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Even before the Weimar Republic Germany already had many democratic elements. There were political parties, a constitution, checks and balances for governing of

Even before the Weimar Republic Germany already had many democratic elements. There were political parties, a constitution, checks and balances for governing officers and a somewhat free press. The Kaiser could not rule despotically and had to take public opinion into account.

petre 9y ago
Democratic elements does not equate to true democracy. There weren't enough safeguards. It took a motivated Austrian less than ten years to undo them and turn Germany into a totalitarian state.
- allendoerfer 9y ago
  > It took a motivated Austrian less than ten years to undo them and turn Germany into a totalitarian state. I agree, that the Weimar republic was weak. Main problem was a missing election threshold, resulting in a divided, weak parliament. But some other minor things happened, too. For example several militaristic regimes packed on a small continent were competing to divide the world resulting in a world war, for which Germany was made solely accountable for and had to give up territory and pay huge reparations.
- nl 9y ago
  Ten years is actually a pretty long time for it to take a popular leader to destroy a functioning democracy. There are numerous examples of democracies collapsing from what seemed a stable state much quicker than that. The collapse of the French Fourth Republic in 1958 is a good example[1]. In that case it led to another democracy, but that is only because the army wanted de Gaulle, and de Gaulle was happy to be president in a parliamentary system. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Fourth_Republic#Algeria_and_collapse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Fourth_Republic#Algeria...
vacri 9y ago
Germany has had democratic elements for half a millenium - the Holy Roman Empire was a sort-of democracy of nobles. But however you carve it, the current democracy in Germany is functioning very well, better and more representative than any of its forebears.

petre 9y ago

Democratic elements does not equate to true democracy. There weren't enough safeguards. It took a motivated Austrian less than ten years to undo them and turn Germany into a totalitarian state.

allendoerfer 9y ago
> It took a motivated Austrian less than ten years to undo them and turn Germany into a totalitarian state. I agree, that the Weimar republic was weak. Main problem was a missing election threshold, resulting in a divided, weak parliament. But some other minor things happened, too. For example several militaristic regimes packed on a small continent were competing to divide the world resulting in a world war, for which Germany was made solely accountable for and had to give up territory and pay huge reparations.
nl 9y ago
Ten years is actually a pretty long time for it to take a popular leader to destroy a functioning democracy. There are numerous examples of democracies collapsing from what seemed a stable state much quicker than that. The collapse of the French Fourth Republic in 1958 is a good example[1]. In that case it led to another democracy, but that is only because the army wanted de Gaulle, and de Gaulle was happy to be president in a parliamentary system. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Fourth_Republic#Algeria_and_collapse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Fourth_Republic#Algeria...

vacri 9y ago

Germany has had democratic elements for half a millenium - the Holy Roman Empire was a sort-of democracy of nobles. But however you carve it, the current democracy in Germany is functioning very well, better and more representative than any of its forebears.