German presidential election, 1919
Encyclopedia
The presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) of 1919 was the first election to the office of President of the Reich
(Reichspräsident), Germany
's head of state
during the 1919-1933 Weimar Republic
. The constitution that stipulated a direct popular vote was not completed before 11 August 1919. Because a head of state was needed right away/ immediately the 1919 presidential election was held indirectly, by the National Assembly, on February 11, 1919. The winner was SPD
chairman Friedrich Ebert
, who beat former (Imperial) Secretary of the Interior Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner
by 277 to 49 votes. Ebert was supported by the SPD, the German Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP), the parties of the "Weimar Coalition
", which held more than 77 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly.
Reichspräsident
The Reichspräsident was the German head of state under the Weimar constitution, which was officially in force from 1919 to 1945. In English he was usually simply referred to as the President of Germany...
(Reichspräsident), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
during the 1919-1933 Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. The constitution that stipulated a direct popular vote was not completed before 11 August 1919. Because a head of state was needed right away/ immediately the 1919 presidential election was held indirectly, by the National Assembly, on February 11, 1919. The winner was SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
chairman Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .When Ebert was elected as the leader of the SPD after the death of August Bebel, the party members of the SPD were deeply divided because of the party's support for World War I. Ebert supported the Burgfrieden and...
, who beat former (Imperial) Secretary of the Interior Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner
Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner
Arthur, Count of Posadowsky-Wehner, Baron of Postelwitz was a German conservative politician and statesman. He served as Secretary for the Treasury , Secretary of the Interior, Vice Chancellor of Germany and Prussian Minister of State ....
by 277 to 49 votes. Ebert was supported by the SPD, the German Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP), the parties of the "Weimar Coalition
Weimar Coalition
The Weimar Coalition is the name given to the coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , the German Democratic Party , and the Catholic Centre Party, who together had a large majority of the delegates to the Constituent Assembly that met at Weimar in 1919, and were the principal groups...
", which held more than 77 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly.