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Year 11
Edexcel

The Weimar Republic

I can describe the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic's constitution.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

The Weimar Republic

I can describe the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic's constitution.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The new Weimar Republic was a representative democracy with several strengths and weaknesses.
  2. The new constitution allowed all adults over 20 to vote and used proportional representation.
  3. Divided power between branches of government caused delays, leading to the creation of Article 48 for emergencies.
  4. Proportional representation caused fragmented coalitions, making it hard to govern and faced opposition from all sides.
  5. Article 48 gave the President powers to act without parliament's approval in an emergency.

Keywords

  • Proportional representation - a political system in which parties are represented in parliament according to the number of people who voted for them

  • Constitution - a set of laws on how a country is run / governed

  • Coalition - the joining together of different political parties in order to achieve a majority and form a government

  • Moderate - a person whose opinions are not extreme and are therefore acceptable to a large number of people

Common misconception

Proportional representation was purely a positive step forward because it gave a voice to smaller political parties.

In fact, proportional representation led to fragmentation, with many small parties gaining seats in the Reichstag. This made it difficult to pass laws because no single party had a majority.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: The Weimar Republic, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Divide pupils into mock political parties. Have them negotiate forming a coalition, emphasising compromises and challenges of differing priorities. One pupil, acting as president, must decide whether to use Article 48. Finally, discuss the short-term and long-term impacts of using Article 48.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What caused food shortages and economic hardship in Germany during the First World War?
Correct answer: A British naval blockade
Corruption among military leaders
The Great Depression
Q2.
Which of the following events contributed to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
The abdication of other European monarchs
The German army's total defeat in France
Correct answer: The mutiny of sailors in Kiel and rebellions across Germany
Q3.
Match the term to its correct definition.
Correct Answer:republic,a form of government without a king or queen

a form of government without a king or queen

Correct Answer:constitutional monarchy,government with power shared by a monarch and a parliament

government with power shared by a monarch and a parliament

Correct Answer:abdicate,to step down from power

to step down from power

Q4.
Friedrich __________ became Chancellor of the new Weimar Republic in November 1918.
Correct Answer: Ebert
Q5.
What agreement did the new chancellor make with General Groener to stabilise Germany?
To allow communists into the government
To declare war on the Allies
Correct answer: To keep the military’s position intact
Q6.
Germany signed the __________ on 11th November 1918, officially ending the First World War.
Correct Answer: Armistice, peace treaty

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What was a key feature of the Weimar Republic as a representative democracy?
Correct answer: Everyone over the age of 20 could vote
Only men over the age of 25 could vote
Voting rights were limited to landowners
Q2.
What problem did the division of power between the president, chancellor, and Reichstag aim to solve?
The difficulty of holding elections regularly
The lack of political parties in Germany
Correct answer: The risk of a single leader or group abusing power
Q3.
What is proportional representation?
A requirement for all citizens to vote
Correct answer: A system where seats in parliament reflect the percentage of votes received
A voting method ensuring only the majority party gains seats
Q4.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - The First World War begins
2 - The Kaiser abdicates
3 - The first democratic elections held in Germany
4 - Friedrich Ebert becomes Germany’s first president
Q5.
Why was Article 48 introduced to the Weimar constitution?
To allow the Reichstag to pass laws more quickly
Correct answer: To ensure the president could govern decisively during emergencies
To limit the power of smaller political parties
Q6.
Proportional representation was not purely a positive step forward because it made it difficult to pass __________ in the Reichstag.
Correct Answer: laws, law, legislation, bills

Additional material

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