This is no peace - A Post-War German AAR

[Tommy4ever]

This is no peace

On January 3rd 1919 the Great War finally came to an end. It had meant nothing, solved nothing and proved nothing.

Despite reaching the very suburbs of Paris in the spring of 1918 the mighty German war machine had started to fall apart through the latter part of the year. By the winter the Germans were in headlong retreat across Belgium, in Italy they and their Austrian allies had lost control of Tuscany and Lombardy whilst in the East the Russian Imperial Army, defying the slow collapse of Russian society at home, was making progress against the undermanned Central Powers who had been falling back since late 1916. On December 3rd the Bulgarians had surrendered and on the 27th the Austro-Hungarian Empire followed suite. By this stage the German home front had already collapsed and the country was in the throws of revolution. On New Years Day, SPD leader, Friedrich Ebert proclaimed a Republic in Berlin and shortly later the Kaiser fled to the Netherlands where he sought asylum. Two days after the fall of the German monarchy an armistice was finally signed to bring an end to bloodiest conflict Europe had ever witnessed.

As the German army was forcibly demobilised the French and Belgians moved to occupy the Western bank of the Rhine, the Danes took the Northern Schleswig, the Russians took control over West Prussia, the Poznan region, parts of Silesia and Memelland, with Danzig being made a Free City, finally the entire German colonial empire was dismembered by the victorious Allied powers.

Yet even with the War at an end, Germany was far from peace. For its revolution had only just begun …

[Tommy4ever]

Hello, I'm Tommy4ever. I used to write quite a lot of AARs, but that all ended about a year ago after I got banned whilst in the middle of what had been my favourite . Anyway, I have returned! And with an AAR about Germany after WWI!

Basically I let the war go ahead whilst I played as Cuba and waited. The Germans came very close to winning - almost taking St Petersburg in 1915 and 1916, and coming within an inch of taking Paris in 1918 before they eventually lost due to the revolution at home. Hopefully this can be a fun and interesting AAR for me to return to the AAR forum with.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Welcome back!

New year and new AAR. That looks promising.

[Falconette]

Going to be epic. I subscribe. And don't forget about LibrAARy

[zimmerwald1915]

Hey hey, an AAR of yours in which I can post! You probably have some idea of how happy this makes me, but please be assured your impression is only a pale reflection of my actual delight.

Also, for any fans of Tommy's last AAR, yes, I am real.

[Red Cesar]

He has returned! I cannot wait to read another AAR by Tommy!

[Morrell8]

Good to see you back Tommy, I enjoyed reading your previous AAR that ended unfortunately.

[Tommy4ever]

Revolution Betrayed – the German Revolution of 1919

In the closing days of the Great War the beginnings of the German Revolution had swept away the old feudal order of the German Empire and led to the proclamation of a Republic. This Republic was governed by an alliance of the two dominating working class parties in Germany – the SPD and the USPD (the party that had split from the SPD itself over opposition to the war and the right wing turn of the SPD).



Yet the revolution that had toppled the old regime still had a great deal of momentum in the first months of January – across the entire country councils of workers and soldiers, known as Räte, were formed that provided a challenge to the sovereign authority of the recently formed government in Berlin. The future of these councils was to bring down the SPD-USPD alliance. The SPD was determined not to allow the councils to become an established part of the new Republic's political system and was adamant that a social revolution could not be allowed if Germany was to hold itself together. In essence the SPD wished to forge a bourgeois democratic Republic under the leadership of a moderate and socially aware government. To achieve this aim the SPD wished to quell the councils and hold immediate elections – that would in turn justify the power of the Berlin government to mould the Republic as it willed. The USPD were more divided, on the party's left wing the Spartacus League, led by the towering figures of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, was pushing for a full blown working class revolution – demanding that all power be handed over to the workers' and soldiers' councils. Even the party's right wing saw a role for the councils in the future Republic, the party as a whole calling for a delayed election that would allow some working class gains during the revolutionary period to become wholly irreversible.



