1925 German presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Germany on 29 March 1925, with a runoff on 26 April.<ref name=NS>Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 Template:ISBN</ref> They were the first direct elections to the office of President of the Reich ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), Germany's head of state during the 1919–33 Weimar Republic. The first President, Friedrich Ebert, who had died on 28 February 1925, had been elected indirectly, by the National Assembly, but the Weimar Constitution required that his successor be elected by the "whole German people". Paul von Hindenburg was elected as the second president of Germany in the second round of voting.

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 candidates who were believed to have a chance of winning were Otto Braun of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Wilhelm Marx of the Centre Party. Both the SPD and Centre were members of the Weimar Coalition, the group of parties regarded as most committed to the Weimar system. Only Marx proceeded to the second round of the election.

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 Nazi Party. 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.

Background

President Friedrich Ebert died on 28 February 1925. On 9 March, the Reichstag selected to hold the first round on 29 March and the second round on 26 April. Walter Simons was selected to serve as acting president on 10 March. This was the first direct election of the president.Template:Sfn

Electoral system

During the Weimar Republic, the law provided for a modified two-round system, such that if no candidate received an absolute majority of votes (i.e. more than 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.

Candidates

First round

The Communist Party (KPD) was the first party to nominate a candidate. The central committee selected Ernst Thälmann on 3 March. Karl Jarres was nominated as the joint candidate of the German People's Party (DVP) and German National People's Party (DNVP) on 12 March.Template:Sfn

Loebell-Ausschutz, a right-wing committee with representatives from the DVP, DNVP, and Bavarian parties, considered supporting the Centre, but only if Adam Stegerwald was nominated. The German Democratic Party (DDP) suggested that Loebell-Ausschutz and Social Democratic Party (SPD) could support Simons. Loebell-Ausschutz invited the DDP and Centre to a conference to discuss the presidential nomination. The right-wing refused to support Simons and Wilhelm Marx, while the DDP refused to support Jarres. Otto Gessler was proposed as a compromise candidate, but this failed.Template:Sfn

Most right-wing völkisch movement parties supported Jarres as a compromise candidate, but Adolf Hitler had the Nazi Party support Ludendorff. Hitler later supported Hindenburg. Hitler later punished the völkisch parties that opposed his decision and issued an order in May 1925 prohibiting Nazis from working with them.Template:Sfn

Otto Braun, the SPD's candidate, was a former Minister-President of Prussia and a well known and respected figure. The Centre Party's candidate, Wilhelm Marx, was the chair of the party and a former chancellor. The other significant candidate was Willy Hellpach of the DDP. The German Völkisch Freedom Party (DVFP) put forward Erich Ludendorff but secured only a negligible share of the vote.

Second round

The Centre renominated Marx for the second round and he received the support of the DDP and SPD. Marx was made the candidate of the Volksblock on 3 April.Template:Sfn

On 1 April, the DVP's executive committee unanimously endorsed Jarres. Paul von Hindenburg, who twice declined to run, announced his candidacy on 8 April, after being convinced by Alfred von Tirpitz. The Bavarian People's Party endorsed him and strongly promoted his candidacy.Template:Sfn

Results

The first ballot was held on 29 March, with a turnout of 68.9%. Although Jarres received the most votes in the first round, he was well short of a majority. He subsequently withdrew in favour of Hindenburg, who was a committed monarchist and popular former general. Although Hindenburg had no interest in seeking public office and was especially uneasy with the prospect of becoming Germany's head of state, he reluctantly agreed to stand, supposedly only after first consulting with the deposed Kaiser. His major supporters were the German People's Party (DVP), the German National People's Party (DNVP) and the 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. Hindenburg was also endorsed by the German Völkisch Freedom Party (DVFP), the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) and the Agricultural League (RLB).

