aug 14, 1919 - Weimar Constitution Becomes Active

Description:

The Weimar constitution was an attempt to make Germany the perfect democracy - its system allowed every citizen to have their say and allowed for equal rights for everyone.
Its president and the Reichstag were elected by the public and the government was formed by a Chancellor of the President's appointment and had to answer to the Reichstag.

The system had its flaws though. Its system of proportional representation meant that many splinter parties and a few larger parties took seats in the Reichstag which made law making difficult because no party had a majority. The President also had a lot of power in oversight of the system - the ability to appoint a chancellor not necessarily of the largest party or to dismiss one who still had the confidence of the Reichstag. Additionally, Article 48 allowed the President to pass decrees and emergency measures designed to allow a rapid response to crisis but could also be abused.

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