History glossary
Weimar Republic
Germany's democratic republic between the First World War and Nazi rule.
- Category
- State
- Region
- Germany
- Date range
- 1919-1933
What it means
The Weimar Republic governed Germany from 1919 to 1933. It produced cultural innovation and democratic rights, but also faced defeat, reparations, hyperinflation, political violence, extremist parties, and the Great Depression before Hitler destroyed it.
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 Treaty of Versailles and Its Consequences
From the armistice of November 1918 to Hitler's rise in 1933, this story traces how the Treaty of Versailles — its punishment, its borders, its reparations, and its resentments — helped shape the conditions for a second world war.
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.
