In January 1919, the Social Democrats won the elections and held their first meeting as a new government in the town of Weimar. The first job of the new government was to write a new constitution for the German state.

The Weimar Constitution:

Everyone over the age of 20 could vote
People voted for MPs who would sit in the Reichstag
The Reichstag would suggest and vote on new laws
The Chancellor would be the head of the Reichstag; new one voted for every 4 years
President - choose the Chancellor and control the army; voted in every 7 years
Each German state would have its own local government
Voting would follow proportional representation (parties get the number of seats proportional to the number of votes in an election)
Article 48 gave the President powers to make emergency legislation without having to consult the Reichstag

Strengths of the Constitution:

Fair in terms of the voting process
Allowed freedom of speech
Local issues would be addressed by state governments
Chancellor and President provided a balance of power
Poor performing Chancellor or President would only be around for a short while

Weaknesses of the Constitution:

Proportional representation meant there was many parties in the Reichstag and they rarely agreed with each other
Article 48, in theory, could be abused by the President
State governments could pass laws contrary to the wants of the Reichstag

	Erstellt von Andrew Burke vor fast 7 Jahre

Our history study series on German 1918 to 1939 begins with a study note that looks at the events in the aftermath of WW1. Learn more about the Spartacist Revolution, the Weimar Constitution, the Treaty of Versailles and the Invasion of the Ruhr.