On the left, the Centre Party ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) refused to support Braun from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), so Braun withdrew. The SPD agreed to support Marx (Centre) as the common candidate to ensure the defeat of Hindenburg. The German Democratic Party also reluctantly withdrew its candidate and supported 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 Thälmann of the Communist Party. The pro-Marx forces styled themselves the Volksblock (People's Bloc) in response to the Reichsblock which supported Hindenburg, comprising the DNVP, DVP, BVP, other bourgeois parties, and right-wing nationalist organisations such as the Stahlhelm.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The second round was held on 26 April, with a turnout of 77.6%. Hindenburg won on a plurality of the vote, with 48.3% to Marx's 45.3%. Marx's loss was attributed to the fact that the Bavarian People's Party, a sister party of the Centre, endorsed Hindenburg as a protest against the Marx's cooperation with the Social Democrats.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Some also attributed Marx's loss to the candidature of Ernst Thälmann of the Communist Party of Germany, who did not drop out in the second round. However, historian Peter Fritzsche rejected this view, calling the claim "far-fetched" and arguing that "given the explicit enmity of this party toward the Weimar "capitalist state," it would have been completely unrealistic to expect the KPD to support the candidate of the Weimar system". Fritsche instead found that the BVP's endorsement of Hindenburg was crucial to Marx's defeat.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Template:Election results

