Question

Give reasons why the Weimar republic failed to solve the problems of Germany

Answer 1

Some historians believe the Weimar Republic was brought undone by post-war conditions; others believe that longer term factors, such as Germany's inexperience with democratic government, were just as significant. This page summarises some of the main factors that contributed to the failure and fall of the Weimar state

Answer 2

Some reasons how Weimer Republic failed to solve the problem of Germany are given below --

Explanation :

The birth of the Weimer Republic coincided with the uprising of the Spartacus League on the pattern of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The democrats, socialists and Catholics opposed it. They met in Weimer to give shape to a democratic republic. The republic was not received well by its own people largely because of the terms it was forced to accept after Germany's defeat in the First World War.

Many Germans held the Weimer Republic responsible for not only the defeat of Germany in the war, but the disgrace at Versailles. This republic was crippled by being forced to pay compensation. Soon after the economic crisis hit Germany in 1923, the value of the German Mark fell considerably. The Weimer Republic had to face hyperinflation. Then came the Wall Street Exchange crash.

Politically, too, the Weimer Republic was fragile. The Weimer constitution had some inherent defects, which made it unstable and vulnerable to dictatorship. One was proportional representation. This made achieving a majority by any one party a near impossible task, leading to rule by coalitions.

Another defect was Article 48, which gave the president the powers to impose emergency and suspend civil rights and rule by decree. Within its short life, the Weimer Republic saw twenty different cabinets lasting an average 239 days and a liberal use of Article 48. Yet, the crisis could not be managed. People lost confidence in the democratic parliamentary system, which seemed to offer no solution.