One of the most speculated matters in the history of the Weimar Republic is whether it would have weathered the hard crises of the Great Depression, and so resist the rise of the Nazi, if all forces had been more united. Disunity – both true and perceived – was indeed a characteristic of the Weimar Republic.
The most apparent disunity was the one in the parliament itself. Throughout the republican history, the Reichstag was made up of many small political forces which seem to have a hard time getting along. There were a few bigger parties, of course, most notably the Social Democrats and the Zentrum, but none of these ever won the absolute majority of the parliament. The republic had to rely on coalitions governments which were unstable at best, leading to frequent crises and reorganization of the Reichstag.
This disunity and instability ill-suited German people, whose culture had been prompted to an authoritarian, decisive, military efficiency. The people saw the endless parliamentary discussions as weakness rather than democratic discussion by Germans who, slowly, lost faith in the ability of the republic to solve its citizens’ problems.
Would the Weimar Republic have survived if there had been more unity in the country? #history #Germany #WWI Click To TweetIf this were not enough, there was also a gap between the Reichstag and the army. The republic created the Reichswehr largely with officials and soldiers of the old imperial army, who effectively created a state within the state right in the heart of Weimar Germany. The Reichwehr always saw the republic as a transitory phase in the history of Germany. Still they were committed to support and protect a higher ideal of state and so they agree to go along with the republic until a better, more efficient form of government came along.
All this division and insecurity hit hard the Mittelstand – the middle class – which had been the backbone of the Wilhelmin society. They had been led to believe Germany was winning the war and were hit hard when it lost it. Shocked by al the change that followed – the revolution, the republic, the democratic regime, then the hyperinflation and the many smaller economic crises – the Mittelstand found itself in the position of losing much of its comfort. It became easy prey of the many right-wing forces that were blaming everything on the Republic, which the Mittelstand already had a hard time appreciating, giving in to nationalism and anti-Semitism in the hope to find a solution somewhere.
Even the family, especially the middle-class family, seemed to fall to division, as women started to seek their own realisation rather than commit themselves to the family as they used to, and young people all but revolt against their elders.
Besides, even at the Treaty table, there hadn’t been much unity ideals as nations preferred to look after their own business rather than try to find a common solution.
Maybe times were too difficult to try and look beyond the many pressing difficulties.
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RESOURCES
The History Learning Site – Impact of World War One of the Weimar Republic
Walter Laqueur, Weimar, A Cultural History 1918-1933. Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd. London, 1971
Gunther Mai, Die Weimarer Republik, C.H. Beck Verlag, Munchen, 2009
8 Comments
Interesting how that disunity and lack of common purpose had such an impact. Of course, on one level it makes sense. People are, I think, more comfortable with a government that can establish a common purpose and a common set of goals. There’s much more to it than that, of course, but that sort of stability is comforting. At the same time, people want to know that voices – even dissenting voices – can be heard. It’s a difficult balance.
Indeed it is. And I think in that time in Europe it was something people really struggled with, because they wanted that comfort, but they were starting to appreciate and want more freedom too.
As all periods of passage, it was messy and subjectible to mistakes.
From this chaos came the dreaded Nazis. It is not the only thing but when people have no direction, they can be easily led especially when a person(s) say what people want to hear and give certain things to make the people believe.
I suppose that’s the key. After all, having a direction is a form of comfort.
It’s a shame that when compromises are reached between political parties, it seems to weaken them and their principles. I’m not sure what that says about politics and political parties exactly … but it doesn’t seem encouraging.
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I agree. I suppose we still have a lot to learn about community and working together.
Hi Sarah – that common solution … such a good phrase. The middle classes so often suffer, yet it’s the poorest that hurt most, while the bullies rise up – too many home truths here – cheers Hilary
I agree. But still I find that the middle class is the one that most often tips the scale. At least, this is what it looks like through history.
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