What is Your Weimar Political Alignment?

The German Empire has fallen, the Kaiser has fled, and now a new state has taken its place: a democratic republic! Though filled with hope for this young state, there is nonetheless a very bumpy road ahead.

What is your alignment on the spectrum of Weimar politics? While not every party in Weimar Germany is represented (For there were *many* and often appealed to the exact same base so I don't even really what the point is-), this quiz still runs the spectrum from the far left to the far right. Don't be a nazi.

Created by: Ernst Thalmann

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The year is 1914, and the delicate balance of power which has held over Europe for the past 40 years is quickly falling to pieces. The Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, has been shot dead by Serbian radicals, and now the Empire is on the warpath. Russia has responded by backing Serbia and bringing France along with. Germany stands at a crossroads. Should the Reichstag accede to the call of war?
- Yes! We must rush to the defense of our nation!
- No! Let cooler heads prevail, who knows how needless blood will be shed?
The year is 1917, and the war has ground down into a merciless slog. Millions of people have perished already, the economy groans under the strain, and no end is yet in sight. A new proposal has passed to the Reichstag, a resolution on peace. It calls for an end to the war, restoration of all prewar borders, no reparations or indemnities, and freedom of the seas. What is your opinion?
- This is good! Our nation cannot handle much more of this and the people are suffering. This is an honorable way out which we will not have to sacrifice for, let's take it!
- What is this defeatist nonsense? The war is not yet lost, and we cannot back down now. We must reject this cowardly resolution at once and continue this fight!
- This proposal does not *nearly* go far enough. This war has been an absolute farce from the beginning and these three years have only proven it. We must have nothing less than an immediate end to the fighting.
It is late 1918, and everything seems close to falling apart. Starvation is rampant among the population. Despite the collapse of Russia from the war and the indemnities we have placed upon them, it seems to have done little rescue our situation. Worse still, there are rumors that the army is in a rout on the western front, and are currently fleeing back across the Belgian border! The demands for an end to the war grow louder every day. The socialists especially are constantly agitating amongst the people.
- The situation has gone too far! Only an immediate end to the war can save us. Call for immediate armistice.
- No! We still have this under control! Dispel these defeatist rumors at once, we must hold firm! They are suffering just as badly as we are, we only need to hold on and victory shall be at hand.
The political establishment is disintegrating! What started as a sailor's mutiny in Kiel has erupted, spreading like a wildfire (or a plague) across Germany. Chaos reigns in the streets and the war effort has utterly collapsed. An armistice seems imminent, the public's will for it is unstoppable. Even the Kaiser cannot handle the pressure and has announced his abdication. A republic has been declared!
- Hang on! We cannot risk the very social fabric of Germany being wrent asunder. We must remain calm, perhaps this situation can still be saved.
- This is a disaster! The Kaiser is the last hope for Germany among all its enemies. We can have no peace and no war without him!
- Yes! The moment has arrived! It is time to break free of the bourgeois establishment.
The leftwing is disintegrating! The far-left forces of the new republic, known as the Spartacists, are in open revolution and calling for the downfall of the state in the name of a Soviet republic. The rightists, with the support of the social democrats, have responded in kind, with heavily armed and war-hardened soldiers taking up the mantle as ad hoc police and mercenaries, known as the Freikorps, and now they seek to "restore peace" to the streets by any means.
- Vindication! Look upon this proof of socialist treachery. These violent thugs seek to destroy Germany and all that it has accomplished. We must rally to the defense of Germany!
- Stop them! They look to destroy our young republic and everything we have worked for. We have the means to do so, so put down these revolutionaries before Germany falls asunder.
- We cannot sit and wait for the capitalist order to fall, we must push with all our might! Workers of Germany, rise up for your freedom!
The political situation is calming, somewhat. The spartacist uprising has been crushed and new reichstag elections have been held. The SPD has formed a government with the DDP and Zentrum and have signed into law a new constitution. The new constitution implements a fully republican democratic system.
- This is a victory for Germany and the republic.
