Why did the legitimacy of the Weimar Republic appear weak from the beginning?

Correct answer: Because it was formed after war defeat and the Treaty of Versailles

The direct answer is A: the Weimar Republic was formed after Germany’s defeat in the First World War and after the Treaty of Versailles. To understand this, remember that the old German emperor, the Kaiser, abdicated in 1918, and a democratic government was created in difficult circumstances. Many Germans were angry about military defeat, food shortages, economic suffering and the harsh peace settlement. Although the new republic did not itself cause the defeat, many people wrongly connected it with the defeat because its leaders signed and accepted the post-war settlement. This made its authority appear weak from the beginning. Option A is correct because it gives the historical situation in which the republic was born. Option B is wrong because Germany had lost the war, not won it. Option C is wrong because the Kaiser had left the throne; full royal support was not the basis of the republic. Option D is wrong because the republic faced opposition from communists, conservatives, monarchists and later Nazis. Memory cue: Weimar began with defeat, revolution and Versailles, so its legitimacy was damaged at birth.