Weimar political parties

Updated on Sep 21, 2024

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The Weimar Republic was in existence for thirteen years. In that time, some 40 parties were represented in the Reichstag. This fragmentation of political power was in part due to the peculiar parliamentary system of the Weimar Republic, and in part due to the many challenges facing German democracy in this period.

Left-wing

Kommunistische Arbeiter-Partei Deutschlands (KAPD) — Was an ultraleftist party that split from the KPD in 1920. They rejected participation in the Parliament and called for immediate revolutionary action. Immediately after its formation the party endured a series of splinters and lost much of the little influence it had.

Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) — Formed out of a number of left-wing groups, including the left wing of the USPD and the Spartacist League. It was a Marxist-Leninist party that advocated revolution by the proletariat and the creation of a communist regime according to the example of the Soviet Union. The party's major paper was the Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag).

Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Opposition) (KPO) — Split from the KPD in 1928, representing the "Right Opposition" of the Bukharinist against the Stalinist "Center" and the Trotskyist "Left Opposition". It never intended to be a real political party, but to influence the KPD.

Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (USPD) —, "Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany" - left wing faction that had split from the SPD in 1917. Parts of it split off, forming the Communist Party, while the majority reunited with the MSPD in 1922. It was a Marxist party that sought change through parliament and social progressive programs.

Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands (SAPD) —, "Socialist Workers' Party of Germany" - left wing faction that had split from the SPD in 1931. Parts of the USPD and dissenters from the KPD and the KPO joined it, but it remained small. It's political positions were near to those of the USPD, wavering between the SPD and the KPD.

Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) — (between 1917 and 1922 also called Mehrheitssozialdemokratische Partei (MSPD) - Majority Social Democrats); they supported the parliamentary system of democracy, and extensive social programs in the economy. Its party newspaper was the Vorwärts.

Centre

Deutsche Demokratische Partei (DDP) — German Democratic Party. A social-liberal party. One of the two main liberal parties. Their party newspapers were the Vossische Zeitung and the Volkswacht.

The German State Party (DStP) — Formed in 1930 by the DDP, the People's National Reich Association and remains of the Christian Trade Unionists. In 1930, it published a "Manifesto of the German State Party".

Wirtschaftspartei. (Economic Party.)

Zentrumspartei — The Centre Party was the continuation of the pre-Weimar Catholic party of the same name. Their party newspaper was Germania.

Right-wing

Deutsche Volkspartei (DVP) — German People's Party. Originating from the pre-Weimar National Liberals, it was a centre-right national liberal party. Gustav Stresemann was its chairman.

Bayerische Volkspartei (BVP) — Bavarian People's Party, a Catholic and conservative party

Christlich-Nationale Bauern- und Landvolkpartei — Christian National Peasants' and Rural Peoples Party (splinter party)

Deutsche anti-semitische Vereinigung — German Anti-Semitic League (splinter party)

Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP) — The German Workers' Party was formed in 1919, by Anton Drexler with Gottfried Feder, Dietrich Eckart and Karl Harrer, and derived in part from the Thule Society, the cover organization of the occult ariosophist Germanenorden. This party added the adjective "National Socialist" in its name and became the "National Socialist German Workers' Party" (NSDAP) in 1920.

Deutsche Partei (DP) — German Party

Deutsche Reformpartei — German Reform Party (splinter party).

Deutschvölkische Freiheitspartei (DVFP) — German Völkisch Freedom Party; this was the party of General Ludendorff. It campaigned for an authoritarian regime that would be very nationalistic and promoted socioeconomic questions. It also sought to close the stock exchanges and nationalize the banks. In May 1924, it obtained 6.4% of the vote in alliance with NSDAP, but fell to 3% in the next election, in December 1924.