- This new constitution can hardly be called legal or legitimate. Still though, if we wish to maintain order and political power, we have no choice but to follow along, at least for now
- Is this a joke? This constitution isn't the worth the paper it's printed on! We patently do not recognize any form of legitimacy of this regime.
In 1920, the rightists, support by large elements of conservatives, monarchists, and the army launched an attempted coup against the state. In response, socialist-aligned workers in the Ruhr region launched an uprising, likewise demanding the end of the republic. Though the coup eventually fizzled out from a lack of popular support and the uprising was violently crushed, this nonetheless spells a grim future for the republic. What is your opinion on the matter?
- We must maintain order at all costs, the future of the nation depends on it. We can't bow to these thugs on the left or the right.
- We must keep up the pressure. This illegal system cannot stand.
- This bourgeois regime groans under the weight of the people and its own reactionary collaborators! We must gird the worker's struggle
The economy seems on the precipice of disintegration. In response to the French occupation of the Rhineland, Chancellor Cuno announced a policy of "passive resistance" for all workers in the Rhine, calling for them to refuse to work for the French occupiers. This, combined with previous economic struggles, as sent the mark into free fall. A loaf of bread now costs *billions* of marks. What should be the government's response?
- Finally! The capitalist order is set to collapse beneath the weight of its internal contradictions! This shall pave the way for the revolution!
- Everyone please remain calm, the situation will right itself in time. We must stabilise the economy and rescue the now worthless mark at once.
What is your opinion on the Treaty of Versailles? This treaty imposed reparations upon Germany, severely limited Germany's military strength, strips large amounts of land from Germany, and end Germany's colonial empire.
- This treaty is an utter disgrace! We are willfully bending down to the west and subjugating ourselves. With this treaty we will be utterly powerless, completely at their mercy. If you have any respect for Germany, any respect for its people, then you will wholeheartedly reject this treaty!
- This is certainly a bitter pill to swallow. Some of these terms are almost too much to bear. But we have lost the war, and we have little choice but to accept unless we wish to see Germany crushed for good.
What is your opinion on the women's suffrage that was imposed shortly after the republican revolution?
- This is excellent! The liberation of women and their political participation is critical in a modern society.
- This is horrible! Women have no place in the world of politics. This is yet one more step on the road to societal destruction.
- I don't support any kind of suffrage, why would I support women's suffrage
It is the first round of 1925 Presidential Election. Who will you be voting for?
- Ernst Thälmann (KPD)
- Otto Braun (SPD)
- Willy Hellpach (DDP)
- Wilhelm Marx (Zentrum)
- Heinrich Held (Bavarian People's Party)
- Karl Jarres (DVP)
- Erich Luddendorff (NSDAP)
- Abstain
After the chaotic first round of voting, no candidate managed to achieve a majority of the vote. Thus, the election has now moved onto the second round. This time, a candidate only needs to achieve a plurality of the vote to win. Also, many candidates have dropped out amongst political deals.
- Paul von Hindenburg (DVP, DNVP, BVP, NSDAP)
- Wilhelm Marx(Zentrum, SPD, DDP)
- Ernst Thälmann (KPD)
- Abstain
The "Law for the Protection of the Republic" has been moved onto the floor of the Reichstag. Spurred on by political radicalism and a string of high profile assassinations, this new law seeks to ban any political parties deemed opposed to the democratic system and any anti-republic materials and rhetoric. What are your thoughts?
- This is a necessary implement for the defense of our democratic system. Without it, we will continue to be subject to the terror and violence of radical groups.
- This law is an attack by the system upon the political freedoms of Germany. No doubt, the establishment will seek to wield this law like a bludgeon against any it arbitrarily deems "subversive."
In Munich, supporters of the NSDAP and their ultraconservative allies launch an attempted uprising against the government in the hopes of establishing a new dictatorial government. The uprising is swiftly crushed by the police and many prominent Nazis, including Adolf Hitler, have been imprisoned. What are your thoughts on the uprising?
- Yet another attack on the republic by the forces of the reactionary right! How long can this continue? We must be ever more proactive in attacking subsersive elements!
- Though a noble attempt, this uprising is merely an indication of the tense political situation of the Weimar state.
- It is increasingly clear that violence alone cannot solve everything. If we want change, we must be patient yet persistent.
