Democracy in Germany

Many German’s voted for anti-democratic parties after 1929 due to the effects of the Versailles Treaty, the development and implementation of the German Democratic Constitution, and the growing number of elites opposing the democracy government. The economic instability caused by the depression, and the increasing support for the NAZI party, also had detrimental effects on the democratic government.

The effects of the Versailles Treaty on the German population, was a contributing factor which led to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28 June 1919. The German government and people expected that the treaty would be established and based on the fourteen points written by President Wilson of the United States in January 1918. Yet when the terms were given to the German government, it was clear that the treaty was not a “peace of reconciliation” but one of German punishment. Clause 231, which was one of the many terms within the treaty, condemned Germany for causing the war. The German people rejected this, as they believed that they were fighting a defensive war. The treaty also forced Germany to reduce their army

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Industrialists opposed the government, as they preferred the authoritarian, monarchist form of government. The German city of Danzig was placed under the control of the League of Nations, and because of French fears of another German attack, the Rhineland was to be permanently demilitarised. It has been noted that the German economy was never truly stabilised after the war and what seemed to be a stable economy during the years of “prosperity” was never secure. In 1929 Hitler was invited to join the Harzburg Front, which proved to be very useful as it resulted in publicity. It also left unstable ground for the German Democratic Government to be founded on.

The territorial losses due to the Versailles Treaty, was the most detrimental hardship Germany was forced to face. Some areas in the constitution have been criticised as flawed, which attributed to the fall of the democratic republic. The growing opposition within industry, the civil service, the education system, the judiciary and the army greatly affected the demise of the Democratic government, as they were all tending to look to the right for a more authoritarian system of government.

German support towards anti-democratic parties after 1929 was due to the effects of the Versailles Treaty, the development and implementation of the German Democratic Constitution, and the growing number of elite’s opposing the democracy government. The treaty caused the left wing to splinter into small uncooperative parties, it caused the centre parties feeling betrayed and humiliated, and the fanatical nationalists on the right, feeling violently bitter against those who had any connection with the democratic revolution, the armistice and the treaty.

The development and implementation of the German Democratic Constitution can be said to be one of the causes for the destruction of the Weimar Republic. This economic instability created much discontent among the people, as unemployment became common amongst the people, and starvation and disease then followed. Germany was no longer allowed to have an airforce or own any submarines. The Weimar republic was therefore under threat from the right wing, conservative elites in Germany.

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Approximate Word count = 1866
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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