HIST2128

Germany, 1871-1933: From Empire to Republic

The Revolution of 1918-19and the founding of the Weimar Republic

Lecture 1710 April 2012

Split of Social Democratic Party

• 1912 Reichstag election success: Largest party in national parliament

• 1914 Strong support of German war bonds

• 1917 Under impression of Russian Revolution splits into:

• MSPD or SPD: Majority Social Democratic Party (moderate, reformist)

• USPD: Independent Social Democratic Party (radical but not revolutionary )

• Spartakus League (revolutionary, Marxist-Leninist)

Empire ＞ Parliamentary monarchy

• Ludendorff predicts “break-down” of army (29 Sep)• New government formed under liberal Prince Max

von Baden as chancellor, with MSPD, Catholic (Centre Party) and Left Liberals (FVP)

= A revolutionary constitutional act, signed 4 Oct by Kaiser Wilhelm II: ‘October Decrees’

= First step to transform Empire into parliamentary monarchy

Sailors mutiny in Kiel

• Growing unrest in fleet which lay idle during war• Suicidal order from Naval High Command in early

Nov 1918 as immediate cause• Revolutionary sailors supported by socialists &

democrats take power but soon repressed

= First major upheaval in Germany

= Stab-in-the-back legend born: “Enemy on the left”

= Growing public fears of Bolshevist Russian-style revolution by leftists

Regime change, 9/10 Nov (1)

Revolution arrives at capital Berlin (9 Nov):

→ Mass demonstrations + tense political situation

• Imperial chancellor Max von Baden announces emperor’s abdication (without his consent)

+ hands over his office to SPD leader Ebert to safeguard new parliamentary monarchy

→ Proclamation of a republic in by Social Democrat Scheidemann ≠ proclamation of a socialist republic by Communist Liebknecht

Regime change, 9/10 Nov (2)

• (Informal) abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II

• Renunciation of crown prince Wilhelm to become

next emperor

• Kaiser Wilhelm II flees to exile in Holland (10 Nov)

= End of monarchical system in Germany after 200 years (1701-1918)

Regime change, 9/10 Nov (3)• SPD leader Ebert as chancellor for a few hours

• Berlin Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council as highest political authority in Germany

↓☼ Transfers power to new provisional government:

‘Council of People’s Deputies = 3 SPD + 3 USPD

☻ No Communist counter-government of Bolshevist-Russian style due to lack of support

► ☼ Ebert’s strong push to held general national elections ASAP in order to achieve parliamentary democracy

Ebert Groener Accord• Ebert’s accord with general Wilhelm Groener (successor of

Ludendorff), 10 Nov

→ to suppress revolutionary uprisings in interest of peace & stability

→ to keep up military discipline in German army

= First major rift between moderate SPD and more radical USPD

= Minimized chance for leftists to transform Germany into a Bolshevist Russian-style state

= No ‘offensive pact’ of SPD + military against revolution

Spartakus Uprising• Creation of Communist Party (KPD) called ‘Spartacus

League’ by USPD + other radical leftists

• Spartakus ‘Red Guard’ uprising (5-12 Jan 1919)

• Leaders Rosa Luxemburg + Karl Liebknecht murdered by Free Corps

= First Bolshevist Russian-style revolutionary attempt in Germany

= Second major rift between moderate SPD and more radical USPD

= Unsuccessful uprising but begin of long-lasting Communist

‘martyrs’ legends

Election to National Assembly, Jan 1919: A two-third majority for SPD, (Catholic) Centre Party, and (left-liberal) DVP

= ‘Weimar Coalition’ of pro-democratic & pro-republican 3 parties

National Assembly at Weimar• Weimar associated with enlightened 18th c. + high literature

of Goethe and Schiller + far away from revolutionary capital Berlin

• Ebert elected president + Scheidemann prime minister

→ ‘Weimar Coalition’ government: SPD + (Catholic) Centre Party + (left-liberal) DDP with decisive influence on democratic & republication German constitution

• Versailles Peace Treaty formally signed

• New republican Constitution accepted: 262 to 75 votes

Weimar Constitution

☺Created parliamentary democratic republic☺ Reichstag (people’s representation) with much

more power than in Empire ☺ Reichsrat as federal element (member states)

☻President with extensive powers (esp. Art. 48 ‘emergency decree power’)

☻Many splinter parties due to proportional representation

☻ Plebiscites ☻ Limitation of federal states’ rights