Weimar and Nazi Germany Topic Summaries

German parliamentary government

GCSE > History > CCEA > GCSE History: Weimar and Nazi Germany (1890-1945) > Imperial German Empire (1871–1918) > German parliamentary government
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Key Terms
  • By the late nineteenth century, Germany had a Reichstag (parliament) that was elected by all adult men, which gave the appearance of democratic government. 
  • However, real political power remained with the Kaiser, who appointed the Chancellor and could dismiss the Reichstag whenever he wished.
  • The Chancellor was responsible only to the Kaiser, not to parliament, which limited the Reichstag’s ability to influence government policy.
  • As political parties such as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) gained more seats, pressure increased for greater parliamentary control. This created tension between the growing demand for democracy and the Kaiser’s desire to retain authority.

  Kaiser Chancellor Reichstag
Powers Appointed and dismissed the Chancellor Appointed by the Kaiser Elected by male voters
Could dissolve the Reichstag Led the government and cabinet Debated and passed laws
Influenced foreign and domestic policy Proposed and managed policy Approved the national budget
Had the authority to declare war Could be dismissed at any time by the Kaiser Could be dissolved at any time by the Kaiser
Could influence policy through royal decree or personal intervention Could not pass laws without Reichstag approval Very limited control over Chancelor (only blocking legislation)
Controlled the army and navy Reliant on bureaucracy to implement policy No control over the military
Limitations Could be limited by public opinion and political pressure Frequent replacements led to instability and lack of trust Had no input on who was chosen as Chancellor

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