How Germany and Italy’s Politcal Systems Today Are Effected by Their Pasts
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Democracy to Tyrants to Democracy: The Roads of Germany and Italy
Over the centuries there have been many different forms and experimentations of carrying out the “social contact” in the form of governments. Governments can take several different forms ranging from pure Communism on one end to an absolute tyrant on the other. During the past two centuries the nations of Germany and Italy have for better or for worse experienced several intense governmental switches which have led to the creation of the states that we see today.
Germany as we know it first formed together with the unification of the German states in 1871 by Otto von Bismarck. Under Bismarck Germany was forged into a republic with such democratic ideals such as universal male suffrage, and division of state powers between an elected legislative (Bundestat) and an executive branch (Chancellery). Although the new German Republic did indeed have some flaws compared to modern democracies, but considering the near feudal system that existed before the creation of the republic this was revolutionary change. However many argued that the new “republic” was just a dictatorship hidden behind the guise of democracy, “Bismarcks intention was to create a constitutional facade which would mask the continuation of authoritarian policies. In the process, he created a system with a serious flaw” Once again though compared to the loose federation of feudal states, the ideas of suffrage, and social welfare programs was a drastic improvement and in fact several of the welfare programs in the Second Reich preceded those similar programs in the United States . One of the most highly criticized factors of the Second Republic is that this was the government that allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Although this statement is somewhat true, there were several other more important factors that led to the rise of the Nazi Party (i.e. issues of war reparations, Treaty of Versailles).
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on the 30th of January in 1933 after a landslide election victory for the National Socialists. Shortly after coming to power Hitler declared martial law after a fire in the Reichstag, and effectively declared himself the undisputed leader of Germany until his death in April of 1945 . Again it is important to keep in mind that although there were the extenuating circumstances of the Treaty of Versailles to consider, Hitler did still come to power through free elections and lawful means. Even the dissolution of the parliament and the granting of the emergency powers which enabled Hitler to commit the atrocities of World War Two were voted on and passed by the parliament. From the rubble of the Third Reich came the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Both systems of government that filled the void left by the Nazi were emulations of the nations which conquered them, West Germany becoming a liberal democratic system and East Germany becoming a communist state. In West Germany the formation of the Federal Republic hinged on not repeating the same mistakes of the former republic. The Basic Law originally came from the three western occupying powers, and was based on two important values: a complete rejection of the ideology that the German people are a master race superior to others, born to be leaders, and entitled to commit genocide, or barbaric treatment of those not belonging to it; and an unequivocal commitment to the inviolability and inalienability of human rights.
In addition to constitutional provisions which prevent human rights violations, the new German Government also is set up so that there is a larger base of power, making it more difficult for one individual to consolidate power. Parties in Germany often need to form coalitions with one another so that they can win elections. This forces German Parties to represent a larger base of population, not just specific one interest, in an effort to prevent the mistakes made with the National Socialists and Adolf Hitler. Also German elections are staggered so that only a portion of the government is up for election every year. This enables it so that it is difficult to have a sweeping changes in government (allusion to National Socialists March 1933 Elections). It is difficult to say whether the German form of democracy is “better” than another form, but the current Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has formed a coalition government with over 60 percent approval rate of the German people (The highest rate of all the post war Chancellors ), and continues to have success in reduction of the national debt and reducing unemployment. The main goal however of the German Constitution was to make sure that the atrocities of the Holocaust could never happen again and thus far Germany is scored number one (best) in political rights and