The termrepublic without republicans refers to a situation in which astate is arepublic, yet there is little or no supportingrepublicanism to be found amongst the population and/or the political elite. In such a situation, most people would actually prefer to found a newmonarchy or restore an abolisheddynasty, or – in a broader sense – opposedemocracy.
Inhistoriography, theWeimar Republic (1919–1933) is often branded a republic without republicans.[1] According to professor of modern European historyJeffrey Herf of theUniversity of Maryland, College Park, this is because nobody ininterwarGermany from the political right, centre or left was really pleased with it:
This lack of commitment to, and even opposition to, republican and democratic values in society, primarily coming from what is termed the 'conservative revolution', would largely pave the way forAdolf Hitler'sNazi Party toseize power in 1933, replacing the Weimar Republic with theThird Reich.[2]
A famous historical cartoon byThomas Theodor Heine that strengthens the idea of a republicanless Weimar Republic appeared in the magazineSimplicissimus of 21 March 1927: Germans from different social classes are carrying the letters "REPUBLIK"; the adjoining caption reads:Sie tragen die Buchstaben der Firma – aber wer trägt den Geist? ("They are carrying the company's letters, but who is carrying the spirit?").[3]
The term itself is much older than interwar Germany. In 1804, the GermanreactionarymonarchistAugust von Kotzebue already called theCisrhenian Republic (1797–1802) aRepublik ohne Republikaner.[4]
At the opening of theBritish House of Commons on 1 February 1849,Benjamin Disraeli, one of the threeConservative opposition leaders, said about theFrench Second Republic (1848–1852):
Look at the state of France, look at the state of the whole centre of Europe... I find in France a Republic without Republicans, in Germany an Empire without an Emperor, and this is progress!!...
The term has also been applied to theFrench Third Republic (1870–1940) in 1873.[5][6]