Deutschnationale Volkspartei (DNVP) — German National People's Party. It presented itself as a Volksgemeinschaft or non-class party. It included remnants from the German Conservative Party, the Free Conservative Party, the Völkische movement, the Christian Social movement, and the Pan-German Association. It established two labor unions; one for the blue-collar worker (the DNAB) and one for the white-collar worker (DNAgB), which had been politically unimportant. The DNVP was the main authoritarian right party of Weimar Germany, but moved to the radical right after coming under the control of press baron Alfred Hugenberg in 1928. It organized the National Opposition in 1929, together with leaders of the Stahlhelm, Dr. Schacht, the president of the central bank and Hitler's Nazi Party, to oppose Chancellor Hermann Müller's Grand Coalition.

Deutscher Volksverein — the German People's League was started in 1881 by Max Liebermann von Sonnenberg, a former officer, and Bernhard Förster, Nietzsche's brother in law.

Deutsches Landvolk. Cover name for the Christian National Peasant/Rural Party in the 1930 Reichstag elections.

Deutschsozialistische Partei (DSP) — The so-called "German-Socialist" Party. It was headed by Julius Streicher, and it was also highly organized, despite having a rather small size. In a controversial move, it dissolved itself in 1922 and many of its members entered the (then very new) Nazi Party.

Volksnationale Reichsvereinigung (People's National Reich Association.)

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) — (National Socialist German Workers' Party or the Nazi Party) It advocated Volksgemeinschaft, a unity of all classes, following the corporatist fascist model.

National Bolsheviks — Led by Ernst Niekisch, they combined ultranationalism with social radicalism by claiming to espouse both 'German' principles and much of the programme carried out by the Bolsheviks under Lenin.

Other political organizations

League of Agrarians (Bund der Landwirte). It took the name Reichslandbund (RLB) after 1920.

Allgemeiner Deutscher Beamtenbund (ADB) a civil servants league started by the SPD.

Bavarian Peasants' League (Peasant League) operated throughout Germany but especially in its stronghold of Bavaria. It had democratic, anticlerical leanings and subscribed to a narrow Bavarian particularism

Bauernvereine. Farmers' associations associated with the Center Party and were located in the Catholic west and south.

Bauernverein. Peasant association located in Schleswig-Holstein. Without religious ties, it initially supported a liberal economic and political policy.

Christian Social Movement

Deutsche Landwirtschafsrat (German Agricultural Council)

Federation of German Retail Business

Green Front. An umbrella group which consisted of the Landbund (RLB), the Deutsche Bauernshaft (formerly Bauernbund), the Association of Christian-German Peasant Unions, and the German Agricultural Council. It too heavily promoted the Junkers interest and drove many farmers out.

Landvolkbewegung (Landvolk) (Rural People's movement) A farmers' movement mainly in Schleswig-Holstein formed in the aftermath of the January 1928 demonstrations.

Reichsbund der Deserteure — National Association of Deserters; led by Karl Liebknecht; formed before the breakup from the Independent Socialists.

Reichslandbund — Natural Rural League

Spartakusbund (Spartacist League) — (1918–1919) left wing of the USPD led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, became the German Communist Party.

Unions

Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (ADGB)

Allgemeiner freier Angestelltenbund (AfA) white-collar employee union affiliated with the SPD-dominated free trade unions.

Deutscher Landarbeiterverband (German Agricultural Labor Union). SPD organized.

Deutschnationaler Handlungsgehilfenverband (DHV) (National Association of Commercial Employees.) — the conservative white collar worker union. The DHV leadership did not fully support the NSDAP because it didn't recognize the independence of unions.

Gesamtverband Deutscher Beamtengewerkschaften (GDB) was a conservative civil service union.

Gewerkschaftsbund der Angestellten (GdA) was a Hirsch-Duncker union.

Gewerkschaftsbund deutscher Angestelltenverbände (Gedag) Conservative white-collar union

Reichsbund Deutscher Angestellten-Berufsverbände Conservative white-collar union.

Vereinigung der chrislichen-deutschen Bauernvereine (Association of Christian-German Peasant Unions).

Zentralverband der Angestellten (ZdA), an association of white-collar unions started by the SPD.

