The Failure of the Weimar Republic

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The Failure of the Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic survived to years of greater internal peace from

the mid-1920s, when the political problems were covered, until

exposure by the economic and political crises of 1929, Hitler’s

appointment as German Chancellor in 1933 was more or less the most

important event of the 20th century. The most direct causes for the

collapse of the first German democracy must be sought in the years

between the end of World War I and the establishment of the Third

Reich.

The parliamentary democracy which was established in Germany in

1918-19 was the consequence of defeat and revolution and not the

deliberate choice of a majority of the population. They hoped that the

removal of the Kaiser and the adoption of parliamentary democracy

would make the Allies grant Germany a merciful peace. When the terms

of the Versailles Treaty became public in May 1919 and who had

supported democracy turned against it. Others, mostly the middle

classes, had never wanted democracy and deeply disliked the overthrow

of the monarchy. They convinced themselves that the German army had

never been defeated on the battlefield. Democracy and the Weimar

Republic were never universally accepted and were not quite

legitimate.

Weimar’s failure was, however, not inevitable, for the republic

survived a period of severe political and economic crisis in its early

years. The first threat came from the left, disappointed with the

results of the revolution. They wanted a transformation of society, as

in Russia, based on the workers’ and soldiers’ councils which had

spontaneously sprung up during the German revolution. Such a ...

... middle of paper ...

...er have been in the running. Even then it was not inevitable

that he should become Chancellor.

Hitler lost no time in a founding a harsh totalitarian state known as

the third Reich which he imposed within a month of his appointment.

The results were the destruction of a modern civilized society that

turned crisis into catastrophe, bringing the democracy of the Weimar

Republic to its end. Perhaps the most important factor was the

economic crises which occurred in 1923 and again in 1929. Moreover,

several political and social issues arose with the creation of the

Republic, one of which was the influence of Imperial Germany. The

Republic failed to resolve these issues and these issues created the

context that made the failure of the Weimar Republic and the rise of a

dictatorial leader to power, such as Hitler, possible.

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