Weimar Republic

The **Weimar Republic** is the name now used for the republic which governed Germany from 1918 to 1933.

Officially it was the **German Reich** (): ( ).

It was  also unofficially referred to as the **German Republic** ().

## Origin

After the German Empire was defeated in World War I, Germany became a republic, but its official name was still "Deutsches Reich" (German Empire).

Historians today call it the _Weimar Republic_ and refer to this period as the _Weimar period_, because the constitution was created in the city of Weimar.

### Beginning

On November 9, 1918, the Republic was proclaimed by Philipp Scheidemann at the _Reichstag_ building in Berlin and two hours later a socialist republic was proclaimed around the corner at the Berlin Castle by Karl Liebknecht.

The Emperor, or _Kaiser,_ Wilhelm II, went into exile in the Netherlands. The new Republic was declared even before end of World War I on 11 November 1918.The fighting in World War I stopped on 11 November 1918 when the Armistice of Compiegne was signed.

#### Problems

The Weimar Republic had a lot of problems. The Treaty of Versailles made things very difficult for the economy. Inflation got completely out of hand. There were political problems because governments ruled only for a short time, not long enough to be able to make important decisions. There were a lot of radical right and left extremists, for example monarchists (people who wanted back the monarchy) and communists, who believed that all things, especially property, land and money, should be shared. Political parties had their own militias to fight each other.

One of the paramilitary organizations that arose after World War I was the  meaning "Steel Helmet, League of Front Soldiers". They operated as the armed branch of the national conservative German National People's Party (DNVP). they were placed at party gatherings in the position of armed security guards (_Saalschutz_). In 1935 they became part of the Nazi Party.

#### Positives

The Weimar period is also known for its culture. Artists tried out modern ideas and used new things like film. The Bauhaus began in the 1920s.

## End

The Weimar Republic came to an end on 23 March 1933, when Chancellor Adolf Hitler installed the Enabling Act, which established the Third Reich.

## Other websites

- The Constitution of the German Reich (Weimar constitution) of 11th August 1919, in full text
- PSM Data Bank
- historical Documents

## Infobox (former country)

- **native name**: _Deutsches Reich_
- **conventional long name**: German Reich
- **common name**: Weimar Republic
- **p1**: German Empire
- **flag p1**: Flag of the German Empire.svg
- **s1**: Nazi Germany
- **flag s1**: Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg
- **image flag**: Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg
- **flag type**: Top: Flag
(1919-1933)
Bottom: Co-official flag
(1933)
- **flag type article**: Flag of Germany#Weimar Republic (1918–1933)
- **image flag2**: Flag of Germany (1933–1935).svg
- **image coat**: Wappen_Deutsches_Reich_(Weimarer_Republik).svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms of the Weimar Republic, Coat of arms
(1919-1928)
- **national anthem**: <div style="margin-bottom: 0.3em"> _Deutschlandlied, "Das Lied der Deutschen"_
"Song of the Germans"
(1922-1945)
</div>
- **image map**: Weimar Republic 1930.svg
- **image map caption**: Weimar Republic in 1930
- **image map2**: Karte des Deutschen Reiches, Weimarer Republik-Drittes Reich 1919–1937.svg
- **image map2 caption**: German States in 1925 (Free State of Prussia with its Provinces of Prussia, provinces shown in blue)
- **capital**: Berlin
- **common languages**: **Official:**
German language, German

- **official languages**: German language, German
- **religion**: _1925 census_
64.1% Protestant (Lutheran, Reformed churches, Reformed, United and uniting churches, United)
32.4% Roman Catholic
0.9% Jewish
2.6% Other
- **demonym**: German
- **government type**: Federalism, Federal
Semi-presidential system, semi-presidential
Constitutionalism, constitutional republic
 _De facto_ Authoritarianism, authoritarian
Presidential system, presidential republic
- **title leader**: President of Germany (1919–1945), President
- **year leader1**: 1919–25
- **leader1**: Friedrich Ebert
- **year leader2**: 1925–33
- **leader2**: Paul von Hindenburg
- **title deputy**: Chancellor of Germany#Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), Chancellor
- **year deputy1**: 1919
- **deputy1**: Philipp Scheidemann
- **year deputy2**: 1933
- **deputy2**: Adolf Hitler
- **era**: Interwar period
- **date start**: 9 November
- **year start**: 1918
- **date event1**: 11 August 1919
- **event2**: Admitted to the
- **date event2**: 8 September 1926
- **event3**: decree begins
- **date event3**: 29 March 1930
- **event4**: Chancellor of Germany#Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), Chancellor
- **date event4**: 30 January 1933
- **date event5**: 27 February 1933
- **event end**: Enabling Act
- **date end**: 23 March
- **year end**: 1933
- **legislature**: Bicameral
- **upper house**: Reichsrat
- **lower house**: Reichstag
- **area km2**: 468787
- **house1**: _Reichsrat (Germany), Reichsrat_
- **type house1**: State Council
- **stat year1**: 1925
- **stat area1**: 1933
- **stat pop1**: 62,411,000
- **national motto**:
<small>"Unity and Justice and Freedom"</small>