German Democratic Party
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German Democratic Party
Deutsche Demokratische Partei |
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| Founded | 1918 |
| Dissolved | 1930 |
| Preceded by | Progressive People's Party |
| Succeeded by | German State Party |
| Newspaper | NA; supported by Vossische Zeitung and Frankfurter Zeitung |
| Ideology |
Classical liberalism, Social liberalism, Republicanism, Economic liberalism |
| Political position | Centre |
| Colors | black-red-gold (republican colors) |
The German Democratic Party (German: Deutsche Demokratische Partei, DDP) was founded in November 1918 by leaders of the former Progressive People's Party (Fortschrittliche Volkspartei), left members of the National Liberal Party (Nationalliberale Partei), and a new group calling themselves the Democrats.
In 1930 the party changed to the Deutsche Staatspartei (DStP).
The Democrats were a more left-wing or social liberal party, whereas the German People's Party was right-wing liberal. Many of the leading figures in the party had been supporters of Imperial Germany's aim of Weltpolitik and Mitteleuropa.
Along with the Social Democrats and the Centre Party, the Democratic party was most committed to maintaining a democratic, republican form of government. Its social basis were middle class entrepreneurs, civil servants, teachers, scientists and craftsmen. It considered itself also a devotedly national party and opposed the Treaty of Versailles but emphasized on the other hand the need for international collaboration and the protection of ethnic minorities. The party was the one voted for by most Jews. The party was attacked by some for being a party of Jews and professors.
The party's first leader was Protestant parish priest Friedrich Naumann, who was popular and influential but failed with his Nationalsozialer Verein ten years earlier to link progressive intellectuals with the worker's class. He died early in 1919. Other well-known politicians of the DDP were Hugo Preuß, the main author of the Weimar constitution, and the eminent sociologist Max Weber. Hjalmar Schacht, president of the Reichsbank and one of the founders of the party, left the party in 1926 and became a supporter of Adolf Hitler.
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