The Great Coalition (13 August 1923 – 30 November 1923) was a grand coalition during the Weimar Republic that was made up of the four main pro-democratic parties in the Reichstag:

Gustav Stresemann, Reich chancellor during the Great Coalition, in 1926

The coalition was formed under Reich Chancellor Gustav Stresemann in 1923 with the backing of all four parties. It was a time of multiple crises for the Weimar Republic. Hyperinflation, fueled by the policy of passive resistance towards the French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr, was at its peak, and parties on the extreme left and right had taken over or joined the governments in Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia.

During its brief three months in office, the Great Coalition ended the passive reistance against the Ruhr occupation, successfully stabilized the currency by replacing the worthless Papiermark with the Rentenmark and expelled the German Communist Party from the governments of Saxony and Thuringia by means of a Reichsexekution.[1]

In part due to the latter move, the SPD withdrew from the Great Coalition in November 1923 and brought down the Stresemann government.[2]

The second cabinet of Hermann Müller (28 June 1928 – 27 March 1930) could also be considered a Great Coalition. In addition to the other four parties, it included the Catholic Bavarian People's Party, which had historical ties to the Centre Party.

Election History

Weimar National Assembly

Election Seats won Change Total votes Share of votes Swing Status in legislature
1919
348 / 423
 N/A 24,486,329 80.51% N/A Majority

Reichstag

Election Seats won Change Total votes Share of votes Swing Status in legislature
1920
271 / 459
 Decrease77 16,278,179 57.74% Decrease22.77% Majority
May 1924
238 / 472
 Decrease33 14,272,794 48.74% Decrease9.00% Majority
Dec 1924
283 / 493
 Increase45 16,968,783 56.02% Increase7.28% Majority
1928
284 / 491
 Increase1 17,024,208 55.36% Decrease0.66% Majority
1930
261 / 577
 Decrease23 16,064,803 45.96% Decrease9.40% Minority
Jul 1932
219 / 608
 Decrease42 13,356,944 36.21% Decrease9.75% Minority
Nov 1932
204 / 584
 Decrease15 12,475,782 35.17% Decrease1.04% Minority
Mar 1933
200 / 647
 Decrease4 12,378,088 31.45% Decrease3.72% Minority

See also

References

  1. ↑ Morsey, Rudolf (6 May 2023). "Gustav Stresemann, Chancellor of Germany". Britannica. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Eckelmann, Susanne (6 January 2015). "Gustav Stresemann 1878–1929". Deutsches Historisches Museum (in German). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
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