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Problems with the Weimar Republic
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The Weimar Republic is a republic that replaced the former government established in Germany after the first world war. It lasted from 1919 to 1933 which is when Adolf Hitler came to power. Within these 14 years, the Weimar Republic had faced many different constitutional, social and economic problems.
First of all, the constitutional problems which troubled the Weimar Republic. A multi-party system was in action during this time of German History. Since parties could be established quite easily and people had different views, there were about 28 different parties. Another factor that added to the constitutional fire burning in Germany was the system o proportional representation. With the establishment of proportional representation, any party with little support could gain entry into the Reichstag (parliament). Seats were distributed according to the number of votes a party received. What is the problem with these things? Because there were so many parties and conflicting views, and because of proportional representation, the Reichstag never had a majority. Final decisions were almost impossible to make and coalition governments became numerous. In other words, nothing got done. Corruption reared its ugly head when Article 48 and the Enabling Acts came into play. These documents allowed for the President to legally obtain full power to do as he pleases in times of great emergency. Ultimately, the Weimar Republic was legally brought down by Adolf Hitler because of the ...
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