German People's Party

German People's Party (DVP)

Right-liberal political party founded by Gustav Stresemann in 1918, made up largely of the educated and propertied. Since Stresemann was essentially a monarchist, when he decided to cooperate with the Weimar Republic the DVP was at first excluded as being among the “national opposition.” When Stresemann became chancellor in 1923, the DVP was part of the “Great Coalition,” composed of representatives of the Social Democrats, the Center, and the German Democrats. It dwindled c. 1927, and large sections of it went over to the extreme right.