GERMAN REPUBLIC ELECTIONS TO THE REICHSTAG 1919-33 =================================================================== Source: gonschior.de website. My thanks to Stefan Muller for comments and corrections. Note: the official name of the German state in the period 1918-33 was Deutsches Reich, usually translated as German Empire. Since the monarchy had been abolished, however, it seems reasonable to translate the name as German Republic. Parties ------------------------------------------------------------------- * BBB - Bayerischer Bauernbund (Bavarian Farmers' Union) * BVP - Bayrische Volkspartei (Bavarian People's Party) * CFR - Christlich-Föderalistische Reichswahlliste (Christian Federalist National Electoral List) * CNBLVP - Christlichnationale Bauern und Landvolkpartei (Christian National Farmers' and Rural People's Party) * CSVD - Christlich-Sozialer Volksdienst (Christian Social People's Service) * CVP - Christliche Volkspartei (Christian People's Party) * DBP - Deutsche Bauernpartei (German Farmers' Party) * DDP - Deutsche Demokratische Partei (German Democratic Party) * DHP - Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei (German Hanoverian Party) * DNVP - Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei (German-National People's Party) * DSP - Deutsche Soziale Partei (German Social Party) * DStP = Deutsche Staatspartei (German States Party) * DVFP - Deutsche Völkischen Freiheits-Partei (German Racial Freedom Party) * DVP - Deutsche Volkspartei (German People's Party) * KFSWR - Kampffront Schwarz-Weiss-Rot (Battlefront Black-White-Red) * KPD - Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Communist Party of Germany) * Landbund (Rural Union) * Landliste (Rural List) * LdK - Liste der Kommunisten (List of the Communists) * NSDAP - Nationalsozialisten Deutschen Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party) (Nazi Party) * NSFB - Nationalsozialisten Freiheitsbewegung (National Socialist Freedom Movement) (Nazi Party) * RPDM - Reichspartei des Deutschen Mittelstandes (National Party of the German Middle Classes) * SPD - Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany) * SLV - Sächsisches Landvolk (Saxon Rural People) * USDP - Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei (Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany) * Vereinigte Listen der DVFP-NSDAP (United List of the DVFP and the NSDAP) * VRP - Volksrechtpartei (People's Law Party) * WPDM - Wirtschaftspartei des Deutschen Mittelstandes (Economic Party of the German Middle Classes) * Zentrum - Deutsche Zentrumspartei (German Centre Party) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION OF 19 JANUARY 1919 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 36,766,500 Votes cast: 30,524,848 (83.0) Invalid votes: 124,562 (00.4) Valid votes: 30,400,286 (99.6) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayerischer Bauernbund 275,125 00.9 4 Christliche Volkspartei 5,980,216 19.7 91 Deutsche Demokratische Partei 5,641,825 18.6 75 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 3,121,479 10.3 44 Deutsche Volkspartei 1,345,638 04.4 19 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 11,509,048 37.9 163 Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei 2,317,290 07.6 22 Others 209,665 00.7 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 30,400,286 421 -------------------------------------------------------------------- This election was to elect a National Assembly (Nationalversammlung), whose task was to draft a republican constitution following the fall of the German monarchy in November 1918. REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 6 JUNE 1920 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 33,016,569 Votes cast: 26,229,829 (79.4) Invalid votes: 193,991 (00.7) Valid votes: 26,035,838 (99.3) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayerischer Bauernbund 218,596 00.8 4 Christlich-Föderalistische Reichswahlliste 1,238,604 04.8 21 Deutsche Demokratische Partei 2,202,944 08.5 45 Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei 319,108 01.2 5 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 3,740,620 14.4 66 Deutsche Volkspartei 3,611,286 13.9 62 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 3,542,759 13.6 67 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 442,045 01.7 2 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 5,617,687 21.7 113 Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei 4,897,401 18.8 81 Others 204,788 00.8 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 26,035,838 466 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The number of voters fell due to disorders and territorial conflicts in the eastern borderlands. REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 4 MAY 1924 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 38,374,983 Votes cast: 29,709,380 (77.4) Invalid votes: 427,582 (01.4) Valid votes: 29,281,798 (98.6) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayerischer Bauernbund 693,606 02.4 10 Bayrische Volkspartei 946,648 03.2 16 Deutsche Demokratische Partei 1,655,129 05.6 28 Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei 319,792 01.1 5 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 5,696,475 19.4 95 Deutsche Soziale Partei 333,427 01.1 4 Deutsche Volkspartei 2,694,381 09.2 45 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 3,914,379 13.4 65 Landliste 574,939 02.0 10 Liste der Kommunisten 3,693,280 12.6 62 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 6,008,905 20.5 100 Vereinigte Listen der DVFP-NSDAP 1,918,329 06.5 32 Others 832,508 02.8 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 29,281,798 472 -------------------------------------------------------------------- REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 7 DECEMBER 1924 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 38,987,324 Votes cast: 30,705,026 (78.8) Invalid votes: 414,934 (01.3) Valid votes: 30,290,092 (98.7) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 1,134,035 03.7 19 Deutsche Demokratische Partei 1,919,829 06.3 32 Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei 262,691 00.9 4 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 6,205,802 20.5 103 Deutsche Volkspartei 3,049,064 10.1 51 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 4,118,849 13.6 69 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 2,709,086 08.9 45 Landbund 499,383 01.6 8 Nationalsozialistische Freiheitsbewegung 