Jonah Patel
The Weimar Constitution was drafted in 1919 to establish a federal semi-presidential republic in Germany. It was divided into two parts, comprising 181 articles in total. The constitution's key features included a two-house parliamentary system, proportional representation, the protection of individual rights and liberties, and the establishment of a justice system. It also granted the president extensive powers, including the ability to use armed force and suspend civil rights in emergency situations. While the Weimar Constitution was hailed as one of the most modern and democratic constitutions of its time, it also contained flaws and contradictions that contributed to the rise of Hitler and the eventual downfall of the Weimar Republic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of parts | 2 |
| Number of sections | 12 |
| Number of articles | 181 |
| Nature of the state | Federal semi-presidential republic |
| Nature of the government | Representative democracy |
| Nature of the voting system | Proportional representation |
| Nature of the parliament | Bicameral |
| Lower house | Reichstag |
| Upper house | Reichsrat |
| Eligibility for voting | Universal suffrage for men and women over 20 |
| Powers of the president | Extensive emergency powers, including use of armed force and suspension of civil rights; power to appoint and remove the chancellor |
| Powers of the chancellor | Responsible to the Reichstag |
| Rights guaranteed | Freedom of speech, habeas corpus, freedom of religion |
| Jurisdiction of the Reich government | Foreign relations, colonial affairs, defence, taxation and customs, merchant shipping and waterways, railroads, etc. |
| Judiciary | Judicial independence; prohibition on extraordinary courts; establishment of the Supreme Judicial Court and administrative courts |
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What You'll Learn
- The Weimar Constitution established a republic with a federal semi-presidential structure
- It created a two-house parliamentary system
- It was drafted by Hugo Preuss and modelled on the US political system
- It included significant civic rights, such as freedom of speech and habeas corpus
- It gave the president extensive powers, including the ability to use armed force
The Weimar Constitution established a republic with a federal semi-presidential structure
The Weimar Constitution established a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament. The parliament was bicameral, consisting of a lower house, the Reichstag, and an upper house, the Reichsrat. The Reichstag was elected by universal suffrage using proportional representation, with representation for every party receiving 60,000 votes. This proportional representation system was a centrepiece of the Weimar democratic system, ensuring that citizens' views were represented by multiple parties rather than just one ruling monarch.
The Reichsrat, on the other hand, was an appointed body, representing the interests of the federal states. The Reichstag and state Landtags shared law-making power, except in areas such as foreign relations, defence, currency, and some others, where the national government had exclusive jurisdiction.
The Weimar Constitution also provided for a popularly elected president with significant powers. The president had supreme command over the military and extensive emergency powers, including the ability to use armed force and suspend civil rights to restore law and order under Article 48. The president could also appoint and remove the chancellor, who was responsible to the Reichstag.
The Weimar Constitution included a range of civic rights, such as freedom of speech, habeas corpus, and freedom of religion, without permitting the establishment of a state church. It also extended voting rights to all men and women over the age of 20 in 1919, contributing to the expansion of women's rights during this period.
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It created a two-house parliamentary system
The Weimar Constitution, drafted in 1919, created a federal semi-presidential republic with a two-house parliamentary system. This system was designed to be democratic, with the lower house, the Reichstag, elected by universal suffrage using proportional representation. The Reichstag consisted of different parties, voted for by the public, with the number of seats in the chamber corresponding to the number of votes received.
The upper house, the Reichsrat, was appointed by the governments of the federal states, the Länder, and represented the interests of the seventeen German states. The Weimar Constitution recognised these states and allowed for their continuation, with law-making power shared between the federal Reichstag and state Landtags.
The Reichstag was empowered to introduce and vote on bills, with the provision that if a bill was voted down, a national referendum would be held to allow the electorate to pass the bill into law against the wishes of the Reichstag. This was intended to ensure that the government would never be allowed to ignore the wishes of the voters.
The Weimar Constitution also provided for a popularly elected president, who was given considerable power over foreign policy and the armed forces, as well as extensive emergency powers. The president could appoint and remove the chancellor, whose government required the confidence of the Reichstag.
The two-house parliamentary system established by the Weimar Constitution was intended to create a democratic federal republic, with strong executive powers for dealing with emergencies. However, the system was flawed, with the proportional representation leading to political fragmentation and the extensive powers granted to the president being open to abuse, as seen with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
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It was drafted by Hugo Preuss and modelled on the US political system
The Weimar Constitution was drafted by Hugo Preuss, a little-known lawyer who was appointed minister for the interior in Scheidemann's cabinet. Preuss suggested a political system modelled on that of the United States. The US political system was federalist, democratic, and liberal, and Preuss aimed to emulate these characteristics in the Weimar Constitution.
Firstly, the Weimar Constitution was federalist in nature. It recognised the seventeen German states and allowed for their continuation. The national government, however, held exclusive power in areas such as foreign relations, defence, currency, taxation, and customs.
