History glossary
Reichstag
Germany's national parliament during the empire and the Weimar Republic.
- Category
- Political institution
- Region
- Germany
- Date range
- 1871–1945
What it means
The Reichstag was Germany's national parliament. Under the Weimar Republic it was elected by proportional representation, but after 1933 the Nazi regime used emergency decrees, intimidation, arrests, and the Enabling Act to destroy its ability to check the government.
Related terms
Stories using this term
Nazi Germany
From Weimar collapse to WWII, Nazi Germany imposed totalitarian rule, expansion, and genocide.
Weimar Republic
A fragile democracy marked by crisis and innovation, whose collapse paved the way for Nazi rule.
The Causes of the Second World War
From the flawed peace of 1919 to the invasion of Poland in 1939, this story traces the interlocking causes of the Second World War across two decades of crisis, ideology, and failed deterrence.
The Second World War
From fragile peace to global war, WWII reshaped the world through conflict, genocide, and new power orders.
The Rise of Adolf Hitler
From the ashes of World War I to the Night of the Long Knives, this story traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler and the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
