German Revolution of 1918-1919
The German Revolution of 1918-1919 marked the transition from the German Empire to the Weimar Republic following Germany's defeat in World War I. It began with the Kiel sailors' mutiny in late October 1918, which quickly spread throughout Germany. By November 9, 1918, the revolution reached Berlin, forcing Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate and flee to the Netherlands. A republic was proclaimed, with Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) becoming the head of government. The revolution was characterized by competing visions for Germany's future: moderate social democrats favored a parliamentary democracy while more radical forces, including the Spartacist League under Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, sought a socialist republic based on workers' councils (Räte). This ideological division led to violent confrontations, particularly the Spartacist Uprising in January 1919, which was brutally suppressed by the government with help from right-wing Freikorps paramilitary units. The Ebert-Groener Pact between the new government and the military high command preserved much of the old imperial army structure in exchange for military support, a compromise that would later undermine the republic. The National Assembly elected in January 1919 met in Weimar to draft a new constitution, establishing Germany's first democracy. The revolution's violent suppression and compromised nature created lasting political divisions, with the radical left feeling betrayed by the SPD and the conservative right never fully accepting the republic's legitimacy.
Timeline and Overview
The German Revolution of 1918-1919 marked the transition from the German Empire to the Weimar Republic following Germany's defeat in World War I. It began with the Kiel sailors' mutiny in late October 1918, which quickly spread throughout Germany. By November 9, 1918, the revolution reached Berlin, forcing Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate and flee to the Netherlands. A republic was proclaimed, with Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) becoming the head of government. The revolution was characterized by competing visions for Germany's future: moderate social democrats favored a parliamentary democracy while more radical forces, including the Spartacist League under Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, sought a socialist republic based on workers' councils (Räte). This ideological division led to violent confrontations, particularly the Spartacist Uprising in January 1919, which was brutally suppressed by the government with help from right-wing Freikorps paramilitary units. The Ebert-Groener Pact between the new government and the military high command preserved much of the old imperial army structure in exchange for military support, a compromise that would later undermine the republic. The National Assembly elected in January 1919 met in Weimar to draft a new constitution, establishing Germany's first democracy. The revolution's violent suppression and compromised nature created lasting political divisions, with the radical left feeling betrayed by the SPD and the conservative right never fully accepting the republic's legitimacy.