Results by constituency

Constituency	First round<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation														CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Second round<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation						CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Jarres Template:Small		Braun Template:Small		Marx Template:Small		Thälmann Template:Small		Hellpach Template:Small		Held Template:Small		Ludendorff Template:Small		Hindenburg Template:Small		Marx Template:Small		Thälmann Template:Small
	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |	colspan=2 style="width:40px; background-color:Template:Party color;" |
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
1 East Prussia	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 550,294	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 58.41	228,012	24.20	70,050	7.44	45,276	4.81	32,759	3.48	2,837	0.30	11,352	1.20	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 715,093	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 66.90	302,740	28.32	50,344	4.71
2 Berlin	329,003	30.13	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 398,510	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 36.50	56,638	5.19	180,734	16.55	121,390	11.12	1,357	0.12	4,010	0.37	384,361	32.47	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 654,487	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 55.29	144,879	12.24
3 Potsdam II	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 372,996	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 42.34	261,740	29.71	37,953	4.31	84,516	9.59	118,309	13.43	1,206	0.14	3,977	0.45	427,358	44.22	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 467,709	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 48.39	71,206	7.37
4 Potsdam I	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 394,333	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 45.93	287,263	33.46	26,188	3.05	84,196	9.81	58,933	6.86	1,784	0.21	5,266	0.61	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 464,550	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 49.20	403,596	42.75	75,722	8.02
5 Frankfurt (Oder)	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 439,818	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 56.47	227,546	29.22	51,340	6.59	23,319	2.99	27,740	3.56	1,785	0.23	6,499	0.83	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 532,597	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 61.47	307,914	35.54	25,513	2.94
6 Pomerania	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 530,287	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 63.92	213,942	25.79	10,862	1.31	33,483	4.04	26,929	3.25	2,268	0.27	10,879	1.31	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 656,822	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 71.08	224,486	24.29	42,276	4.58
7 Breslau	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 354,431	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 39.49	314,880	35.08	167,398	18.65	18,668	2.08	33,439	3.73	2,499	0.28	5,490	0.61	451,792	45.34	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 520,907	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 52.28	23,335	2.34
8 Liegnitz	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 240,523	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 42.26	204,339	35.90	48,365	8.50	11,667	2.05	59,333	10.42	1,602	0.28	2,904	0.51	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 321,295	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 50.47	298,431	46.88	16,629	2.61
9 Oppeln	145,053	30.58	46,391	9.78	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 220,914	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 46.57	45,552	9.60	8,980	1.89	2,064	0.44	4,640	0.98	224,914	39.84	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 293,213	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 51.94	46,041	8.16
10 Magdeburg	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 411,748	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 47.74	347,615	40.30	17,734	2.06	38,670	4.48	37,901	4.39	1,511	0.18	6,677	0.77	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 485,357	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 52.21	404,361	43.50	39,584	4.26
11 Merseburg	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 334,877	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 50.00	143,680	21.45	10,836	1.62	136,951	20.45	33,195	4.96	1,446	0.22	8,395	1.25	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 411,234	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 57.41	164,671	22.99	140,153	19.56
12 Thuringia	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 496,699	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 49.07	305,481	30.18	47,224	4.67	101,681	10.05	42,234	4.17	2,159	0.21	15,857	1.57	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 621,652	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 55.21	393,621	34.96	110,108	9.78
13 Schleswig-Holstein	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 373,731	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 53.18	231,841	32.99	10,398	1.48	37,035	5.27	41,915	5.96	1,715	0.24	5,404	0.77	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 478,509	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 59.78	283,379	35.40	38,177	4.77
14 Weser-Ems	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 227,045	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 38.02	172,108	28.82	127,345	21.32	19,144	3.21	41,452	6.94	4,737	0.79	4,863	0.81	335,057	46.95	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 355,227	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 49.78	23,030	3.23
15 East Hanover	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 221,367	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 50.85	142,595	32.76	7,302	1.68	14,289	3.28	14,560	3.34	30,873	7.09	3,526	0.81	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 336,885	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 64.05	172,725	32.84	16,026	3.05
16 South Hanover–Braunschweig	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 386,535	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 41.55	379,569	40.80	53,094	5.71	28,813	3.10	36,836	3.96	35,942	3.86	8,716	0.94	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 540,077	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 50.94	488,544	46.08	31,226	2.95
17 Westphalia North	268,355	27.97	228,155	23.78	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 379,875	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 39.60	48,625	5.07	22,613	2.36	3,852	0.40	6,892	0.72	389,507	35.44	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 660,770	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 60.13	48,267	4.39
18 Westphalia South	320,109	27.50	320,581	27.55	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 350,105	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 30.08	108,686	9.34	52,245	4.49	3,083	0.26	8,157	0.70	461,725	35.67	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 737,311	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 56.97	94,922	7.33
19 Hesse-Nassau	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 383,931	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 36.11	347,647	32.70	193,695	18.22	43,924	4.13	80,484	7.57	4,022	0.38	8,576	0.81	546,580	44.96	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 622,037	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 51.17	46,502	3.83
20 Cologne-Aachen	140,202	17.50	142,960	17.84	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 429,945	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 53.66	51,675	6.45	25,661	3.20	3,861	0.48	6,259	0.78	212,795	22.84	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 670,238	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 71.94	48,278	5.18
21 Koblenz-Trier	100,172	21.29	57,996	12.33	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 280,929	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 59.72	12,420	2.64	11,466	2.44	2,561	0.54	3,998	0.85	166,151	30.59	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 362,622	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 66.76	14,015	2.58
22 Düsseldorf East	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 296,687	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 34.06	160,616	18.44	227,266	26.09	151,676	17.41	24,782	2.85	1,872	0.21	7,273	0.84	410,664	41.07	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 441,654	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 44.16	147,527	14.75
23 Düsseldorf West	174,808	25.58	115,614	16.92	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 304,263	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 44.52	67,603	9.89	13,351	1.95	2,489	0.36	4,931	0.72	252,830	32.83	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 455,808	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 59.19	61,165	7.94
24 Upper Bavaria–Swabia	200,085	23.52	183,845	21.61	11,461	1.35	25,562	3.00	20,965	2.46	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 372,778	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 43.81	33,890	3.98	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 630,348	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 65.42	306,161	31.77	26,549	2.76
25 Lower Bavaria–Upper Palatinate	36,481	10.66	44,754	13.08	10,175	2.97	7,300	2.13	6,431	1.88	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 227,215	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 66.41	8,738	2.55	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 260,721	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 67.98	113,543	29.60	8,736	2.28
26 Franconia	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 355,635	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 36.69	278,354	28.72	13,835	1.43	23,318	2.41	36,512	3.77	227,950	23.52	32,399	3.34	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 673,243	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 58.69	447,529	39.01	25,769	2.25
27 Palatinate	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 90,074	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 29.26	87,512	28.43	39,771	12.92	23,575	7.66	19,777	6.43	43,099	14.00	3,674	1.19	166,873	45.29	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 179,232	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 48.64	22,188	6.02
28 Dresden–Bautzen	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 396,242	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 43.44	366,081	40.14	17,557	1.92	36,636	4.02	88,088	9.66	2,099	0.23	5,079	0.56	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 511,213	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 51.49	416,036	41.90	65,148	6.56
29 Leipzig	267,707	40.05	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 275,551	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 41.23	6,501	0.97	67,663	10.12	44,424	6.65	1,884	0.28	4,346	0.65	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 332,075	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 48.04	276,464	39.99	82,206	11.89
30 Chemnitz–Zwickau	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 360,616	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 44.29	292,761	35.96	7,380	0.91	99,864	12.26	36,733	4.51	2,301	0.28	14,228	1.75	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 490,277	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 53.63	284,600	31.13	138,647	15.16
31 Württemberg	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 348,640	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 34.72	206,518	20.57	241,525	24.05	56,521	5.63	137,059	13.65	3,971	0.40	9,023	0.90	544,104	45.73	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 588,027	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 49.42	57,056	4.80
32 Baden	241,357	27.62	198,494	22.71	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 295,183	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 33.78	39,152	4.48	88,091	10.08	3,744	0.43	6,508	0.74	375,272	35.63	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 635,787	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 60.36	41,578	3.95
33 Hesse-Darmstadt	188,108	33.26	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 210,545	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 37.22	98,491	17.41	20,951	3.70	42,351	7.49	1,689	0.30	3,271	0.58	274,384	41.33	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 366,321	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 55.18	22,998	3.46
34 Hamburg	214,200	36.86	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 214,888	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 36.98	12,368	2.13	67,566	11.63	65,415	11.26	1,504	0.26	4,603	0.79	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 294,156	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 45.63	281,312	43.64	68,718	10.66
35 Mecklenburg	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 224,509	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 52.07	164,113	38.06	3,768	0.87	15,104	3.50	16,045	3.72	1,691	0.39	5,493	1.27	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 275,170	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade" | 59.55	170,142	36.82	16,633	3.60
Total	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 10,416,658	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 38.77	7,802,497	29.04	3,887,734	14.47	1,871,815	6.97	1,568,398	5.84	1,007,450	3.75	285,793	1.06	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 14,655,641	style="background-color:#Template:HexShade;" | 48.29	13,751,605	45.31	1,931,151	6.36

