List of heads of state of Germany
Under the 1919 Constitution, the first republican constitution of Germany, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state with semi-presidential powers. The President was to be elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the Chancellor served as Acting President, but in case of a longer vacancy parliament was to decide on the Acting President by law. However, the first President, Friedrich Ebert, was elected by the National Assembly; he also acted as head of state during the revolutionary period, as Co-Chairman of the Council of the People's Deputies, together with Hugo Haase from 10 November 1918 until 29 December 1918 and thereafter together with Philipp Scheidemann.Under the current Constitution, the second republican constitution of Germany, the President is the ceremonial head of state. The President is elected indirectly for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Bundesrat serves as Acting President.During the East German period the title of the heads of state varies from President to Chairman of the Council.
President of Germany (1919–1945)
Ebert intended to stand in presidential elections in 1922 when the outcry about assassination of Walther Rathenau seemed to generate a pro-republican atmosphere. However, National Liberal politician Gustav Stresemann persuaded the other centrist parties that the situation was still too turbulent to hold elections. Hence, the Reichstag extended Ebert's term to June 30, 1925, a move that contravened the constitution's text but was passed by two-thirds of the Reichstag, the majority needed for changes or deviations from the constitution. Ebert died in office in February 1925.
The first presidential election was held in 1925. After the first ballot had not resulted in a clear winner, a second ballot was held, in which Paul von Hindenburg, a war hero nominated by the right-wing parties after their original candidate had dropped out after the first ballot, managed to win a majority. Hindenburg served a full term and was reelected in 1932, this time nominated by the pro-republican parties who thought only he could prevent the election of Adolf Hitler to the office. Hindenburg died in office in August 1934, a little over two years after his reelection, having since appointed Hitler as Chancellor. Hitler then assumed the powers of head of state, but did not use the title of President until his own death, when he named Karl Dönitz his successor as President in his Final Political Will and Testament.The Weimar constitution granted the president sweeping powers in the event of a crisis. Article 48 empowered the president, if "public order and security [were] seriously disturbed or endangered" to "take all necessary steps to re-establish law and order". These permissible steps included the use of armed force and the suspension of many of the civil rights otherwise guaranteed by the constitution. Most importantly, the president could take over the legislative powers of the Reichstag by issuing "Notverordnungen", (emergency decrees) which had the same rank as conventional acts of parliament.