GEBMANY 302 GEBMANY Germany was becoming very intense. On November 5, the German Govern- ment received the Allied answer to the request of an armistice, and after negotiations between the Allied and Ger- man military officers, an armistice was finally signed on November 11, 1918, The signing of the armistice could not prevent the spread of revolution in Ger- many, Actual revolution was begun by the revolt of the German High Sea Fleet at Kiel, and was followed by uprisings in various cities throughout the Empire. On November 9, 1918, the German Em- peror decided to abdicate. The linal ab- dication was not published, however, until the end of the month, following the Emperor's flight into Holland. The rev- olution now swept with great swiftness. The King of Bavaria was forced from his throw^n and a Socialist journalist, Kurt Eisner, was placed at the head of the newly formed republic. In quick suc- cession followed revolution in Wiirttem- berg, Saxony, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg, and Baden. The reactionary party made an attempt at resistance throughout the country, but finally the more moderate wing of the Socialists, headed by Ebert, Landsberg, and Scheidemann, assumed the supreme power. Ebert was tempo- rarily appointed Imperial Chancellor. This provisional government was faced by many difficult problems. The extreme radical Socialists, known as the Spar- tacan group, put themselves in direct opposition. This party was headed by Dr. Liebknecht, who issued a call to arms for a social revolution. There was a general demand for an all-Gei-man Na- tional Assembly, and this was finally accomplished on November 25. It was composed of 17 delegates, representing 21 German states, and its object was to formulate the rules for the coming na- tional convention. During the last November and early December days of 1918, political con- ditions continued more intense. Strikes occurred in many industrial centers. Opposition to the Ebert government was strong in Bavaria and other south Ger- man states. The Spartacan party con- tinued in hostile opposition. People's councils and soldiers' and workmen's councils sprang up throughout the coun- try. On Dec. 16, 1918, the central council of delegates from soldiers' and workmen's councils met in Berlin for the purpose of debating the place of national assembly. Liebknecht took this oppor- tunity to incite the people to revolt. The radical Socialists insisted that Germany should be formed into one single repub- lic, that all power should be given to the soldiers' and workmen's councils, and that the supreme executive power should be exercised by the executive council. It was finally decided by the Congress that elections should be held to appoint a National assembly on January 19, 1919. The Spartacan party received as- sistance from Russia and was also en- couraged by the continued spread of strikes throughout the country. The Spartacans finally broke out in actual revolt in January. It w^as, however, quickly suppressed. On January 16 Carl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, the two most prominent leaders of the Spar- tacans, were arrested and shortly after- ward shot by their guards in their place of detention. This broke the oppo- sition of the radical Socialists. Elections were held for members of the National Assembly on January 19, 1919, and the Assembly convened at Weimar on February 6. On February 21, 1919, there was a serious outbreak at Munich. Kurt Eisner, the Prime Minister, was killed. There were simi- lar outbreaks throughout the country. Eisner had been at the head of a so- called Soviet government, and the col- lapse of this at his death removed the last stronghold of Bolshevism in Ger- many, although there continued to be uprisings of the Spartacans from time to time. By the time of the meeting of the Peace Conference, however, com- parative peace reigned throughout Ger- many. The terms of the Peace Treaty aroused a storm of protest throughout Germany. The German delegates left the conference to consult with the Ger- man Government. An extension of time was granted for the signing of the treaty, and finally on June 23, 1919, the National AssemlDly accepted, without conditions, the reservations of the Allied terms. The Peace Treaty was ratified by the German National Assembly on July 9, 1919. The new constitution was formally adopted by the Assembly on July 31, 1919. The constitution consists of 181 articles. It provides for the com- position and function of the Nationa' government; for the regulation of the National government and the various State governments; for the election and function of the Reichstag, of the Na- tional President, of the Chancellor, of the National ministers, of the National Council, and of the duties of the various National government departments. This provides also for the administration of justice, the fundamental rights and duties of the citizens; for the regula- tion of marriage, education, religion, and economic life; of the temporary varying of existing laws and regulations; for the repeal of the constitution of the for- mer German Empire; and for the con-
