May 1924 German federal election

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May 1924 German federal election
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg
  1920 4 May 1924 (1924-05-04) December 1924  

All 472 seats in the Reichstag
237 seats needed for a majority
Registered38,374,983 (Increase2.svg 6.7%)
Turnout77.4% (Decrease2.svg 1.8pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
SPD 1924 leadership.jpg
Oskar Hergt.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2007-0187, Constantin Fehrenbach.jpg
Leader Hermann Müller
Otto Wels
Arthur Crispien
Oskar Hergt Constantin Fehrenbach
Party SPD DNVP Centre
Last election39.5%, 186 seats [a] 15.1%, 71 seats13.6%, 64 seats
Seats won1009565
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 86Increase2.svg 24Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote6,008,9055,696,4753,914,379
Percentage20.5%19.5%13.4%
SwingDecrease2.svg 19.0 pp Increase2.svg 4.4 pp Decrease2.svg 0.2 pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
Fischer-Ruth-1924-Bain.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1982-092-11, Gustav Stresemann.jpg
Erich Ludendorff 1918.jpg
Leader Ruth Fischer & Arkadi Maslow Gustav Stresemann Erich Ludendorff
Party KPD DVP NSFP
Last election2.1%, 4 seats13.9%, 65 seatsDid not exist
Seats won624532
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 58Decrease2.svg 20New party
Popular vote3,693,2802,694,3811,918,329
Percentage12.6%9.2%6.5%
SwingIncrease2.svg 10.5 pp Decrease2.svg 4.7 pp New party

May 1924 German federal election - Charts.svg
May 1924 German federal election - Choropleth.svg

Government before election

First Marx cabinet
ZDVPBVPDDP

Government after election

Second Marx cabinet
ZDVPDDP

Federal elections were held in Germany 4 May 1924 to elect the second Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. [1]

Contents

The elections took place in the wake of several national crises the previous year: hyperinflation, the occupation of the Ruhr, conflict between the federal and state governments, as well as the Beer Hall Putsch and German October. A national state of emergency had been declared in response to these events, which the Stresemann cabinets and first Marx cabinet had used to bring them under control to a great extent. Hyperinflation had been controlled with the institution of a new currency in November 1923, and the government was able to bring the Western Allies to the table on the issue of the Ruhr and reparations. When the state of emergency lapsed in March 1924 and, faced with parliamentary opposition to several government decrees, Chancellor Wilhelm Marx requested the dissolution of the Reichstag for new elections. [2] [3] [4]

The elections resulted in losses for the parties of the moderate centre who had been part of government in the previous year: the Catholic Centre Party, German People's Party (DVP), and German Democratic Party (DDP). The Social Democratic Party (SPD) suffered particularly severe losses. Parties of the far right and far left made the most advances: the radical nationalist German National People's Party (DNVP) very nearly surpassed the SPD, while the Communist Party won 13%, and the National Socialist Freedom Movement (NSFP), an alliance of völkisch nationalists and the Nazi Party, won 6.5%. [4]

No clear majority could be formed in the new Reichstag. Wilhelm Marx remained Chancellor in a minority cabinet with the hope of bringing the DNVP into government. The following months were dominated by debate over the Dawes Plan, which would set out a payment plan for reparations. Its passage required a two-thirds majority due to the constitutional amendments necessary, meaning both SPD and DNVP support was needed. The former supported the plan, while the latter was deeply divided: after a controversial session, about half of the DNVP delegation voted in favour, enough to secure its passage. With this major issue resolved, the cabinet negotiated for the DNVP's entry but without success. With no prospect of a stable government, the Reichstag was dissolved in October for fresh elections. [4]

Electoral system

The Reichstag was elected via party list proportional representation. For this purpose, the country was divided into 35 multi-member electoral districts. A party was entitled to a seat for every 60,000 votes won. This was calculated via a three-step process on the constituency level, an intermediary level which combined multiple constituencies, and finally nationwide, where all parties' excess votes were combined. In the third nationwide step, parties could not be awarded more seats than they had already won on the two lower constituency levels. Due to the fixed number of votes per seat, the size of the Reichstag fluctuated between elections based on the number of voters and turnout. The voting age was 25 years. [5]

Results

Germany Reichstag Jul 1924.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party 6,008,90520.52−1.40100−3
German National People's Party 5,696,47519.45+4.3895+24
Centre Party 3,914,37913.37−0.2765+1
Communist Party of Germany 3,693,28012.61+10.5262+58
German People's Party 2,694,3819.20−4.7045−20
National Socialist Freedom Movement 1,918,3296.55New32New
German Democratic Party 1,655,1295.65−2.6328−11
Bavarian People's Party 946,6483.23−0.9316−4
Agricultural League 574,9391.96New10New
Economic Party of the German Middle Class 500,8201.71New7New
German Social Party 333,4271.14+1.064+4
German-Hanoverian Party 319,7921.09−0.0450
Independent Social Democratic Party 235,1450.80−16.830−83
Bavarian Peasants' League 192,7860.66−0.123−1
Christian Social People's Community124,4510.43New0New
Polish People's Party 100,2600.34New0New
National Freedom Party62,0710.21New0New
Geusen League59,2220.20New0New
Party of Tenants45,9200.16New0New
Republican Party of Germany45,7220.16New0New
German Workers' Party 36,2910.12New0New
Free Economy Union F.F.F.36,0130.12New0New
Socialist League 26,4180.09New0New
Haeusser Alliance24,4510.08New0New
Wendish People's Party 10,8270.04+0.0100
National Block9,5610.03New0New
Schleswig Club7,6200.03+0.0100
Bavarian Middle Class League – Southern Region5,6590.02New0New
Independent Economic Group1,8480.01New0New
Masurian Union1,0290.00New0New
Total29,281,798100.00472+13
Valid votes29,281,79898.56
Invalid/blank votes427,5821.44
Total votes29,709,380100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,374,98377.42
Source: Gonschior.de

Notes

  1. Aggregate results for the Social Democratic Party (21.9%, 103 seats) and the USPD (17.6%, 83 seats). The two parties merged in September 1922.

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References

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  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p790
  3. Ogg, Fredericx A.; Shepard, Walter James (1924). "The German Elections". American Political Science Review. 18 (3): 528–533. doi:10.2307/1944174. ISSN   0003-0554. JSTOR   1944174. S2CID   145608013.
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Works cited