The presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) of 1925 was the first direct election to the office of Reichspräsident ("Reich President"), Germany's head of state during the 1919-1933 Weimar Republic. The first Reich President, Friedrich Ebert, died on 28 February, 1925. Ebert had been elected indirectly, by the National Assembly, but the Weimar constitution required that his successor be elected by the "whole German people". After two rounds of voting, on 29 March and on 26 April, Paul von Hindenburg was elected as the second president of Germany. Events January-May January 3 - Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy. ... The Reichspräsident (Reich President) was the German head of state during the period of the 1919- 1933 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived in 1945. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (Pronounced Vye-Mar, and in German it is known as the Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German monarchy... This is not the same Friedrich Ebert who was briefly the GDRs head of state, but rather his father. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Weimar constitution was the document that governed the short-lived Weimar Republic (1919-1933) of Germany. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... Paul von Hindenburg President of Germany Paul von Hindenburg (full name Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg) (October 2, 1847 – August 2, 1934) was a German Field Marshal and statesman. ...

Hindenburg was the candidate of a broad coalition of the political right. Many on the right hoped that once in power he would destroy Weimar democracy from the inside and restore the pre-Weimar status quo. The two other major candidates were Otto Braun of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Wilhelm Marx of Zentrum (also known as the 'Catholic Centre Party'). Braun and Marx's parties were both members of the 'Weimar coalition': the group of parties regarded as most committed to the Weimar system. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD – Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) is the second oldest political party of Germany still in existence and also one of the oldest and largest in the world, celebrating its 140th anniversary in 2003. ... Wilhelm Marx (January 15, 1863–August 5, 1946) was a German Catholic politician and a member of the Centre Party. ... The factual accuracy of this article is Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. ... The Weimar Coalition is the name given to the coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the German Democratic Party (DDP), and the Catholic Centre Party, who together had a large majority of the delegates to the Constituent Assembly which met at Weimar in 1919, and were the...

The election was important because of the turbulent times in which it occurred and because, under the Weimar constitution, the head of state wielded considerable power. Hindenburg would be again returned in the 1932 election and would play an important role during the rise to power of the Nazis. However, many of Hindenburg's 1925 backers were subsequently disappointed. Although in the years that followed his election many questioned the constitutionality of certain of his actions, Hindenburg never attempted to overthrow the Weimar constitution outright. The presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) of 1932 was the second and final direct election to the office of Reichspräsident (Reich President), Germanys head of state during the 1919_1933 Weimar Republic. ... The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ...

Electoral system

During the Weimar Republic the law provided that if no candidate received an absolute majority of votes (i.e. more that half) in the first round of a presidential election then a second ballot would occur in which the candidate with a plurality of votes would be deemed elected. It was permitted for a group to nominate an alternative candidate in the second round. A plurality (or relative majority) is the largest share of something, which may or may not be a majority. ...

First round

Seven candidates stood in the first round. Hindenburg was not included among them as he would not be nominated as a candidate until the second round. Instead, the most popular candidate of the political right was Karl Jarres of the German People's Party (DVP), a former Minister of the Interior, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and mayor of Duisburg. Otto Braun, the SPD's candidate, was a former Minister-President of Prussia and a well known and respected figure. Zentrum's candidate, Wilhelm Marx, was the chair of the party and a former chancellor. The German Peoples Party (Deutsche Volkspartei, or DVP) was founded by the more right-wing elements of the old National Liberal Party in the early days of the Weimar Republic, led by Gustav Stresemann. ... The Minister of the Interior is the member of the Cabinet of Germany in charge of the Ministry of the Interior. ... The Vice-Chancellor of Germany (Vizekanzler) in Germany is often the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ... Location of Duisburg Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. ... The Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident) of Prussia existed in one form or another from 1792 until the dissolution of Prussia in 1947. ... The head of government in Germany has traditionally been called Kanzler ( Chancellor). ...

The other significant candidates were Ernst Thaelmann of the Communist Party (KPD) and Willy Hellpach of the German Democratic Party (DDP). The Nazi Party (NSDAP) put forward Erich Ludendorff but was at that time merely a fringe movement and secured only a negligible share of the vote. The first ballot was held on 29 March, with a turnout of 68.9 per cent. Ernst Thälmann memorial in Weimar. ... The Communist Party of Germany (in German, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands – KPD) was formed in December of 1918 from the Spartacist League, which originated as a small factional grouping within the Social Democratic Party (SPD) opposed to the First World War on the grounds that it was an imperialist war in... The German Democratic Party, or Deutsche Demokratische Partei (DDP), was founded by leaders of the former Progressive Peoples Party (Fortschrittliche Volkspartei) and the left wing of the National Liberal Party (Nationalliberale Partei) in the early days of the Weimar Republic. ... General Erich Ludendorff Erich Ludendorff (sometimes given incorrectly as Erich von Ludendorff) ( April 9, 1865 – December 20, 1937, Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany) was a German Army officer, noted as a general during World War I. Ludendorff was born in Kruszewnia near Posen, Prussia (now Poznań, Poland). ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ...