Party of socialist national liberation (NSFP) (Combined list of the Deutschvölkische Freiheitspartei (DVFP) and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)

Nationalsozialistische Freiheitsbewegung (NSFB)(Combined list of the Deutschvölkische Freiheitspartei (DVFP) and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)

Other Organizations

Alldeutscher Verband (Pan-German Association)

Katholische Burschenvereine. Catholic youth associations that the Catholic Church started in southern Germany to provide Catholic youth with numerous activities.

Deutsches Handwerk. German crafts organization headed by Zeleny. Zeleny advocated positions that would improve conditions for the old middle class. It would later back the NSDAP.

Tatkreis movement

Völkisch movement

Secret societies

Organisation Consul (OC) — In July 1921, Captain Ehrhardt and several members of his brigade formed this organization to commit political assassinations.(2)

Feme — an irregular tribunal based on ones from medieval Germany that at the time would administer justice when the government was too weak to maintain order. (Both of these organizations overlapped.)(2)

Reichstag election results

All vote numbers in thousands.

Regional= Total for regional parties not listed individually

Rightist= Total for right-wing parties not listed individually

Splinter= Total for splinter parties not listed individually or among regional or rightist

6/6/1920 includes by-elections in Schleswig-Holstein and East Prussia (20/2/1921) and Upper Silesia (19/11/1922)Eligible 35,920 Turnout 28,196 % Voting 78.4(Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 590 4USPD 5047 83SPD 6104 103Centre 3910 64BVP 1173 21DDP 2334 39WP 219 4DVP 3919 65DNVP 4249 71 Regional 709 5 Splinter 161 0Total 28415 45905/04/1924Eligible 38,375 Turnout 29,282% Voting 76.3(Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 3693 45USPD 235 0SPD 6009 100Centre 3914 65BVP 947 16DDP 1655 28WP 530 10DVP 2728 45DNVP 5697 95NSFP 1918 32Regional 608 5Rightist 666 10Splinter 682 4Total 29282 45512/07/1924Eligible 33,987Turnout 30,290% Voting 77.7(Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 2709 45USPD 99 0SPD 7881 131Centre 4092 69BVP 1134 19DDP 1920 32WP 639 17DVP 3049 51DNVP 6206 103NSFB 907 14Regional 708 4Rightist 545 8Splinter 401 0Total 30290 49320/5/1928 Eligible 41,224 Turnout 30,754 % Voting 74.6 (Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 3265 54SPD 9153 153Centre 3712 61BVP 946 17DDP 1479 25WP 1388 23DVP 2680 45DNVP 4382 73NSDAP 810 12Regional 956 3Rightist 1025 23Splinter 958 2Total 30754 49114/9/1930Eligible 42,958Turnout 34,971% Voting 81.4(Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 4592 77SPD 8578 143Centre 4128 68BVP 1059 19DDP 1322 20WP 1362 23DVP 1578 30DNVP 2458 41NSDAP 6383 107Regional 683 3Rightist 2373 46Splinter 455 0Total 34971 57731/7/1932 Eligible 44,211 Turnout 36,882% Voting 83.4 (Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 5283 89 SPD 7960 133Centre 4589 75BVP 1193 22DDP 372 4WP 147 2DVP 136 7DNVP 2177 37NSDAP 13769 230Regional 219 0Rightist 552 9Splinter 185 0Total 36582 60811/06/1932 Eligible 44,374 Turnout 35,471 % Voting 79.9 (Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 5980 100SPD 7248 121Centre 4230 70BVP 1095 20DDP 336 2WP 110 1DVP 661 11DNVP 2959 52NSDAP 11737 196Regional 353 1Rightist 510 10Splinter 252 0Total 35471 58403/05/1933 Eligible 44,665 Turnout 39,343 % Voting 88.1 (Party, Votes, Seats)KPD 4848 81 SPD 7181 120Centre 4425 74BVP 1074 18DDP 334 5 DVP 432 2DNVP 3137 52NSDAP 17277 288Regional l246 0Rightist 384 7Splinter 5 0Total 39343 647