What do you think of the Treaty of Locarno? This treaty formalizes the western border of Germany and disavowed the use of violence in border disputes. We have reapproached the West, and future cooperation seems likely. However, the treaty notably does not make any concrete statements on the state of our Eastern border.
- This is good, cooperation with the west is necessary for our continued prosperity. Also the open question of the Eastern border, well... it leaves our options open.
- This has gone too far! Our continued path alongside the west will bring nothing but ruin to Germany!
In yet another foreign policy victory, the face of the DVP, Gustav Stresemann, signs the Kellogg-Briand Pact. This pact disavows wars of aggression for the settling of international disputes.
- Another victory for diplomacy in the face of violence!
- Yet more worthless words on paper.
What do you think of the rising paramilitaries that battle daily on the streets?
- This is a political travesty. How can we have a lawful democratic state when armed thugs roam the streets, cracking the skulls of their enemies?
- Though unfortunate, the realities of our political situation mean we must maintain our paramilitaries. With the weak and disloyal armies they can not easily be prosecuted, and attempting to go without will only make us a bigger target.
- Paramilitary? I believe you mean the most active and vocal means of political representation, one open to all people. This is how we shall secure our rights and our political future!
What is your religion?
- Protestant
- Catholic
- Jewish
- Atheist
- Other
Now that the Kaiser has been gone for some time, what are your thoughts on the republic and the monarchy?
- The Kaiser is an outdated relic of a bygone era.
- The empire was far more stable than this mess. Perhaps a return to the monarchy would be a good thing, no?
- Only the Kaiser can truly rule Germany! Look where his absence has gotten us! If he were here, if we hadn't been backstabbed by the traitors and cowards, Germany could again be strong.
Disaster! While the economy has been prospering over the past several years in a marked departure from the instability and hyper-inflation of the early 20's, it has all come tumbling down! The US economy has collapsed and with it all their investments abroad, including those in our country. The repercussions have been felt immediately and badly. Layoffs are effecting millions and the economy seems to be in free fall. Immediately, the radical parties are taking advantage of rapidly deteriorating living conditions.
- Oh God! What an utter disaster, we need to do something and fast. If the left and the right keep this up, who knows where this entire country will end up?
- Finally! The next chapter is upon us! With just a little more time and effort we shall sway a critical mass of the populace to us and soon after that all of Germany
How do you feel about the Young Plan? This plan is a revision of earlier treaties and plans regarding our reparations obligations to the western powers. The right wing has decried the new deal, viewing it as enslaving the nation to the west. However a nationwide referendum against ratification failed miserably, and less than 15% of the population voted against the plan.
- This new treaty is an excellent step forward in our national sovereignty and international cooperation.
- Bowing to the whims of the western liberals yet again! Even now, the traitors and backstabbers once more betray Germany.
The Social Democrat-led government has fallen, and now Chancellor Bruning from the Centre Party rules. His plan thus far has been harsh austerity and to attempt to massively renegotiate Germany's reparations and foreign debts. But even so early into this cabinet, as unemployment soars and the people most of all feel the tightening purse strings of the state, Bruning's austerity grows more and more unpopular amongst the whole of the Reichstag. What economic plan should be made to respond to the spiraling depression?
- Stay the course! We must remain fiscally responsible and allow businesses and the banks to recover naturally. We only need more time. Soon, the west will acquiesce to our demands and needs.
- We must break from this self-destructive path of austerity with massively increased spending. We should fund massive public works to provide jobs to the people and forcefully stimulate economic activity.
- While we should embark on a jobs creation program, we must still be responsible. We cannot spend flagrantly and plunge ourselves into yet more debt.
- We must rescue the failing industries of the nation with sweeping nationalizations and the empowerment of workers' councils!
- All power to the workers! The bourgeois government has clearly failed, and now the only option left is for the working class to take matters into its own hands before they are strangled at the hands of capital. Revolution is upon us!
- The establishment has failed us, the west has failed us, the socialists grow stronger by the day! The only answer is Germany. We must guarantee Germany can stand on her own two feet through a radical program of autarky; self-sufficiency in all matters. If that means repudiating our "international obligations" than so be it!
