The Weimar Republic , [ d ] officially known as the German Reich , [ e ] was a historical period of Germany from 9 November to 23 March , during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclaimed itself, as the German Republic.
In English, the republic was usually simply called "Germany", with "Weimar Republic" a term introduced by Adolf Hitler in not commonly used until the s. The Weimar Republic had a semi-presidential system. Toward the end of the First World War β , Germany was exhausted and sued for peace in desperate circumstances. Awareness of imminent defeat sparked a revolution , the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II , the proclamation of the Weimar Republic on 9 November , and formal cessation of hostilities with the Allies by the Armistice of 11 November In its initial years, grave problems beset the Republic, such as hyperinflation and political extremism , including political murders and two attempted seizures of power by contending paramilitaries ; internationally, it suffered isolation, reduced diplomatic standing and contentious relationships with the great powers.
By , a great deal of monetary and political stability was restored, and the republic enjoyed relative prosperity for the next five years; this period, sometimes known as the Golden Twenties , was characterized by significant cultural flourishing, social progress, and gradual improvement in foreign relations. Under the Locarno Treaties of , Germany moved toward normalizing relations with its neighbors, recognizing most territorial changes under the Treaty of Versailles and committing never to go to war.
The following year, it joined the League of Nations , which marked its reintegration into the international community. By the end of March , the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act of were used in the perceived state of emergency to effectively grant the new Chancellor broad power to act outside parliamentary control.
Hitler promptly used these powers to thwart constitutional governance and suspend civil liberties, which brought about the swift collapse of democracy at the federal and state level, and the creation of a one-party dictatorship under his leadership. Until the end of World War II in Europe in , the Nazis governed Germany under the pretense that all the extraordinary measures and laws they implemented were constitutional; notably, there was never an attempt to replace or substantially amend the Weimar constitution.
