The Weimar Republic 1918–1923

The Weimar Republic was Germany's first attempt at democracy. Born out of the chaos of defeat in the First World War, it faced enormous challenges from the very beginning — including the Treaty of Versailles, political extremism, economic crisis, and the hostility of many Germans who never accepted it. This lesson covers the early years of the Republic from 1918 to 1923 for AQA GCSE History.

---

The Creation of the Weimar Republic

After Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9 November 1918, power was handed to Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). A new democratic constitution was drawn up in the city of Weimar (because Berlin was too dangerous due to political violence).

The Weimar Constitution