Describe the problems faced by Weimar Republic
Answers
The Weimar Republic faced violent uprisings from various groups, not to mention devastating economicproblems. Germany between 1918 and 1919 was in chaos. People were starving, the Kaiser had fled and people hated the government for signing the armistice in November 1918 - they called them the November criminals.
1. The Weimar constitution had Inherent drawbacks making the Weimar Republic fragile.
~One was proportional representation which made it difficult for any party to get a majority leading to coalition governments.
~Article 48, which gave the President the power to rule by decree, suspend civil rights and to impose an emergency.
People lost confidence in a democratic parliamentary system.
2. The Weimar Republic was not received well by the people because of the terms it was forced to accept at Versailles at the end of the First World War. It was a harsh and humiliating treaty that Germany had to accept with the Allies. Many people held the Weimar Republic responsible for the defeat in the war and for accepting the terms of the Treaty of Versailles,
3. In 1923 Germany refused to pay reparation payments and the French occupied its leading industrial area, the Ruhr, to claim their coal. Germany offered passive resistance and printed paper currency. With too much paper currency in circulation, the value of the German mark fell. The situation is called hyperinflation.
4. The Weimar Republic had to face another economic crisis. The USA Withdrew her support when Wall Street Exchange crashed in 1929. German economy was the worst hit by the economic crisis. Workers lost their jobs or were paid reduced wages. The number of unemployed reached 6 million. The economic crisis created a feeling of fear among the people.