Question

write a brief note on Weimar republic in 400 words

Answer 1

 In 1918, Germany became a democratic republic following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.  A new constitution was drawn up in 1919, at Weimar. In the first four years, the new Weimar Republic struggled to survive; it had to overcome a range of problems, including political weaknesses, political opposition and serious economic problems.

Despite attempts to create a stable and strong democratic Republic in Germany, the Republic did have some political weaknesses.

The new republic was associated with the defeat of Germany in 1918 because it was created as a result of it. This made the republic appear weak.The new republic and the socialist politicians associated with it, were seen as traitors by some German people because they signed the humiliating Treaty of Versailles.  Some politicians, such as Walther Rathenau, were assassinated.Germany was not used to democracy but strong leadership.  Frequent changes in government made the new republic look weak and the Weimar Republic failed to gain widespread support in the early years.

Hope it's help you

Answer 2

A national assembly was convened in Weimar, where a new constitution for the Deutsches Reich was written and adopted on 11 August 1919. In its fourteen years, the Weimar Republic faced numerous problems, including hyperinflation, political extremism (with paramilitaries—both left- and right-wing) as well as contentious relationships with the victors of the First World War. The people of Germany blamed the Weimar Republic rather than their wartime leaders for the country's defeat and for the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Weimar Germany fulfilled most of the requirements of the Treaty of Versailles although it never completely met its disarmament requirements and eventually paid only a small portion of the war reparations (by twice restructuring its debt through the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan).[6] Under the Locarno Treaties, Germany accepted the western borders of the republic, but continued to dispute the eastern borders.

From 1930 onwards President Hindenburgused emergency powers to back Chancellors Heinrich Brüning, Franz von Papen and General Kurt von Schleicher. The Great Depression, exacerbated by Brüning's policy of deflation, led to a surge in unemployment.[7] In 1933, Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor with the Nazi Party being part of a coalition government. The Nazis held two out of the remaining ten cabinet seats. Von Papen as Vice Chancellor was intended to be the "éminence grise" who would keep Hitler under control, using his close personal connection to Hindenburg. Within months, the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act of 1933 had brought about a state of emergency: it wiped out constitutional governance and civil liberties. Hitler's seizure of power (Machtergreifung) was permissive of government by decree without legislative participation. These events brought the republic to an end—as democracy collapsed, the founding of a single-party state began the Nazi era.