Weimar republic

**Weimar republic** (officially **German Reich**/**Deutsches Reich**), was a German state existing after the end of the First World War in 1918 until 1931. Capital of Weimar republic was Berlin.

## Demographics

### Ethnic groups

Germans (95,15%), Jews (3,23%), Poles (1,62%)

### Religions

Protestantism (55%), Roman Catholicism (43%), Judaism (2%)

## History

### Formation

At the end of the WW1, the Germans were losing and eventually signed a series of peace treaties, including the payment of war reparations. The last German emperor, Wilhelm II, resigned and a democratic government took power. First, the Democratic government had to deal with the massive problem of hyperinflation due to reparations payments. Fortunately, they received financial aid from the US and China, which gradually stopped the hyperinflation by the fall of 1922.

### Nationalism crisis

As early as 1919, ideas of a great and powerful Germany ruling Europe began to resurface. Especially the Nazis and the Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler, spoke openly of a great Germany and of the Jews as invading elements, so the Nazis were extreme anti-Semites and pursued a racist policy based on propaganda and terror. Nazi party's armed paramillitary wing called Sturmabteilung terrorized people, mainly Jews and political parties. Nazis called for genocide of Jews, which alarmed the Democrats. Adolf Hitler and leaders of Nazi party and SA were sued for attempted genocide, robbery, destruction of other people's property, terror and threatening democracy and democratic leaders and were sentenced to death after decision of President of Reich. But by that time they had already managed to murder tens of thousands of Jews. However, the ideas of a Greater Germany remained active. In 1923, Hans von Kauẞ, nephew of the philosopher and politician Albert von Kauẞ, founded the Kaussist Party of Germany.

The Kaussist Party was similarly anti-Semitic as the Nazi Party, and also had radical ideas about a Greater Germany. On 6 August 1924, Vice-Chancellor Jacob Bäcker died suddenly. The Reich President Wilhelm Hering appointed a previously unknown Reichstag deputy, Fritz Königmann, as the new Vice-Chancellor of Germany. Hans von Kauẞ met Vice-Chancellor Fritz, and Fritz joined the Kaussist Party on 1 December 1924, where Hans offered him the post of General Secretary. On 30 January 1926, the election for Chancellor was held, and Hans, as both candidate and leader of the Kaussist Party, was elected Chancellor of Germany.

### Kaussists are gaining power

After the Reichstag elections on 20 March 1930, the Kaussist Party won 540 of the 647 seats and thus gained an absolute majority in both the Reichstag and the government. Vice-Chancellor Fritz Königmann formed paramilitary armed organisation Strafverfolgungskommandos (SG) that enforced political power of party. Seven days later, on 30 March 1930, Hans von Kauẞ submitted a law on the teaching of Kaussism in schools to Reich President Wilhelm Hering. The President first dismissed this, saying that Germany is democratic and not bound by ideologies. Vice-Chancellor Fritz as SG-Oberbefehlshaber ordered a military lockdown of the presidential building and threatened that if the law was not passed, the SG would fire on the palace. So the President passed the law and the ideology of Kaussism began to be taught in schools as part of brainwashing and party propaganda.

### Absolute power

At the end of October 1930 Hans suffered a series of heart attacks and died. Fritz thus became party leader and the new Reich Chancellor, abolishing the post of Vice-Chancellor.

### End of Weimar republic

Fritz ordered the SG to assassinate the President on March 23, 1931. Two days later, on 25 March, President died from wounds. Fritz immedietaly assumed the presidency and combined the office of president with that of chancellor. A day later, he signed a decree abolishing the Weimar Constitution and changing it into the Constitution of Kaussist Germany - Great German Reich.