As the weeks progressed the influence of the radicals seemed to expand explosively, riding high off of the failure of the SPD and USPD to meet the expectations of the working class they pushed for extreme action. From late January the occupation of work places became common and councils bullishly asserted their local authority, often ignoring the commandments of the Berlin government. In February Freikrops, right wing militias of soldiers returned from the Great War, with the support of the SPD began to challenge the councils with force. The use of the Freikorps and the stubborn refusal of the SPD to compromise with their left wing allies in the USPD made for the collapse of the coalition in Berlin as the USPD left the government. The SPD then quickly moved towards an alliance with bourgeois parties.

The USPD, on the other hand, shattered. The Spartacus Left of the party broke away late in the month – feeling that the party was not pursuing a revolutionary path, whilst a substantial portion of the right decided to rejoin the SPD.

No matter the party politics, the situation in Germany was becoming extremely violent with gangs of armed leftist workers engaged in battles with the Freikorps in many cities as they attempted to protect their gains thus far.



It wasn't until March that the revolution finally descended into Civil War. Starting with a revolt led by the supporters of the Spartacus League in Berlin (launched as a response to the forced closure of the workers' councils in the capital by Freikorps) the cry went out across the country for the armed overthrow of the capitalist order. In the Saxon industrial hubs of Dresden and Leipzig, in Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover and Lubeck pro-Sparatacus militias rose up, drawing support from large portions of the working class in these cities. In the South socialists and anarchists (unassociated with the League) proclaimed the United Socialist Republic of Bavaria and Wurttemberg – seceding from the German Republic in the process. On the Eastern bank of the Rhine a Grand Assembly of Councils voted in favour of launching into armed revolt, leading in turn to the rising of some 60,000 armed workers and former soldiers in the region. Finally, in East Prussia another large scale revolt began.

After around two weeks of fighting in Berlin itself the Spartacus League was crushed. Rosa Luxemburg was murdered, and her body thrown into Landwehr Canal. The defeat in Berlin all but crippled as they faced defeats elsewhere through March and April, yet their leadership – including Karl Liebknecht was able to escape to the more successful rebellion in the South.

In the West of the country it was not until August that the Rhenish socialists were finally defeated whilst in the South Stuttgart did not fall until September 2nd and Munich until September 27th. Even, then a great many of Germany's revolutionaries were able to escape into Austria – which had elected its own Social Democratic Party, which had remained much closer to its Marxist roots than the one in Berlin.

By the autumn the revolution in Germany was essentially over. The radicals had been crushed, massacred and forced to flee the country. As tens of thousands lay dead the Weimar Republic came into existence. However the final written words of the late Rosa Luxemburg would continue to occupy the dreams of the country's leftists, and haunt the nightmares of its rulers:

'' 'Order reigns in Berlin!' You stupid henchmen! Your 'order' is built on sand. Tomorrow the revolution will already 'raise itself with a rattle' and announce with fanfare, to your terror:

I was, I am, I shall be! ''



The German Left might have been crushed across the nation, but in one province they achieved a lasting victory. By mid-August the last forces loyal to the Berlin government were defeated by socialist revolutionaries in East Prussia – separated from the rest of the country and with the Russians unwilling to let a German army march through largely German West Prussia there was nothing the government could do to restore order there. In a position of relative security the Socialist Republic of Prussia was able to embark on a total social revolution within the province aimed at destroying the old feudal and capitalist order.

Meanwhile, back in Germany proper, the war weary citizens of the Republic were due to go to the polls on October 3rd for the first elections since the fall of the Empire.

[Red Cesar]

Hm...a confusing situation, it seems.

[Shock3r]

Are you gonna restart let the ruling class tremble?

[Aliasing]

Different AAR, Different subject

But subscribed

[H.Appleby]

How will the Poles react to a tiny communist enclave, full of juicy IC and Resources spouting the same ideology as their sworn Bolshevik enemies I wonder?

