Editing German Democratic Party (section)

===Foundation and rise===
[[File:Portrait Friedrich Naumann (ca. 1911).jpg|thumb|[[Friedrich Naumann]] {{Circa|1911}}|224x224px]]
[[File:Hugo Preuß 1919 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Hugo Preuß]] in 1919]]


A proposal to merge the NLP and FVP was made in the waning days of World War I, but faced opposition from the NLP's right-wing and FVP's left-wing. The formation of the German Democratic Party was announced on 16 November. Among the founding members were {{ill|Theodor Vogelstein|de|Theodor Vogelstein}}, [[Richard Witting]], {{ill|Richard Frankfurter|de|Richard Frankfurter}}, [[Hjalmar Schacht]], and [[Kurt von Kleefeld]]. The group contacted [[Theodor Wolff]], the editor-in-chief of the ''[[Berliner Tageblatt]]'', about how to organize the party. It was named the Democratic Party at Wolff's insistence. On 16 November 1918, one week after the [[German Revolution of 1918–1919|November Revolution]], an appeal for the founding of a new democratic party was written by Wolff and signed by 60 people.{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=45-47}} An almost identical statement was published at the same time by the ''[[Vossische Zeitung]]'' (Voss's Newspaper).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wagner |first=Horst |date=1998 |title=Die Gründung der DDP 1918 |trans-title=The Founding of the DDP 1918 |journal=Berlinische Monatsschrift (Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein) |language=de |volume=11 |issn=0944-5560}}</ref> The FVP, NLP's left-wing, and DDP merged together on 20 November. Right-wing members of the NLP formed the [[German People's Party]] (DVP).{{sfn|Frye|1985|p=49}}

The FVP raised 26,000 RM in 1911, and had 1,054 individual contributors in 1912. The DDP raised millions in the leadup to the [[1919 German federal election|1919 election]] and had over one million members by January 1919.{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=56-58}} The party won 75 seats in the election and became the third-largest party in the [[Weimar National Assembly]], but their support halved in the [[1920 German federal election|1920 election]] and their seat total fell to 39.{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=69-70}}

The DDP was a member of the [[Scheidemann cabinet]], but left in June 1919 in response to the [[Treaty of Versailles]] before returning to the coalition in October.{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=71-72}} [[Friedrich von Payer]] resigned as chair of the DDP's legislative caucus after voting in favor of the treaty.{{sfn|Frye|1985|p=78}} It was heavily involved with the creation of the [[Weimar Constitution]]. The document was drafted by Preuß, [[Max Weber]] influenced the section covering the presidency, and [[Erich Koch-Weser]] wrote the section covering referendums.{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=80-81}}

Naumann served as the first chair of the party until his death in 1919. His faction and ideological allies included [[Gertrud Bäumer]], {{ill|Anton Erkelenz|de|Anton Erkelenz}}, {{ill|Wilhelm Heile|de|Wilhelm Heile
}}, [[Theodor Heuss]], [[Carl Wilhelm Petersen]], and [[Gustav Stolper]]. This group held positions of high leadership within the party for the entirety of its history. Petersen served as chair until 1924, when he resigned after his election as [[List of mayors of Hamburg|mayor of Hamburg]].{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=88-91}}

The ''[[Berliner Tageblatt]]'', ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|Frankfurter Zeitung]]'', and ''[[Vossische Zeitung]]'' were among the leading newspapers that supported the party. Rudolf Oeser, an editor at ''FZ'', became a cabinet member. Support for the DDP from these newspapers waned as the party went rightward.{{sfn|Frye|1985|p=96}}

The DDP initially voted against joining the [[First Wirth cabinet]], but later joined it. It left the Wirth cabinet after the [[1921 Upper Silesia plebiscite|partition]] of [[Upper Silesia]].{{sfn|Frye|1985|pp=119-120}}