See also

• History of Germany

Works cited

• Cary, Noel D. "The making of the reich president, 1925: German conservatism and the nomination of Paul von Hindenburg." Central European History 23.2-3 (1990): 179-204. online

• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Template:Citation.
• Debus, Marc, and Martin Ejnar Hansen. "Dimensionality of the Weimar Republic from 1920 to 1932." Politische Vierteljahresschrift 51 (2010): 15-42.

• Eyck, Erich. A History of the Weimar Republic, Volume I: From the Collapse of the Empire to Hindenburg's Election (1962) pp.334ff online
• Falter, Jürgen W. "The Two Hindenburg Elections of 1925 and 1932: A Total Reversal of Voter Coalitions" Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung. Supplement, No. 25, (2013), pp. 217–232 online

• Fritzsche, Peter. "Presidential Victory and Popular Festivity in Weimar Germany: Hindenburg's 1925 Election." Central European History 23.2-3 (1990): 205-224. online

• Fulda, Bernhard. Press and politics in the Weimar Republic (Oxford University Press, 2009) online.
• Hansen, Martin Ejnar, and Marc Debus. "The behaviour of political parties and MPs in the parliaments of the Weimar Republic." Party Politics 18.5 (2012): 709-726. online

• Zeender, John K. "The German Catholics and the presidential election of 1925." Journal of Modern History 35.4 (1963): 366-381 online.