[Kurt_Steiner]

Socialist Prussia? Unless Moscow brings some helps, its demise is going to take place in any moment.

A pity that Karl and Rose ended killed as usual... They could have brought some interesting variation to the "Big Game"

[Soulstrider]

Is Russia Tsarist or Communist?

[Tommy4ever]

Hm...a confusing situation, it seems.

True.

Are you gonna restart let the ruling class tremble?

No. It had to be stopped 11 months ago, thats far too long of a gap to go back. :/

Different AAR, Different subject

But subscribed

How will the Poles react to a tiny communist enclave, full of juicy IC and Resources spouting the same ideology as their sworn Bolshevik enemies I wonder?

Poland doesn't exist, instead i border Russia (who survived the war). However they have insane dissent and are dealing with largescale uprisings in both Poland and Finland.

Socialist Prussia? Unless Moscow brings some helps, its demise is going to take place in any moment.

A pity that Karl and Rose ended killed as usual... They could have brought some interesting variation to the "Big Game"

Considering that the red star doesn't fly over Moscow in this AAR, the Russians might be more of a hinderance than a help for the Prussian communists.

Rosa died, but I kept Karl alive - with the clear idea in my mind that he will play a role during Germany's interbellum. Without a Bolshevik revolution I felt Germany needed a big figure (sorry Thaelmann - you don't quite cut it ) to keep revolutionary socialism relevant.

Is Russia Tsarist or Communist?

Russia is currently Tsarist, but it has a HUGE amount of dissent.

[zimmerwald1915]

Is Red Prussia independent, or held by rebels? I can't really tell from the screenshot.

[Nikolai]

Following with interest.

[Tommy4ever]

Political Parties of Germany

Entering into its first election since the revolution, Germany had six political parties looking to compete for seats in the Reichstag.

Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)


Friedrich Ebert

Ideology: Social Democratic
Political Views: supremacy of elected parliament, centralised government, minor reforms to society, social welfare, state capitalism
Supported by: working class
Targets: to build stable bourgeois democracy, minor social reforms, ensure peace

Founded in the latter 19th century by German Marxists the SPD grew rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th century to become the monopolist party of the German working class and the country's largest party by the outbreak of war. Then committed to the socialist transformation of society and the international working class movement, at the damn of war in 1914 the party took part in the only real Dolchstoss as it betrayed both the workers of Germany and the world by rallying behind the national flag in support of the war, mimicking similar actions taken by the other parties of the 'Socialist' International. Through the war the party loyalty supported the Kaiser's government's war policy, eventually leading to the split of the left into the USPD. At the end of the war the party played a major role in the overthrow of the Imperial order in December 1918 and January 1919 before turning against the radicals within the revolution – defeating them in a bloody civil war over the spring and summer of 1919. Now triumphant the party is by far the strongest in the country.

Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD)


Hugo Haase

Ideology: Left-Wing Radical
Political Views: socialist transformation of society through democratic means, workers' democracy
Supported by: working class
Targets: to ensure the peaceful overthrow of the capitalist system in Germany through the ballot box

Formed in 1917 by an anti-war and left-wing split from the SPD the party became a bastion for the most militant sections of the German left until early 1919 when the radical factions left the party to pursue violent revolution. Through the Civil War the USPD was in an uncomfortable position in which the party leadership tried to keep an anti-violent-radical position whilst also calling for social revolution (a very confusing position!) while at the same time dealing with a highly militant rank and file. The other parties remain extremely distrustful of the USPD and in election propaganda link the party directly to the violence of the Civil War.

