May 1924 German federal election

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

May 1924 German federal election

← 1920 4 May 1924 (1924-05-04) December 1924 →

All 472 seats in the Reichstag
237 seats needed for a majority
Registered38,374,983 (Increase 6.7%)
Turnout77.4% (Decrease 1.8pp)
  First party Second party Third 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 election 39.5%, 186 seats[a] 15.1%, 71 seats 13.6%, 64 seats
Seats won 100 95 65
Seat change Decrease 86 Increase 24 Increase 1
Popular vote 6,008,905 5,696,475 3,914,379
Percentage 20.5% 19.5% 13.4%
Swing Decrease 19.0 pp Increase 4.4 pp Decrease 0.2 pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth 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 election 2.1%, 4 seats 13.9%, 65 seats Did not exist
Seats won 62 45 32
Seat change Increase 58 Decrease 20 New party
Popular vote 3,693,280 2,694,381 1,918,329
Percentage 12.6% 9.2% 6.5%
Swing Increase 10.5 pp Decrease 4.7 pp New party


Government before election

First Marx cabinet
ZDVPBVPDDP

Government after election

Second Marx cabinet
ZDVPDDP

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

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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

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PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party6,008,90520.52−1.40100−3
German National People's Party5,696,47519.45+4.3895+24
Centre Party3,914,37913.37−0.2765+1
Communist Party of Germany3,693,28012.61+10.5262+58
German People's Party2,694,3819.20−4.7045−20
National Socialist Freedom Movement1,918,3296.55New32New
German Democratic Party1,655,1295.65−2.6328−11
Bavarian People's Party946,6483.23−0.9316−4
Agricultural League574,9391.96New10New
Economic Party of the German Middle Class500,8201.71New7New
German Social Party333,4271.14+1.064+4
German-Hanoverian Party319,7921.09−0.0450
Independent Social Democratic Party235,1450.80−16.830−83
Bavarian Peasants' League192,7860.66−0.123−1
Christian Social People's Community124,4510.43New0New
Polish People's Party100,2600.34New0New
National Freedom Party62,0710.21New0New
Geusen League59,2220.20New0New
Party of Tenants45,9200.16New0New
Republican Party of Germany45,7220.16New0New
German Workers' Party36,2910.12New0New
Free Economy Union F.F.F.36,0130.12New0New
Socialist League26,4180.09New0New
Haeusser Alliance24,4510.08New0New
Wendish People's Party10,8270.04+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

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  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.

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  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.
  4. ^ a b c Kolb, Eberhard (2004). The Weimar Republic. Translated by Falla, P. S.; Park, R. J. New York City: Routledge. p. 72-73. ISBN 0415344417.
  5. ^ Aleskerov, F.; Holler, M.J.; Kamalova, R. (21 February 2013). "Power distribution in the Weimar Reichstag in 1919–1933". Annals of Operations Research. 215 (April 2014): 25–37. doi:10.1007/s10479-013-1325-4.

Works cited

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