December 1924 German federal election

Snap federal elections were held in Germany on 7 December 1924,[1][2] the second that year after the Reichstag had been dissolved on 20 October. The Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the Reichstag, receiving an increased share of the vote and winning 131 of the 493 seats.[3] Voter turnout was 78.8%.[4]

December 1924 German federal election

← May 1924 7 December 1924 (1924-12-07) 1928 →

All 493 seats in the Reichstag
247 seats needed for a majority
Registered38,987,324 (Increase 1.6%)
Turnout78.8% (Increase 1.4pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
SPD 1924 leadership.jpg
Kuno von Westarp.jpg
Reichskanzler Wilhelm Marx (cropped).jpg
Leader Hermann Müller
Otto Wels
Arthur Crispien
Kuno von Westarp Wilhelm Marx
Party SPD DNVP Centre
Last election 20.5%, 100 seats 19.5%, 95 seats 13.4%, 65 seats
Seats won 131 103 69
Seat change Increase 31 Increase 8 Increase 4
Popular vote 7,881,041 6,205,802 4,118,849
Percentage 26.0% 20.5% 13.6%
Swing Increase 5.5pp Increase 1.0pp Increase 0.2pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1982-092-11, Gustav Stresemann.jpg
Erich Koch-Weser circa 1920 (cropped).jpg
Leader Gustav Stresemann Ruth Fischer & Arkadi Maslow Erich Koch-Weser
Party DVP KPD DDP
Last election 9.2%, 45 seats 12.6%, 62 seats 5.7%, 28 seats
Seats won 51 45 32
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 17 Increase 4
Popular vote 3,049,064 2,709,086 1,919,829
Percentage 10.1% 8.9% 6.3%
Swing Increase 0.9pp Decrease 3.7pp Increase 0.6pp


Government before election

Second Marx cabinet
ZDVPDDP

Government after election

First Luther cabinet
DVPDNVPZDDPBVP

Campaign

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The National Socialist Freedom Movement received 6.5% in the previous election, but party unity broke down afterwards. Julius Streicher and Hermann Esser left to form their own party while Adalbert Volck and Ludolf Haase advocated abstaining from the election or voting for other nationalist parties.[5] The NSFM was attacked as anti-Catholic by the Centre Party and anti-Christian by the German National People's Party (DNVP).[6]

Catholics accounted for 17% of NSFM's vote.[7]

Results

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PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party7,881,04126.02+5.50131+31
German National People's Party6,205,80220.49+1.04103+8
Centre Party4,118,84913.60+0.2369+4
German People's Party3,049,06410.07+0.8751+6
Communist Party of Germany2,709,0868.94−3.6745−17
German Democratic Party1,919,8296.34+0.6932+4
Bavarian People's Party1,134,0353.74+0.5119+3
National Socialist Freedom Movement907,2423.00−3.5514−18
Economic Party of the German Middle Class692,9632.29+0.5812+5
Agricultural League500,5251.65−0.318−2
Bavarian Peasant's and Middle Class Party312,4421.03+0.375+2
German-Hanoverian Party261,5490.86−0.234−1
German Social Party–Reichsbund für Aufwertung159,1150.53−0.610−4
Independent Social Democratic Party98,8420.33−0.4700
German Revaluation and Reconstruction Party81,9440.27New0New
Polish People's Party81,7000.27−0.0700
Christian Social People's Community41,5300.14−0.2900
Free Economy Union F.F.F.38,9230.13+0.0100
Revaluation and Reconstruction Party (RWV 23)33,6560.11New0New
Party for People's Welfare32,4960.11New0New
Haeusser Alliance9,7470.03−0.0500
Wendish People's Party5,5850.02−0.0200
Schleswig Club5,1340.02−0.0100
German Christian People's Party4,3220.01New0New
Deutschvölkische Reichspartei3,4050.01New0New
Masurian Union5420.000.0000
Reevaluation and Reconstruction Party4780.00New0New
Tenants' Party2460.00New0New
Total30,290,092100.00493+21
Valid votes30,290,09298.65
Invalid/blank votes414,9341.35
Total votes30,705,026100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,987,32478.76
Source: Gonschior.de

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Graper, Elmer D. (1925). "The Reichstag Elections". American Political Science Review. 19 (2): 362–370. doi:10.2307/2938928. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 2938928. S2CID 147108053.
  3. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p790
  4. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p777
  5. ^ Childers 1983, p. 58-61.
  6. ^ Childers 1983, p. 114-115.
  7. ^ Childers 1983, p. 112-113.

Works cited

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