Secondly, the Weimar Constitution was democratic. It established a representative democracy, with members of parliament elected to represent the interests and opinions of the electorate. The constitution also included provisions for popular referendum and initiative, allowing the electorate to introduce bills into the Reichstag and force a vote. If a bill was voted down, a national referendum could be held to pass the bill into law against the wishes of the Reichstag. The constitution also featured proportional representation, with the number of seats in the Reichstag determined by the number of votes received.
Thirdly, the Weimar Constitution was liberal, aiming to protect the rights and liberties of individuals. It included a significant number of civic rights, such as freedom of speech, habeas corpus, and freedom of religion. It also extended the right to vote to all men and women over the age of 20 in 1919, earlier than in the United States or Britain.
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It included significant civic rights, such as freedom of speech and habeas corpus
The Weimar Constitution, drafted in 1919, was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era. The constitution included significant civic rights, such as freedom of speech and habeas corpus. It also guaranteed freedom of religion and did not permit the establishment of a state church.
The Weimar Constitution was hailed as the most modern democratic constitution of its day. It provided for a popularly elected president who was given considerable power over foreign policy and the armed forces. The president had supreme command over the military and extensive emergency powers, including the use of armed force and the suspension of civil rights in the event of a serious threat to public safety or security. The Weimar Constitution also allowed for the introduction of bills into the Reichstag by way of petition, and enabled the electorate to pass bills into law against the wishes of the Reichstag through a national referendum.
The Weimar Constitution established a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament whose lower house, the Reichstag, was elected by universal suffrage using proportional representation. The Reichstag was comprised of different parties, which were voted for by the public, and the number of seats each party received was proportional to the number of votes they received. The upper house, the Reichsrat, was appointed and represented the interests of the federal states.
The Weimar Constitution also included provisions for judicial independence, prohibiting extraordinary courts and limiting military courts to wartime and warships. It extended the right to vote to all men and women over the age of 20, and German Jews experienced increased social and economic freedom during this period.
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It gave the president extensive powers, including the ability to use armed force
The Weimar Constitution, drafted in the spring of 1919, was designed to transform Germany into a democratic republic. It was divided into two parts, comprising 181 articles in total. The document established a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament, whose lower house, the Reichstag, was elected by universal suffrage using proportional representation.
The constitution's most modern features were its provisions for popular referendum and initiative, which were designed to enable the electorate to introduce bills into the Reichstag and force a vote on them. If a bill was voted down, a national referendum could be called to pass the bill into law against the wishes of the Reichstag.
The Weimar Constitution gave the president extensive powers. Article 48, for example, gave the president the power to take measures, including the use of armed force, to restore law and order in the event of a serious threat to public safety or security. The president could also suspend civil rights. However, the use of Article 48 required the agreement of the chancellor or "competent national minister", whose signature was needed to counter-sign the president's decrees. The Reichstag could also nullify the decree.
The president was also given considerable power over foreign policy and the armed forces. The Weimar Constitution established that the president had supreme command over the military and could appoint and remove the chancellor, who was responsible to the Reichstag.
The extensive powers granted to the president in emergency situations were considered by some to be too extensive. However, it is important to note that the Weimar Constitution also included a significant number of civic rights, such as freedom of speech, habeas corpus, and freedom of religion.
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Frequently asked questions
The Weimar Constitution was drafted in the spring of 1919 and promulgated on 11 August 1919. It was divided into two parts, comprising 17 sections and 181 articles in total. The constitution's key features included:
- The establishment of a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament
- The lower house, the Reichstag, was elected by universal suffrage using proportional representation
- The appointed upper house, the Reichsrat, represented the interests of the federal states
- The president of Germany had supreme command over the military, extensive emergency powers, and appointed and removed the chancellor, who was responsible to the Reichstag
- The constitution included a significant number of civic rights such as freedom of speech, habeas corpus, and freedom of religion
- It guaranteed the continuation of the seventeen German states
- It provided for popular referendum and initiative, allowing the electorate to introduce bills into the Reichstag and force a vote
The Weimar Constitution granted the President of Germany extensive powers, particularly in emergency situations. Article 48 gave the President emergency decree powers to protect the republic from crises, including the use of armed force and the suspension of civil rights. The President also had the power to nominate the chancellor and supreme command over the military.
The Weimar Constitution is considered one of the most democratic constitutions of its time. It provided for universal suffrage, proportional representation, and the protection of individual rights and liberties. However, some articles, such as Article 48, granted extensive powers to the President, contradicting democratic principles. The proportional representation system also contributed to political fragmentation and volatility, hindering the functioning of democracy in practice.
The Weimar Constitution had several flaws that contributed to its downfall:
- The extensive powers granted to the President, especially in emergency situations, were open to abuse and could be used to subvert the constitution, as seen with Hitler's rise to power.
- The proportional representation system led to political fragmentation and the rise of many small fringe parties, making it difficult to form stable governments.
- The constitution failed to gain widespread acceptance among the German people, many of whom were resistant to democratic principles.
