1920 German federal election

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1920 German federal election
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg
  1919 6 June 1920 (1920-06-06) May 1924  

All 459 seats in the Reichstag
230 seats needed for a majority
Registered35,949,774 (Decrease2.svg 2.3%)
Turnout79.2% (Decrease2.svg 3.8pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
SPD 1920 leadership.jpg
Arthur Crispien on the street.jpg
Oskar Hergt.jpg
Leader Arthur Crispien Oskar Hergt
Party SPD USPD DnVp
Last election37.9%, 165 seats7.6%, 22 seats10.3%, 44 seats
Seats won1038371
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 62Increase2.svg 61Increase2.svg 27
Popular vote6,179,9914,971,2204,249,100
Percentage21.9%17.6%15.1%
SwingDecrease2.svg 16.0ppIncrease2.svg 10.0ppIncrease2.svg 4.8pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1982-092-11, Gustav Stresemann.jpg
Karl Trimborn circa 1915 (cropped).jpg
PetersenCarlWilhelm.jpg
Leader Gustav Stresemann Karl Trimborn Carl Wilhelm Petersen
Party DVP Centre DDP
Last election4.4%, 19 seats19.7%, 91 seats18.6%, 75 seats
Seats won656439
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 46Decrease2.svg 27Decrease2.svg 36
Popular vote3,919,4463,845,0012,333,741
Percentage13.9%13.6%8.3%
SwingIncrease2.svg 9.5ppDecrease2.svg 6.1ppDecrease2.svg 10.3pp

German Federal Election, 1920.svg

Government before election

First Müller cabinet
SPDDDPZ

Government after election

Fehrenbach cabinet
ZDDPDVP

Federal elections were held in Germany on 6 June 1920. Territorial disputes meant that voting was delayed in East Prussia and Schleswig-Holstein until 20 February 1921, and until 19 November 1922 in Oppeln. [1] The Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the Reichstag although it lost over a third of its seats. [2] Voter turnout was about 79.2%. [3]

Contents

Electoral system

The members of the Reichstag were elected by two methods. A total of 35 multi-member constituencies were to have representatives elected via party-list proportional representation. A party was entitled to a seat via this method for every 60,000 votes they obtained in a constituency. At the second level, the 35 constituencies were combined into 17 constituency associations. A party could claim an additional seat if its vote remainder in the electoral district after distribution of seats by the first method was more than 30,000. As seats were allocated based on vote count, there was not a set number of seats in the chamber. [4]

People who were under the age of 25, incapacitated according to the Civil Code, who were under guardianship or provisional guardianship, or who had lost their civil rights of honour after a criminal court ruling were not eligible to vote.

Results

Germany Reichstag 1920.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party 6,179,99121.92−15.94103−62
Independent Social Democratic Party 4,971,22017.63+10.0183+61
German National People's Party 4,249,10015.07+4.8071+27
German People's Party 3,919,44613.90+9.4765+46
Centre Party 3,845,00113.64−6.0364−27
German Democratic Party 2,333,7418.28−10.2839−36
Bavarian People's Party 1,173,3444.16New20New
Communist Party of Germany 589,4542.09New4New
German-Hanoverian Party 319,1081.13+0.885+4
Bavarian Peasants' League 218,5960.78−0.1340
Poland Party 89,2280.32New0New
German Economic League for City and Country88,8000.31New0New
Christian People's Party 65,2600.23New1New
Polish Catholic Party of Upper Silesia51,4370.18New0New
Schleswig-Holstein State Party 25,9070.09New0New
German Social Party 22,9580.08New0New
German Middle Class Party21,2550.08New0New
Wendish People's Party 8,0500.03New0New
German Socialist Party 7,1860.03New0New
Reform Group6,8320.02New0New
Schleswig Club4,9660.02New0New
National Democratic People's Party4,0150.01New0New
Christian Social People's Party1,2190.00New0New
Independent Party1690.00New0New
German Economy and Labour Party430.00New0New
Upper Silesian Catholic People's Party60.00New0New
Total28,196,332100.00459+36
Valid votes28,196,33299.06
Invalid/blank votes267,2490.94
Total votes28,463,581100.00
Registered voters/turnout35,949,77479.18
Source: Gonschior.de

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References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p790
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p776
  4. Aleskerov, F., Holler, M.J. & Kamalova, R. Power distribution in the Weimar Reichstag in 1919–1933. Ann Oper Res215, 25–37 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-013-1325-4