Weimar Republic

The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic IPA {{IPA|/?va?mar/}} (German Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German Monarchy and German Empire were abolished following the nation's defeat in World War I.

Related Topics:
German history - 1919 - 1933 - IPA - German - Weimar - Constitution - German Monarchy - German Empire - World War I

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This first attempt to establish a liberal democracy in Germany happened during a time of civil conflict, and failed with the ascent of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in 1933. Although technically the 1919 constitution was not invalidated until after World War II, the legal measures taken by the Nazi government in 1933 (commonly known as Gleichschaltung) destroyed the mechanisms of a typical democratic system, so 1933 is cited as the end of the Weimar Republic.

Related Topics:
Liberal democracy - Adolf Hitler - Nazi Party - 1933 - World War II - Gleichschaltung

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The phrase Weimar Republic is an invention of historians, and was not used during its existence. Germany's legal name was still the "German Empire" (Deutsches Reich), the same name used by the German monarchy before 1919. The use of the English word empire and its adjective imperial may be confusing because the Weimar Republic was a republic; empire is an imprecise translation of the German word Reich (which does not have a specific monarchic connotation) and is increasingly translated as commonwealth or realm.

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This article outlines political events from 1918 until the collapse of the Republic in 1933. The Nazi Germany article describes what came after (see also Gleichschaltung for details on how the Nazi dictatorship was installed). For discussion of the cultural climate in Germany between the wars see Weimar culture

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - Gleichschaltung - Weimar culture

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