Since its very inception in November 1918, the Weimar Republic stood on shaky foundations. The German Revolution of 1918/19, also known as the November Revolution was one the first causes for the weakening of the republic. But the Nazi-era’s atrocities masked the revolution as one of the reasons for downfall of Weimar Republic.
Stab-in-the-Back Myth
One of the major yet understated reasons was the Stab-In-The-Back myth. The origin of the term can be traced back to Germany's Chief of Staff, General Erich Ludendorff. He was responsible for floating the myth, which basically explained that the reason why Germany lost WWI was because of revolutionaries who betrayed the Army on the home front. This was truly a myth, as history tells us that the …show more content…
It was drafted along the lines of Constitution of United States, involving transparency, federalism, and importance of citizen rights. Unfortunately, this gave the executive presidency exploitable emergency powers, which could lead to overriding of the Reichstag. In this, the presidential powers were similar to those of the Kaiser. The frequent usage only lead to further political turmoil and divisions.
Impact of the Great Depression
After the Depression, by 1932, a big chunk of Germany’s working population (about 6 million) was unemployed. The lack of trust in major political parties, transformed into confidence in smaller radical groups. So a majority of voters shifted their support towards these groups, either in protest or with genuine reasons. As a result, the NSDAP won significant votes in 1930 and 1932, hence propelling Hitler in the public domain.
Increasing Support for Hitler, and the Nazi Party
During the period of 1924-32, Hitler radically transformed and expanded the Nazi Party. He limited their anti-Semitic and anti-republican notions, hence reiterating them as perfect contenders for the Reichstag. One of Hitler’s smartest moves was gaining support of powerful interest groups such as industrialists, capitalists and members of high class society. The sudden change in dynamics lead to the people believing in the Nazi Party and further enervated the ruling Weimar
Stab-in-the-Back Myth
One of the major yet understated reasons was the Stab-In-The-Back myth. The origin of the term can be traced back to Germany's Chief of Staff, General Erich Ludendorff. He was responsible for floating the myth, which basically explained that the reason why Germany lost WWI was because of revolutionaries who betrayed the Army on the home front. This was truly a myth, as history tells us that the …show more content…
It was drafted along the lines of Constitution of United States, involving transparency, federalism, and importance of citizen rights. Unfortunately, this gave the executive presidency exploitable emergency powers, which could lead to overriding of the Reichstag. In this, the presidential powers were similar to those of the Kaiser. The frequent usage only lead to further political turmoil and divisions.
Impact of the Great Depression
After the Depression, by 1932, a big chunk of Germany’s working population (about 6 million) was unemployed. The lack of trust in major political parties, transformed into confidence in smaller radical groups. So a majority of voters shifted their support towards these groups, either in protest or with genuine reasons. As a result, the NSDAP won significant votes in 1930 and 1932, hence propelling Hitler in the public domain.
Increasing Support for Hitler, and the Nazi Party
During the period of 1924-32, Hitler radically transformed and expanded the Nazi Party. He limited their anti-Semitic and anti-republican notions, hence reiterating them as perfect contenders for the Reichstag. One of Hitler’s smartest moves was gaining support of powerful interest groups such as industrialists, capitalists and members of high class society. The sudden change in dynamics lead to the people believing in the Nazi Party and further enervated the ruling Weimar