907,242 03.0 14 Wirtschaftspartei des Deutschen Mittelstandes 1,005,405 03.3 17 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 7,881,041 26.0 131 Others 597,665 02.0 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 30,290,092 493 -------------------------------------------------------------------- REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 20 MAY 1928 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 41,224,678 Votes cast: 31,165,789 (75.6) Invalid votes: 412,542 (01.3) Valid votes: 30,753,247 (98.7) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 945,644 03.1 17 Christlichnationale Bauern und Landvolkpartei 777,403 02.5 13 Deutsche Bauernpartei 481,254 01.6 8 Deutsche Demokratische Partei 1,505,664 04.9 25 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 4,381,563 14.2 73 Deutsche Volkspartei 2,679,703 08.7 45 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 3,712,152 12.1 61 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 3,264,793 10.6 54 Landbund 199,548 00.6 3 Nationalsozialisten (NSDAP) 810,127 02.6 12 Reichspartei des Deutschen Mittelstandes 1,397,129 04.5 23 Sächsisches Landvolk 127,700 00.4 2 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 9,152,979 29.8 153 Volksrechtpartei 483,181 01.6 2 Others 834,407 02.7 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 30,753,247 491 -------------------------------------------------------------------- REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 14 SEPTEMBER 1930 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 42,982,912 Votes cast: 35,224,499 (81.9) Invalid votes: 268,028 (00.7) Valid votes: 34,956,471 (99.2) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 1,058,637 03.0 19 Christlichnationale Bauern und Landvolkpartei 1,565,126 04.5 26 Christlich-Sozialer Volksdienst 869,595 02.5 14 Deutsche Bauernpartei 339,434 01.0 6 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 2,457,686 07.0 41 Deutsche Staatspartei 1,322,034 03.8 20 Deutsche Volkspartei 1,658,915 04.7 30 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 4,127,000 11.8 68 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 4,590,160 13.1 77 Nationalsozialisten (NSDAP) 6,406,379 18.3 107 Reichspartei des Deutschen Mittelstandes 1,380,428 03.9 23 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 8,575,244 24.5 143 Volksrechtpartei 193,926 00.5 3 Others 411,907 01.2 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 34,956,471 577 -------------------------------------------------------------------- REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 31 JULY 1932 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 44,211,216 Votes cast: 37,162,081 (84.1) Invalid votes: 279,727 (00.7) Valid votes: 36,882,354 (99.3) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 1,350,047 03.7 24 Christlich-Sozialer Volksdienst 405,368 01.1 4 Deutsche Bauernpartei 137,133 00.4 2 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 2,713,827 07.4 45 Deutsche Staatspartei 373,339 01.0 4 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 4,589,430 12.4 75 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 5,369,708 14.6 89 Landbund 96,851 00.3 2 Nationalsozialisten (NSDAP) 13,779,017 37.4 230 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 7,959,712 21.6 133 Others 107,922 00.3 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 36,882,354 608 -------------------------------------------------------------------- At this election the NSDAP and the KPD between them won a majority of seats (319 of 608). Since both parties opposed democracy and neither would join or support any ministry, this made the formation of a majority government committed to democracy impossible. The result was weak ministries governing by decree. REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 6 NOVEMBER 1932 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 44,374,085 Votes cast: 35,758,259 (80.6) Invalid votes: 287,471 (00.8) Valid votes: 35,470,788 (99.2) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 1,206,247 03.4 21 Christlich-Sozialer Volksdienst 523,392 01.5 6 Deutsche Bauernpartei 195,408 00.5 3 Deutsche Nationale Volkspartei 3,792,563 10.7 63 Deutsche Staatspartei 338,609 00.9 2 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 4,230,545 11.9 70 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 5,980,614 16.9 100 Landbund 105,220 00.3 2 Nationalsozialisten (NSDAP) 11,737,395 33.1 196 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 7,251,690 20.4 121 Others 109,105 00.3 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 35,470,788 584 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Although support for the NSDAP fell at this election, the NSDAP and the KPD still won a majority of seats (296 of 584) between them, rendering this Reichstag no more workable than its predecessor. This impasse led to the appointment of the Nazi leader, Hitler, as Reich Chancellor in January 1933. REICHSTAG ELECTION OF 5 MARCH 1933 ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 44,685,764 Votes cast: 39,655,029 (88.7) Invalid votes: 311,698 (00.8) Valid votes: 39,343,331 (99.2) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Party Votes % Seats -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bayrische Volkspartei 1,073,552 02.7 19 DVP-CZVD-DBP-DHP 978,102 02.5 8 Deutsche Zentrumspartei 4,424,905 11.2 73 Kampffront Schwarz-Weiss-Rot 3,136,760 08.0 52 Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 4,848,058 12.3 81 Landbund 83,839 00.2 1 Nationalsozialisten (NSDAP) 17,277,180 43.9 288 Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 7,516,243 19.1 125 Others 4,692 00.0 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 39,343,331 647 -------------------------------------------------------------------- This election took place under the Nazi government in conditions of violence and intimidation aimed particularly at the SPD and KPD. The "Kampffront" was the old DNVP renamed, and threw its support to the NSDAP after the elections, giving the Nazis a majority. In any case the KPD was banned immediately after the elections and the KPD deputies never took their seats, giving the NSDAP a majority in its own right. In March the Reichstag passed an "Enabling Act" by which it effectively ceded its powers to the Reich Chancellor, Hitler. In June the SPD was banned and the Zentrum voluntarily dissolved. In July the DNVP was absorbed by the NSDAP and all other parties banned.