Ebert-Groener pact
Encyclopedia
The Ebert–Groener pact or sometimes called The Ebert-Groener deal was an agreement between Friedrich Ebert
(Chancellor of Germany November 9, 1918 – February 11, 1919; President of Germany
February 11, 1919 – February 28, 1925), and Wilhelm Groener
(First Quartermaster General
of the German Army
on November 9, 1918), 2 days before the official end of World War I
. It was the culmination of many secret conversations between the two that generally occurred late at night between eleven and one over a secret telephone line in the Chancellor's office in Kassel, Germany. The army was essentially given a free pass in dealing with the communists of Germany, namely the Spartacists
led by Rosa Luxemburg
and Karl Liebknecht
. In return the army promised to support Ebert.
This served the purposes of both Ebert and Groener because Ebert was trying to handle a situation where he had entirely lost power and the workers were on the streets demanding a workers revolution, similar to what had just happened in Russia. Groener was trying to take care of many decommissioned army officers who were jobless and starving and were beginning to form paramilitary groups in Berlin
. From this agreement the Freikorps
, or "free corps", a right wing vigilante army was born.
Historically, the government and the supreme command had remained independent of one another. However during World War I, the supreme command had more or less been in control of not only the Army but also civilian life. Groener's predecessor, Erich Ludendorff
, had intimidated the Kaiser into essentially giving him and Paul von Hindenburg
, the leaders of the Army's supreme command, control. This military dictatorship collapsed as the Home Front disintegrated into Strikes and upheavals, the generals eventually handed back power in despair, as the Kiel Mutiny and German Revolution
brought about the end of the War, the Kaiser abdicated and Ludendorff was forced to flee Germany in disguise. During the transition of Germany from a monarchy
to a republic
legislation was enacted to ensure the army would come under civilian control. The pact can be seen as Groener trying to intimidate Ebert into giving the supreme command control once more over civilian life.
Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .When Ebert was elected as the leader of the SPD after the death of August Bebel, the party members of the SPD were deeply divided because of the party's support for World War I. Ebert supported the Burgfrieden and...
(Chancellor of Germany November 9, 1918 – February 11, 1919; President of Germany
President of Germany
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
February 11, 1919 – February 28, 1925), and Wilhelm Groener
Wilhelm Groener
Karl Eduard Wilhelm Groener was a German soldier and politician.-Biography:He was born in Ludwigsburg in the Kingdom of Württemberg, the son of a regimental paymaster. He entered the Württemberg Army in 1884, and attended the War Academy from 1893 to 1897, whereupon he was appointed to the General...
(First Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
of the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
on November 9, 1918), 2 days before the official end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was the culmination of many secret conversations between the two that generally occurred late at night between eleven and one over a secret telephone line in the Chancellor's office in Kassel, Germany. The army was essentially given a free pass in dealing with the communists of Germany, namely the Spartacists
Spartacist League
The Spartacus League was a left-wing Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during World War I. The League was named after Spartacus, leader of the largest slave rebellion of the Roman Republic...
led by Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
and Karl Liebknecht
Karl Liebknecht
was a German socialist and a co-founder with Rosa Luxemburg of the Spartacist League and the Communist Party of Germany. He is best known for his opposition to World War I in the Reichstag and his role in the Spartacist uprising of 1919...
. In return the army promised to support Ebert.
This served the purposes of both Ebert and Groener because Ebert was trying to handle a situation where he had entirely lost power and the workers were on the streets demanding a workers revolution, similar to what had just happened in Russia. Groener was trying to take care of many decommissioned army officers who were jobless and starving and were beginning to form paramilitary groups in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. From this agreement the Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
, or "free corps", a right wing vigilante army was born.
Historically, the government and the supreme command had remained independent of one another. However during World War I, the supreme command had more or less been in control of not only the Army but also civilian life. Groener's predecessor, Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was a German general, victor of Liège and of the Battle of Tannenberg...
, had intimidated the Kaiser into essentially giving him and Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
, the leaders of the Army's supreme command, control. This military dictatorship collapsed as the Home Front disintegrated into Strikes and upheavals, the generals eventually handed back power in despair, as the Kiel Mutiny and German Revolution
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
brought about the end of the War, the Kaiser abdicated and Ludendorff was forced to flee Germany in disguise. During the transition of Germany from a monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
to a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
legislation was enacted to ensure the army would come under civilian control. The pact can be seen as Groener trying to intimidate Ebert into giving the supreme command control once more over civilian life.