What were two of the key weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

The Electoral System - Weimar's Constitution used an electoral system of pure proportional representation. This meant that a party got a percentage of the seats in the Reichstag that corresponded with its percentage of the vote share. In theory, this sounds like the most democratic way to operate a Parliament - which is what was wanted in the aftermath of World War One. However, this lead to lots of small radical parties gaining 2-3 MPs in the Reichstag, with no single party gaining a majority. This meant that the German government could not get anything done, but also allowed radical parties a foothold in the Reichstag.Article 48 - this said that, in an emergency, the president did not need the agreement of the Reichstag, but could issue decrees. The problem with this was that it did not say what an emergency was, and in the end, it turned out to be a back door that Hitler used to take power legally.

ED
Answered by Ethan D. History tutor

3663 Views

See similar History GCSE tutors

Related History GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Why was the bay of pigs incident such a major setback for the United States and for President Kennedy?


Was anti-Semitism the main reason for Hitler's popularity in the 1930s? - 20marks


Explain why Hitler was able to create a dictatorship in the period February 1933 to August 1934. You may use the following in your answer: the Reichstag Fire; the Night of the Long Knives. You must also use information of your own. (12)(Edexcel past Q)


Explain the causes of the Second World War.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning