitler, ” in every really world shaking movement, propaganda will first have to spread the idea” (Mein Kampf, p.531).

Nazi Ideologies gained the interest of right-winged groups, such as the army and industrialists, by promises of economic change encouraged middle classes to follow, the preservation of the rural community, “blut and boden” (blood and soil) soon followed gaining a wider support of the rural Germany. Hitler using his support of hugenburg and his status with 700 newspapers to promote himself. It was not however purely the nazi policies which these groups were drawn to, it was the growing hostility towards the democracy and the fear of growing communism which turned heads towards Fascism.

Hitler, being underestimated by conservatives was lead into parliament as chancellor in 1933, and soon, using the Weimar legislation he so boldly criticised, to gain further power and turn the German democracy into what can be argued as a totalitarian state controlled by Hitler and his nazi party. However it must be known that Hitler and his Nazi party was a beneficiary of the republic collapse rather than a catalyst.

As stated by S.J.Lee, “The collapse of the Weimar Republic was not due solely to the assault by Hitler and his Nazi party”, the republic had already proved highly vulnerable due to a multiplicity of anti-democratic, social, political and economical factors. It was the collaboration of these forces, which lead to the collapse of the German parliamentary democratic system in 1933.