ABSTRACT
Germany experienced authoritarian rule in the Confederation and in the Second Empire until the Weimar Republic was established in 1919. During these years, however, some liberal inroads were made that provided the Weimar Republic with a legacy—albeit partial and weak—of democratic behavior. The Confederation was dominated by conservative rulers who blocked the kinds of liberal reforms that were occurring elsewhere in Western Europe. Authoritarianism coupled with federalism and a small dose of democracy were provided for by the new constitution. The Weimar Republic was born out of the empire's defeat. Political parties pursued highly parochial interests and the body politic splintered into small, ungovernable pieces. An electoral system based on pure proportional representation allowed a number of small political parties into the Reichstag, including such reactionary and antidemocratic groups as the Nazis.
