From Kaiser Reich to Republic
Spring–Autumn 1918: Military Collapse
Political Crisis and Revolution in Germany
Collapse of the Monarchy and End of the War
February 1919: Formation of Weimar Republic
- March–July 1918: German Spring Offensive ("Kaiserschlacht")
- Germany launches a final large-scale offensive on the Western Front to win the war before American forces arrive in full strength.
- Initial successes, but ultimately the offensive fails due to exhausted troops and logistical issues.
- August–November 1918: Allied Hundred Days Offensive
- Allies counterattack effectively, pushing back German forces.
- German military morale and capacity crumble rapidly.
Political Crisis and Revolution in Germany
- Late September 1918: Military Admits Defeat
- General Ludendorff and Hindenburg inform Kaiser Wilhelm II the war is lost.
- 29 October 1918: Kiel Mutiny
- German sailors mutiny in Kiel against suicidal naval orders.
- Mutiny sparks wider revolution across Germany, with workers' and soldiers' councils forming (inspired by Russian Soviets).
Collapse of the Monarchy and End of the War
- 9 November 1918:
- Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees to the Netherlands.
- Provisional Government formed by Friedrich Ebert (SPD).
- Germany declared a Republic by SPD leader Philipp Scheidemann from a Reichstag window in Berlin.
- 11 November 1918: Armistice signed
- Official end of World War I.
- Signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne, France.
- 5–12 January 1919: Spartacist Uprising in Berlin
- Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht (KPD).
- Crushed by the Freikorps (right-wing paramilitary groups) with SPD government's approval.
- Luxemburg and Liebknecht are murdered on 15 January.
- 19 January 1919: Elections for the National Assembly
- First free elections under universal suffrage (including women).
- SPD wins most seats - Ebert becomes President.
February 1919: Formation of Weimar Republic
- National Assembly meets in Weimar, not Berlin (due to unrest), and begins drafting a new democratic constitution.