As the political situation grows more and more tumultuous by the day, the 1932 presidential election has arrived. Increasingly unpopular, the social democrats, liberals, and conservatives have rallied once again behind Paul von Hindenburg in the hopes that he will continue to keep the National Socialists out of power. The National Socialists themselves run their man, Adolf Hitler, and the Communists run Thalmann as expected. Who will you vote for?
- Paul von Hindenburg (SPD+Centre+Liberals)
- Adolf Hitler (NSDAP)
- Ernst Thalmann (KPD)
- Abstain
Once again, no candidate has achieved a majority in the first round of the election, and now we have moved onto the second round. Who will you be voting for?
- Paul von Hindenburg
- Adolf Hitler
- Ernst Thalmann
- Abstain
Bruning, the "hunger chancellor" has finally fallen from grace. In his stead, President Hindenburg has appointed Franz von Papen and a cabinet of primarily right-wingers from the DNVP. Current outlook on the new cabinet is not optimistic.
- Frankly, von Papen seems even worse than his predecessor somehow. Nonetheless, it is either him or the rising radicals. We have no choice but to tolerate this for the time being.
- von Papen is currently the only answer to the rising tide of extremism! We must back him no matter what comes.
- Who even cares at this point? One government in, one government out, what changes?
In a massive upset to the political left and centre, President Hindenburg has allowed Chancellor von Papen to perform a Reichsexekution on the SPD-led Prussian government. As a result, the government of Prussia has been removed with little popular opposition.
- The Prussian government has demonstrated its inability or unwillingness to control the disorder on its streets. This is a reasonable move by the cabinet to restore order in the state.
- This move is wholly unjustified, the Prussian government still fulfilled all its duties. This does nothing but continue to weaken the already shaky ground upon which this republic sits.
The von Papen government was not to last! After only sixth months, President Hindenburg has lost his confidence and von Papen has resigned in the face of mounting pressure. Former Reichswehr minister and general Kurt von Schleicher is in.
- This is all becoming very tiresome.
- Perhaps von Schleicher shall succeed where von Papen failed. I'm sure this tried and tested general can keep that uppity Austrian corporal under control.
Kurt von Schleicher's government has fallen and the worst has come to pass! President Hindenburg has appointed Adolf Hitler to the chancellorship and the National Socialists hold a large plurality in the Reichstag. And even worse, following a suspicious fire in the Reichstag building, the National Socialists have passed the Reichstag Fire Decree, granting them sweeping powers to suspend civil rights and prosecute any they deem enemies of the state.
- Already dozens have been jailed for their so-called involvement in the fire. If this continues, what will be stopping the fascists from undisputed power?
- Let us be cautious, we cannot risk rocking the boat much more. If these rumors of the Reichstag fire are true, then we must be sure there truly is no communist plot afoot.
- Our time is running out, if we do not act quickly then the worker's movement will be strangled and the fascists will hold absolute control.
- A necessary act for the protection of Germany against the threat of socialist revolution.
We were wrong. The situation has gotten yet even worse. The National Socialists, citing the politically unstable atmosphere, have moved to pass an Enabling Act. If passed, this act would grant utter control of the state and the government to Adolf Hitler and his cabinet, allowing them to pass and enforce laws and dominate the courts and the military with no oversight or control from either the Reichstag or the President. Already, the act seems ready to pass. Only the Social Democrats look to be ready to vote against the law, and all the Communist ministers are already dead or arrested.
- The republic is doomed. With this act, the democratic state has finally been destroyed. Soon enough all enemies of the fascists will find themselves at the mercy of the state, not just the Communists.
- This spells an unfortunate future for the republic, indeed. But as long as the National Socialists hold to their promises, we are willing to compromise with them on the passage of this act. :clueless:
- We cannot let this happen! We are out of time and out of options, the only path left is an uprising. The workers must take to the streets and resist this fascist domination or else we will all be suffering from it.
- Finally, Germany is under proper protection from the nefarious and scheming forces of socialism and liberalism. In twelve years' time, Germany will be unrecognizable! :clueless:

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