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
This proclamation closed by declaring that no real Socialist must enter
the government as long as a single "government" Socialist (Majority)
belonged to it. "There can be no cooperation with those who have
betrayed us for four years," said the proclamation.
This item followed: "_Die rote Fahne_ sends its first and warmest
greeting to the Federative Socialistic Soviet Republic (Russia) and begs
that government to tell our Russian brethren that the Berlin
laboring-class has celebrated the first anniversary of the Russian
revolution by bringing about the German revolution."
_Die Internationale_ also published a leader glorifying the revolution
and declaring that "the red flag floats over the capital." It called on
its readers to be on their guard and closed with a _lebe hoch_![42] for
the German Socialistic Republic and the _Internationale_.
[42] Literally, "may it live high!" The French _vive_ and the
English "hurrah for--!"
All the Sunday morning papers published a proclamation and an appeal by
the "Imperial Chancellor," Ebert. The proclamation was addressed to
"Fellow Citizens,"[43] and was a formal notice that Ebert had taken over
his office from Prince Max and was about to form a new government. He
requested the aid of all good citizens and warned especially against any
acts calculated to interfere with supplying food to the people. The
appeal was a summons to all officials throughout the country to place
themselves at the disposition of the new government.[44] "I know it will
be hard for many to work with the new men who have undertaken the
conduct of the government," said the appeal, "but I appeal to their love
for our people."
[43] _Mitbuerger._ Subsequent proclamations were, with few
exceptions, addressed to _Genossen_. The government could not
shake off its party fetters.
[44] It is not possible to withhold admiration from the tens of
thousands of officials throughout Germany who, hating and
despising party Socialism, and themselves monarchic in
principle by tradition and training, nevertheless stayed at
their posts and did what they could to prevent utter chaos.
The choice was especially hard for the men in higher
positions, since most of these not only had to carry out
orders of a revolutionary red government, but also had to
submit to having their daily acts controlled and their orders
altered and countersigned by a _Genosse_ who was often an
unskilled manual laborer. The best traditions of German
officialdom were honorably upheld by these men, and it is to
them, rather than to those at the head of the government,
that credit is due for even the small measure of order that
was preserved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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