Adolf Hitler

The Weimar government had a shaky foundation and had lost much support from its people since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. As it was seen as a betrayal by the government, many viewed the government as weak.

 

The problem with constitution and proportional representation was that it consisted of too many parties with very different views working together in the government. With none gaining the majority, there were many different small parties. The government was constantly breaking up and changing due to its inconsistencies. The irregular flow of power made it difficult to pass laws.

 

One other flaw the government had was article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, where it allowed the president to dissolve houses of parliament and rule by decree for six months in time of emergency. President Hinderburg appointed Heinrich Bruning of the Centre Party to form a government for emergency purposes. This spelled the end of German democracy as the people’s votes for government have been ignored.

 

Thus, the weak state of the Weimar government, brought about by its multiple fallacies such as article 48 made it easier for the people to believe in Hitler’s promises and ambitions for the future of Germany especially in light of greater events that shook the faith of the German’s support in the government. Without the support of the people, it was only a matter of time the citizens placed their faith and belief that the right to rule should be in the hands of another. Therefore, we can attribute the rise of Hitler to the weak Weimar government as it allowed someone as brazen as Hitler to rise and take over the reigns of power.