German Reichstag and the Weimar Republic: A Historical Analysis
The Reichstag in Imperial Germany
Furthermore, the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) was, at least nominally, the representative body of the German nation, elected by direct universal male suffrage (over 25s) throughout. Despite this representativeness, it could not hold the Imperial Chancellor liable, as the Emperor exclusively named the latter (who used to be named Chancellor of Prussia). The Reichstag’s work focused on legislation and budget approval, sharing that capability with the Bundesrat. The electoral system used an absolute majority system, requiring a runoff if no candidate reached a majority in the first round. This benefited the conservative parties allied to halt the move to socialism. The ratio between votes and seats was not proportional.
The Bundesrat, with the Emperor’s leave, could dissolve the Reichstag. As you can see, one cannot talk of a German parliamentary political system, though it was presented as such at the time, as no one could talk of a collegial government accountable to a parliament.
The Weimar Republic (1918-1933)
The proclamation of the Weimar Republic (1919) was preceded by a tumultuous social situation motivated by:
- Military defeat in the First World War, which brought with it the problems of demobilization, the pursuit of food, and separatist tensions.
- Aggravation of social problems, with the introduction on the political agenda of revolutionary change facilitated by the triumph in Russia of the Bolshevik revolution.
- An outdated model articulated by the Constitution of 1871.
- The collapse of an exhausted monarchy due to its own mistakes.
It was the intent of those responsible for the Navy to make a final suicidal journey to face the English at the mouth of the Thames while negotiations for capitulation were underway with President Wilson. This led to the October 1918 uprising of sailors, who gradually raised red flags on the decks of boats and German docks. It was the beginning of a revolution that quickly spread to major German cities. This set of problems caused the dissatisfaction of forces on the left.
These social upheavals were, in turn, the stage for one of the most important artistic explosions in Germany, involving the Weimar period, among others, the names of Bertold Brecht, Kurt Weil, George Grosz, Fritz Lang, Walter Gropius, and the Bauhaus movement. On November 9, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated in favor of Prince Max von Baden and fled to Holland. In the power vacuum created, a provisional government composed of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and a split from the same training, the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD), proclaimed the German Republic as a way to curb the most leftists. Before this announcement, Karl Liebknecht, of the Spartacus League (germ of the future German Communist Party), proclaimed the Socialist Free Republic.
In early January, a month after the German Communist Party was created, a popular uprising started in Berlin, which later spread to other cities, demanding a republic of councils (on the model of the Soviets). On January 19, 1919, constituent elections were convened. The SPD remained the strongest party in the House but did not reach a majority, even allying with the USPD. In February, the Weimar coalition was created between the SPD, the Catholic Center (Zentrum), and the German Democratic Party, making a comfortable majority among all. A swift call for elections to a Constituent Assembly had as one of its aims to stop the revolutionary impulses. The distrust of the social democrats towards the spontaneity of the masses was a key element of its analysis, finally opting for the alliance with political forces linked to the past, which further radicalized workers and placed in power individuals and groups all committed to democratic forms. The uprising was harshly repressed, with the help of volunteers linked to the right. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, the highest representatives of the Spartacus League, were brutally killed by army officers on the day of elections. The collusion of the newly formed republic with the most conservative sectors linked to the former regime led to the progressive radicalization of segments of the left of the SPD, who saw in the Republic a political organization of the bourgeoisie.