The German Revolution - Incomplete?
November and December 1918 in Germany was a time of political turmoil as the masses took to the streets during the chaotic break up of war. Germany went from being a dictatorial Kaiser-Reich to a painfully democratic country in three months. However, it has been said that Germany had an incomplete revolution in 1918 as although there were political changes, economic and social factors were mostly left alone. Therefore the question is - can the phrase "Incomplete revolution" be usefully applied to the events of November 1918 in Germany.
All revolutions are created by mass discontent. The Russian revolution was caused by High Command's incompetence at directing their country through a war. Poor results on the battlefield and lack of food and resources on the home front led to mass discontent and rioting in the streets. The war had a similar effect on Germany due to the on going trudge of a war that was supposed to have been over by Christmas 1914 and by the depressing shortage of food and fuel that led to things like "turnip winter".
Karte des Deutschen Reiches, »Weimarer Republik/D...
Germans at Princeton -- Weitzer - Lt. Reichenau - ...
Kaiser & sons (LOC)The war also had an effect on the German politicians who had been united at the start of the war. The SPD was the largest party in the Reichstag before the outbreak of war, and despite being a Socialist party they supported the war on the grounds of defence. However, cracks began to appear as the party split over opinion on the war. Many of the SPD began to believe that the war was a war of annexation, not of defence and that fought against the Socialist ideology that dictates the spread of international communism, not of invasion.
These splits became important when Germany's Empire fell apart and Ebert, the leader of the SPD and...