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Collapse of the Weimar Republic in Germany
Summary: The collapse of the Weimar Republic and democratic government in Germany occurred for a variety of reasons. The German people did not want a democratic government, particularly one that they blamed for the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles that were forced upon them. The Weimar constitution allowed for misuse of power and for smaller, extremist, and anti-democratic parties to disrupt the work of the Reichstag. Perhaps most importantly, the Great Depression divided the German people, led them to support more extremist groups who promised a better life, and enabled Hitler to take power.
The fall of the Weimar Republic and democratic government in Germany occurred for a variety of reasons. Historians like Kurt Sontheimer have blamed the people of Germany for not wanting a democratic government while others argue that the republic's constitution and the people in power are to blame for the fall of the Republic. All historians, however, admit that the Great Depression of 1929 and the collapse of the German economy was a dominant factor that helped divide Germany and allowed for Hitler to take power from the ineffective Reichstag, thus making democracy unsuccessful.
The people of Germany did not want a democratic socialist republican government. Historian Kurt Sontheimer argues, "How can a democracy exist without democrats"" The German nation suffered terribly by the harsh terms of what they called a "diktat", the Treaty of Versailles. In it they were forced to claim full responsibility for the First World...
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This section contains 1,774 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) |
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