The German Peoples Party (Deutsche Volkspartei, or DVP) was founded by the more right-wing elements of the old National Liberal Party in the early days of the Weimar Republic, led by Gustav Stresemann. ... The German National Peoples Party (German: Deutschnationale Volkspartei) (DNVP) was a right wing national_conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. ... The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD – Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) is the second oldest political party of Germany still in existence and also one of the oldest and largest in the world, celebrating its 140th anniversary in 2003. ... Wilhelm Marx (January 15, 1863–August 5, 1946) was a German Catholic politician and a member of the Centre Party. ... The factual accuracy of this article is Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. ... Ernst Thälmann memorial in Weimar. ... The Communist Party of Germany (in German, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands – KPD) was formed in December of 1918 from the Spartacist League, which originated as a small factional grouping within the Social Democratic Party (SPD) opposed to the First World War on the grounds that it was an imperialist war in... The German Democratic Party, or Deutsche Demokratische Partei (DDP), was founded by leaders of the former Progressive Peoples Party (Fortschrittliche Volkspartei) and the left wing of the National Liberal Party (Nationalliberale Partei) in the early days of the Weimar Republic. ... General Erich Ludendorff Erich Ludendorff (sometimes given incorrectly as Erich von Ludendorff) ( April 9, 1865 – December 20, 1937, Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany) was a German Army officer, noted as a general during World War I. Ludendorff was born in Kruszewnia near Posen, Prussia (now Poznań, Poland). ... The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ...

Second round

After the election's first round Jarres withdrew in favour of Hindenburg, who was a monarchist and popular former general. Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to stand, but only after first consulting with the deposed Kaiser. His major supporters were the DVP, the German National People's Party (DNVP) and the Bavarian People's Party (BVP). The DVP, and especially its leader Gustav Stresemann, had reservations about the idea of a Hindenburg presidency because of its possible repercussions for German foreign policy, but eventually came on board. Kaiser is a German title meaning emperor, derived from the Roman title of Caesar, as is the Slavic title of Czar. ... The German National Peoples Party (German: Deutschnationale Volkspartei) (DNVP) was a right wing national_conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. ... Gustav Stresemann (May 10, 1878 - October 3, 1929) was a German politician and statesman during the Weimar Republic and the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. ...

The SPD and Zentrum agreed to make Marx their common candidate to ensure the defeat of Hindenburg and so, after Zentrum refused to support Braun, he withdrew from the race. The DDP also reluctantly agreed to withdraw its candidate and support Marx. As Marx's supporters included both the moderate left and the political centre he was believed to have a high chance of winning. The three participants in the second round were therefore Hindenburg, Marx and Thaelmann of the Communists. Because of Thaelmann's participation the left-wing vote was split, giving an advantage to Hindenburg. The election occurred on 26th April and had a turnout 77,6%. Hindenburg won on a plurality of the vote, with 48.3% to Marx's 45.3%.

Paul von Hindenburg President of Germany Paul von Hindenburg (full name Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg) (October 2, 1847 – August 2, 1934) was a German Field Marshal and statesman. ... The German Peoples Party (Deutsche Volkspartei, or DVP) was founded by the more right-wing elements of the old National Liberal Party in the early days of the Weimar Republic, led by Gustav Stresemann. ... The German National Peoples Party (German: Deutschnationale Volkspartei) (DNVP) was a right wing national_conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. ... The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... Wilhelm Marx (January 15, 1863–August 5, 1946) was a German Catholic politician and a member of the Centre Party. ... The factual accuracy of this article is Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. ... The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD – Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) is the second oldest political party of Germany still in existence and also one of the oldest and largest in the world, celebrating its 140th anniversary in 2003. ... The German Democratic Party, or Deutsche Demokratische Partei (DDP), was founded by leaders of the former Progressive Peoples Party (Fortschrittliche Volkspartei) and the left wing of the National Liberal Party (Nationalliberale Partei) in the early days of the Weimar Republic. ... Ernst Thälmann memorial in Weimar. ... The Communist Party of Germany (in German, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands – KPD) was formed in December of 1918 from the Spartacist League, which originated as a small factional grouping within the Social Democratic Party (SPD) opposed to the First World War on the grounds that it was an imperialist war in...

See also

• History of Germany
• German presidential election, 2004