The Weimar Republic, proclaimed on November 9, 1918, was born in the throes of
military defeat and social revolution. In January 1919, a National Assembly was
elected to draft a constitution
The president was elected by popular direct ballot to a seven-year term and
could be reelected. He appointed the chancellor and, pursuant to the
chancellor's nominations, also appointed the cabinet ministers.
In January 1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany and by August 1934, he had declared himself Führer - the leader of Germany. What happened during this time that allowed Hitler to take the ultimate position of authority?
Army commander Von Seeckt saw the need to support Stresemann's policy of
fulfilment so that Germany could gain stability and time to recover; but the
Army tolerated rather than supported democracy.
John V. Denson discusses the world-changing events that happened between January and June 1919: disastrous decisions that resulted in creating a platform for Hitler to rise in Germany, the Second World War, and beyond.