| |
| 1919, Jan. 5–15 |
| |
| Spartacist revolt in Berlin, crushed by the provisional government with the aid of the regular army. The Independent Socialists sided with the Spartacists, now avowed Communists. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were killed while under arrest (Jan. 15). | 1 |
| |
| Jan. 19 |
| |
| Election of a national assembly to draw up a constitution. The Communists refused to take part, but all other groups both Right and Left were represented. Majority Socialists won 163 seats, Center 88, Democrats 75, Nationalists 42, Independent Socialists 22, others 31. | 2 |
| |
| Feb. 6 |
| |
| National assembly met at Weimar. | 3 |
| |
| Feb. 11 |
| |
| Friedrich Ebert chosen as first president of the German Republic, by the national assembly. | 4 |
| |
| Feb.–March |
| |
| Further Communist uprisings in Berlin, Munich, and elsewhere, suppressed by Gustav Noske, acting for the government. | 5 |
| |
| Feb. 21 |
| |
| Assassination of Kurt Eisner by a conspiracy to reestablish the monarchy. | 6 |
| |
| April 4–May 1 |
| |
| Soviet Republic established in Bavaria. This was overthrown by armed forces of the federal government. | 7 |
| |
| June 1 |
| |
| Proclamation of a Rhineland Republic, instigated and supported by France. After some months the movement collapsed because of the hostility of the inhabitants. | 8 |
| |
| June 20 |
| |
| The Scheidemann ministry resigned rather than sign the peace treaty dictated by the Allies. | 9 |
| |
| June 21 |
| |
| The German fleet was scuttled at Scapa Flow by its crews. | 10 |
| |
| June 23 |
| |
| The new cabinet, under Gustav Bauer (Matthias Erzberger, vice chancellor; Count Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau, foreign minister), accepted the peace treaty unconditionally after the Weimar assembly had voted 237 to 138 for conditional acceptance in order to avoid invasion of the country. | 11 |
| |
| July 12 |
| |
| The Allied blockade was finally lifted after a large part of the population had been brought to the verge of starvation. | 12 |
| |
| |
