1919 German presidential election
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The1919 German presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) was the first election to the office ofPresident of the Reich (Reichspräsident),Germany'shead of state during the 1919−1933Weimar Republic. The constitution that stipulated a direct popular vote was not completed before 11 August 1919. Because a head of state was needed immediately the 1919 presidential election was held indirectly, by theNational Assembly, on 11 February 1919. The winner wasSPD chairmanFriedrich Ebert, who beat former (Imperial) Secretary of the InteriorArthur von Posadowsky-Wehner in the first round of voting by 277 to 49 votes. Ebert was supported by the SPD, theGerman Centre Party and theGerman Democratic Party (DDP), the parties of the "Weimar Coalition", which held more than 77 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. He became President of Germany, holding the office until his death in 1925.[1][additional citation(s) needed]
With the subsequent1925 and1932 German presidential elections held with direct universal suffrage, this election would be the sole indirect presidential election held until the end ofWorld War II. Further, Ebert would also remain the soleSocial Democrat electedPresident of Germany until the election ofGustav Heinemann in1969, and the only socialist to serve in that position between1919 and theend of the war in 1945.
| Candidate (Party) | Supported by | Votes | % |
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| Friedrich Ebert (SPD) | SPD,DDP, Zentrum | 277 | 84.45 % |
| Arthur Graf von Posadowsky-Wehner (DNVP) | DNVP | 49 | 14.94 % |
| Philipp Scheidemann (SPD) | N/A | 1 | 0.30 % |
| Matthias Erzberger (Zentrum) | 1 | 0.30 % |
| Valid votes | 328 | 86.54 % |
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| Invalid votes | 51 | 13.46 % |
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| Cast votes | 379 | 100.0 % |
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| Delegates eligible to vote / Turnout | 423 | 89.60 % |
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