And the Kaiser abdicates: The German Revolution November 1918-August 1919Bouton, S. Miles (Stephen Miles)
History
And the Kaiser abdicates: The German Revolution November 1918-August 1919
Bouton, S. Miles (Stephen Miles)
Germany -- History -- Revolution, 1918; Germany -- Politics and government
2. Taking over of all military and civil offices and commands
by representatives (_Vertrauensmaenner_) of the Workmen's and
Soldiers' Council.
3. Surrender of all weapons and stores of munitions, as well
as of all other armaments, to the Workmen's and Soldiers'
Council.
4. Control by the Workmen's and Soldiers' Council of all
means of traffic.
5. Abolishment of courts-martial; corpse-like obedience
(_Kadavergehorsam_) to be replaced by voluntary discipline of
the soldiers under control of the Workmen's and Soldiers'
Council.
6. Abolishment of the Reichstag and of all parliaments,[40]
as well as of the existing national government; taking over
of the government by the Berlin Workmen's and Soldiers'
Council until the formation of a national workmen's and
soldiers' council.
[40] Americans inclined to extend sympathy to Liebknecht (or
his memory) are again reminded that he and his followers are
violent opponents of democracy. The same is true of the real
leaders of the Independent Socialists.
7. Election throughout Germany of workmen's and soldiers'
councils, in whose hands exclusively the lawgiving and
administrative power shall rest.
8. Abolishment of dynasties[41] and separate states; our
parole is: United Socialistic Republic of Germany.
[41] Several of the German dynasties were still in existence
on the morning of November 10th. King Friedrich August of
Saxony, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and Grand Duke
Friedrich August of Oldenburg were deposed on November 10th,
and Prince Heinrich XXVII of Reuss (younger line) abdicated
on the same day. The King of Saxony accepted his deposition
by a formal act of abdication two days later. Duke Karl
Eduard of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and Grand Duke Friedrich Franz
of Mecklenburg-Schwerin abdicated on November 13th. King
Ludwig of Bavaria, whom Kurt Eisner had already declared
deposed, issued a statement on November 13th liberating all
officials from their oath of allegiance, "since I am no
longer in a position to direct the government." The Munich
Soviet acknowledged this as an act of abdication. Prince
Friedrich of Waldeck-Pyrmont, refusing to abdicate, was
deposed on the same day. Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden and
Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe did not leave their thrones
until November 15th.
9. The immediate establishing of relations with all workmen's
and soldiers' councils existing in Germany, and with the
socialistic brother parties of foreign countries.
10. The immediate recall to Berlin of the Russian Embassy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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