The Weimar Republic was a democratic government in Germany from 1919 to 1933, but faced challenges from extremists and financial instability. Hitler took control in 1933, ending the republic and turning it into a dictatorship. Germans supported Hitler due to his promises to end chaos, but later regretted their choice.
People use the term “Weimar Republic” to refer to a period in German history between 1919 and 1933, when the government was a democratic republic governed by a constitution established in the German city of Weimar. Technically, the Weimar Constitution lasted until 1945, when the German government was formally dissolved in the wake of World War II, but most people date the end of the Weimar Republic to 1933, when Adolf Hitler took control, and the constitution it effectively became meaningless under his Third Reich.
According to the Weimar Constitution, Germany was divided into 19 states. All citizens had the right to vote, electing members of the Reichstag or the German Parliament together with the President. The president, in turn, has appointed a chancellor and an assortment of cabinet members. As many historians have noted, on paper the Weimar Constitution was a brilliant document and Germany under the Weimar Republic was a true democracy.
However, even from the beginning, the Weimar Republic was deeply disturbed. When the constitution was first established, many Germans were highly suspicious of the new government, and extremists on the left and right rejected the republic’s authority, undermining its effectiveness. While the government was theoretically a coalition made up of numerous political parties, it was beleaguered on all sides, making it difficult to assert authority.
In addition to being in political trouble from the start, the Weimar Republic also faced serious financial challenges. Inflation in Germany skyrocketed in the early 1920s but was eventually stabilized at great cost. This was followed by an economic boom known as the “Golden Twenties” which ended when the Great Depression hit in 1929. The combination of the recession and an economic policy of severe austerity to pay for World War I reparations led to the deflation and spiraling unemployment and, at one point, six million Germans were unemployed. Citizens grew increasingly restless and angry, and Adolf Hitler took advantage of this once he was sworn in as Chancellor on January 30, 1933. Less than a month later, the Reichstag building was gutted by a fire of mysterious origin and Hitler effectively took control , suppress opposition political parties under the leadership of public security and turn the republic into a dictatorship.
When learning of Hitler’s rise to power and the events that followed, many people express astonishment that the German people allowed Hitler to effectively destroy the Weimar Republic and take control of Germany. However, Hitler’s rise must be seen in context. He promised the German people that he would end inflation, unemployment and political violence, while also notably stating that what Germany needed was a dictatorship, and many Germans heeded these promises when they rallied for vote for him. For a people grappling with the economic, social and political chaos under the Weimar Republic, Adolf Hitler seemed to have much to offer, and while many Germans later regretted their support for Hitler, they also pointed out that they felt they had little choice .
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