Political, economic and social condition of Germany by 1929

Politics

Following the death of Ebert in February 1925, an election was held. Candidates included: Wilhelm Marx, who was supported by Social Democrats and Catholic Centres, and Paul von Hindenburg supported by the Communists and the Bavarian People's Party. The former Field Marshal was elected as the second president of the Weimar Republic in 1925, an office he held until his death in 1934.

When the Great Depression hit Germany, Hermann Müller was the chancellor. The years 1928 until 1930 were characterised by political instability and economic depression.

In 1930, Heinrich Brüning's appointment as Müller's successor was made possible by Article 48. Due to the lack of a majority support from the Reichstag, Brüning was the first Weimar chancellor to act separately from the Reichstag, but more dependent on President Hindenburg. Brüning's financial proposal was rejected by the Reichstag, but immediately overridden by the president.

As chancellor, he attempted to revive the economy by cutting government expenditure, including wages, pensions and unemployment insurance. This did not solve the problem, rather worsened the situation. Unemployment continued to rise, while those who lost their jobs suffered from unprecedented hunger.

Due to the consistent opposition from the Reichstag (SPD, KPD and DNVP), Brüning proposed the dismissal of the Reichstag. On 14 September 1930, the general election resulted in a political shift within the parliament. Millions of unemployed and desperate Germans believed that the solution to their plight was to join extreme political parties like either the right-wing Nazis or the left-wing Communists. In 1930, the NSDAP won 18.3% of the vote, which was five times higher than their seat in 1928.

Between 1930 and 1932, Brüning mostly governed and imposed policies under the president's emergency decrees. His long-term deflation plans exacerbated the existing economic crisis, which further pushed the public's political frustration.

In 1932, President Hindenburg discharged Chancellor Brüning for his inability to stabilise the chaotic German government. Franz von Papen replaced him for 6 months followed by Kurt von Schleicher who lasted for 2 months. With Nazi dominance in the Reichstag, Hindenburg and Papen came up with a plan in 1933. They offered Hitler vice chancellorship but were rejected. Instead, Hitler demanded to be chancellor and Hindenburg agreed thinking that he could control Hitler and the Reichstag.

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List of Chancellors under President Paul von Hindenburg

Hans Luther (1925-1926)

Wilhelm Marx (1926-1928)

Hermann Müller (1928-1930)

Heinrich Brüning (1930-1932)

Franz von Papen (1932)

Kurt von Schleicher (1932-1933)

Under the Weimar Constitution, the president was elected every seven years. Upon election, the president's power was limited by the Reichstag, except in times of emergencies. Appointed by the president, the chancellor was the leader of the Reichstag. The chancellor was typically the leader of the dominant party in the Reichstag.

The Great Depression

In October 1929, the U.S. Stock Exchange dramatically fell, which brought on an economic depression in many parts of the world. It came to be known as the Wall Street Crash and it greatly affected the German economy due to American investments and loans. During the Stresemann Years, Germany was able to recover economically through domestic policies, foreign investments and U.S. loans. The consequence was that the German economy relied heavily on the U.S. economy and the Great Depression hit the Germans in 1929.

The impact of the Great Depression in the US on Germany is outlined below.

The rise in unemployment was one of the obvious impacts of the Great Depression. This event also questioned the Germans' faith in democracy and the republic. As a consequence of the unwavering discontent, Chancellor Hermann Müller resigned in March 1930.

Religion and politics

At the time of the republic, Germany was comprised of a 65% Protestant, 34% Catholic and 1% Jewish population. Following the German unification in 1871, Lutheran and Reformed Protestant churches were considered as state-sponsored, while the Catholic Church faced restrictions. Compared to the pre-war period, Catholics and Jews gained more of a voice in politics. Many served in varied governmental and military positions. As a result, many Protestant clergymen resented the government. Meanwhile, both Catholics and Protestants felt threatened by the emergence of Marxist ideology (Communist Party) within the Weimar government.

Women, work and politics

After the war, women were ordered to return to their traditional roles, as wives and mothers. At the time of economic crisis in 1923 and 1929, women returning home were used as a solution to alleviate unemployment. However, the Stresemann era welcomed women in the workforce. In 1925, more than 1.7 million women were in the workforce. Many were single women under 25.

The 1919 Constitution allowed women to vote and get elected in the Reichstag. In the same year, voter turnout of women was equivalent to men at 83%. However, women's voting turnout began to decline by 5-10% compared to men for the rest of the Weimar period. During the 14-year existence of the republic, no women held cabinet posts or a Reichsrat seat.

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Glossary of Terms

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

A peace agreement that put an end to WWI and sanctioned Germany for the losses it caused the Allied powers.

HYPERINFLATION

An economic phenomenon of accelerating inflation diminishing the value of the currency as the price of goods and services increases.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

An intergovernmental association established as a result of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

REICHSWEHR

Also known as the Realm Defence, this was the German military organisation formed from 1919 to 1935.

REICHSTAG

The lower house parliament during the Weimar Republic. Representatives were elected by the people.

CHANCELLOR

Reichskanzler in German, the chancellor was the chairman of the cabinet and in charge of the Reichstag. During the republic, a chancellor was appointed by the president.