2. Even as a new government was
formed, Germany remained in
an uncertain state.
There were various public
protests, which often ended in
violence. On Christmas Eve
1918, a public protest ended in
a bloody battle with the army,
which resulted in the deaths of
34 people.
3. Angered by what they believed
was a watering down of
revolutionary hope, a
Communist takeover was soon
attempted.
In January 1919, a protest
against the dismissal of a
radical official turned into a
demand from ordinary workers
for more change.
4. The Spartacist League, German
Communist Party (KPD) and
USPD soon gave their backing to
these public protests.
A general strike was called for 7
January 1919 and 500,000
people participated. Some of the
movement’s leaders plotted a
coup over Ebert’s government.
5. Ebert already had huge fears
about the future of the new
German Republic.
He worried about a possible
Bolshevik takeover. Also,
Communists and right-wing
nationalists had engaged in
street battles across the
country, which could lead into a
civil war.
6. Ebert had to take action to stop
the protests spreading. The
SPD ordered the army to stop
the rising.
The army had the support of
the Freikorps, a violent group
of former soldiers. Leaders of
the protests (Rosa
Luxemburg and Karl
Liebknecht) and 100
protestors were killed.
7. The suppression of the
Spartacist Rising in January
1919 marked the end of the
German Revolution that began in
November 1918.
It also permanently divided
left-wing groups in Germany; the
Communist Party (KPD) never
forgave the Social Democrats
(SPD) for their actions.
8. Although this divided left-wing
groups, Ebert knew he was
supported by most Germans.
Ordinary Germans wanted a
return to normality after the
war – not an unstable country.
In addition the middle classes
and groups such as the civil
service and army also wanted
to restore order.
9. The revolt did highlight a major
failing of the Weimar Republic,
specifically that it was forced to
rely on the support of the army
in order to survive.
This created problems because
of the potential that the army
may in future choose to not
follow orders, or back the
Weimar government.
10. Historians’ views
• AJ Nicholls: Ebert wanted to stabilise Germany and resisted
the chaos a radical left government might have brought; he was
supported by most Germans in ending the Spartacist Revolt.
• Eric Weitz: Ebert wanted to avoid a Soviet-style revolution as
he believed it would bring economic chaos and political terror.
• Paul Bookbinder: Ebert wanted to achieve real change
however he feared a Communist revolution would see action
from Britain and France to end this.