Centre Party


Constantin Fehrenbach

Ideology: Social Conservative
Political View: Christian democracy, political Catholicism
Supported by: Catholics
Targets: promotion of Christian ideals, protection of Catholic Church and population, securing of stable bourgeois democracy

The Centre Party was originally formed in 1870 to protect the Catholic Church and its followers from the Prussian Kulturkampf. Despite this initial opposition to the German government the party came to be a supporter of German imperialism and happily rallied in support of war in 1914. However, as the conflict dragged on a significant anti-war faction grew up within the party and when it came to the overthrow of the monarchy, it was the only bourgeois party to play an important role. Yet it was staunchly opposed to any social revolution – taking a firm stance against the radicals as soon as they started to push for more than just a democratic government.

German Democratic Party (DDP)


Friedrich Naumann

Ideology: Social Liberal
Political Views: Liberal democracy, liberal economics, social liberalism
Supported by: mostly middle classes and intellectuals
Targets: securing of stable bourgeois democracy, economic recovery

The Democratic Party was formed in 1919 from a grouping of liberal forces – most notably from the old National Liberal Party which was split in two (with the right wing remembers forming the DVP). The party quickly came to support the policies of the SPD government in its promotion of the new republican and democratic ideals whilst keeping a strong opposition to social revolution.

German People's Party (DVP)


Gustav Stresemann

Ideology: Social Conservative
Political Views: Monarchism, laissez faire capitalism, Anti-Marxism, social conservatism
Supported by: the staunchly conservative
Targets: Hold back the leftward swing of the German nation, try to secure a better deal from the allies

Formed from the National Liberal Party's right wing in January 1919, the DVP seemed to find itself on the wrong side of history. Essentially a bastion for supporters of the old order to party was almost cast into oblivion until the violence of the Civil War brought forth a new platform for its right wing viewpoint. Nethertheless the party stood opposed to virtually all the Revolution had achieved – it was the loyal party of Germany's industrialists, a group who could barely leave their homes without fear of assault they were so hated, it was in support of the restoration of the despised monarchy, it had no care for the newly won democracy and it talked of restoring lost lands at a time when all the Germans wanted was peace. However the charismatic leadership of Stresemann allowed it to at least establish itself as a party capable of entering the Reichstag.

German National People's Party (DNVP)


Oskar Hergt

Ideology: Paternal Autocrat
Political Views: Monarchism, Anti-Semitism, Anti-Marxism, laissez faire capitalism, extreme nationalism, social conservatism
Supported by: Nationalists
Targets: restoration of the monarchy, restoration of Germany's lost pride, opposition to allied annexations

The DNVP was formed in January 1919 from the grouping of Germany's far right. More than any other party the DNVP supported the legend that the war had been lost by the betrayal of the soldiers at the front by Jews and socialists at home who rebelled to overthrow the Kaiser and bring the war to a humiliating end. Working mostly on macho and nationalist rhetoric the party is more firmly opposed to the Republic than any other. If elected it promises to end it.

Elections for the National Assembly – 1919

The Reichstag due to be elected in October 1919 was set to draft the constitution of the new Republic. Even before Germans went to the polls, however, it seemed clear that the SPD and their allies were almost certain to triumph and set in stone the Republic they had been crafting since the overthrow of the Kaiser.

The SPD was by far the largest party with a share of the vote that was almost twice that on the next largest party. Indeed, the second and third largest parties were the SPD's bourgeois allies in the Centre Party and the DDP. Combined this new governing coalition held 68% of the Reichstag – essentially meaning they could craft the new constitution without even consulting the other parties.

In spite of the crushing defeat of left-wing forces in the Civil War the USPD was able to outvote the right wing parties as it secured 65 seats – 5 more than the DNVP. The election was thoroughly disappointed for both the DNVP and DVP, combined they had failed to even win 1/5 of the vote.

With the Reichstag now elected the deputies sojourned to the town of Weimar to craft the new constitution, the name of the town would provide the name that the new state would henceforth by know as - the Weimar Republic.

[Kurt_Steiner]

It would be nice if, this time, the Weimarer Republik doesn't end in a failure...

[gooy]

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