What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?

Aspects of the Weimar which extended the rights of citizen: the Bill of Rights, all men and women over the age of 20 having the vote, elected president and parliament (Reichstag) which made the laws and appointed the government. This all made Germany appear to be a more democratic country and would have pleased its citizens. However, there were two major flaws in the system. Proportional representation resulted in no strong majority party, and therefore no government to get its laws passed in the Reichstag. In addition to this was Article 48 which allowed the president to issue emergency decrees without the backing of the Reichstag. Without having specified what constituted an emergency, this ultimately allowed Hitler to legally obtain power.

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Answered by Rachael D. History tutor

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