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Hermann Müller (politician)
Encyclopedia
born in Mannheim
, was a German Social Democratic
politician who served as Foreign Minister (1919–1920), and twice as Chancellor of Germany (1920, 1928–1930) under the Weimar Republic
. In his capacity as Foreign Minister, he was one of the German signatories of the Treaty of Versailles
in 1919.
with the object of finding out whether international action by the socialists of France and Germany could be initiated in order to avert World War I
. His mission was unsuccessful, and he had great difficulty in making his way back to Germany through the French lines. His report did much to determine the attitude of the German Social Democrats in voting in the Reichstag for the first war credit.
From 1916 to 1918, he was a member of the Reichstag
. On June 21, 1919, he was appointed minister of the Reich for foreign affairs — under the chancellorship of Gustav Bauer
— and in this capacity went to Versailles and with Colonial Minister Johannes Bell and signed the peace treaty
for Germany on June 29, 1919. After the resignation of the Bauer ministry, which followed upon the Kapp coup d'état
(March 1920), Müller was appointed chancellor of the Reich, an office which he held till the following June, when the result of the general elections for the Reichstag necessitated the formation of a coalition ministry with Constantin Fehrenbach of the Catholic Centre party as chancellor.
His second government was based on a "Grand Coalition" of Social Democrats, Centre Party
, German Democratic Party and German People's Party
. Though the coalition comprised a majority of the Reichstag
, the relationships between the partners was uneasy. The coalition finally fell apart as a result of disputes between the Social Democrats and German People's Party over budgetary issues as a result of the onset of the Great Depression
. Müller had strongly argued against his party's decision to leave the government, but was overruled.
His death the next year following a gallbladder
operation was seen as a major blow to the Social Democrats. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde
.
Changes
Changes
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, was a German Social Democratic
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
politician who served as Foreign Minister (1919–1920), and twice as Chancellor of Germany (1920, 1928–1930) under the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. In his capacity as Foreign Minister, he was one of the German signatories of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
in 1919.
Biography
From 1899 to 1906, Müller was editor of the Socialist newspaper Görlitzer Volkszeitung, and from 1906 onwards was a member of the directing board of the German Social Democratic party. On August 1, 1914, he went to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with the object of finding out whether international action by the socialists of France and Germany could be initiated in order to avert 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...
. His mission was unsuccessful, and he had great difficulty in making his way back to Germany through the French lines. His report did much to determine the attitude of the German Social Democrats in voting in the Reichstag for the first war credit.
From 1916 to 1918, he was a member of the Reichstag
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...
. On June 21, 1919, he was appointed minister of the Reich for foreign affairs — under the chancellorship of Gustav Bauer
Gustav Bauer
' was a German Social Democratic Party leader and Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920.Born in Darkehmen near Königsberg in East Prussia, Bauer, who rose to notice through his leadership of a white-collar trade union, served from 1908 to 1918 as chairman of the General Commission of Trade...
— and in this capacity went to Versailles and with Colonial Minister Johannes Bell and signed the peace treaty
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
for Germany on June 29, 1919. After the resignation of the Bauer ministry, which followed upon the Kapp coup d'état
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic...
(March 1920), Müller was appointed chancellor of the Reich, an office which he held till the following June, when the result of the general elections for the Reichstag necessitated the formation of a coalition ministry with Constantin Fehrenbach of the Catholic Centre party as chancellor.
His second government was based on a "Grand Coalition" of Social Democrats, Centre Party
Centre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
, German Democratic Party and German People's Party
German People's Party
The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
. Though the coalition comprised a majority of the Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
, the relationships between the partners was uneasy. The coalition finally fell apart as a result of disputes between the Social Democrats and German People's Party over budgetary issues as a result of the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Müller had strongly argued against his party's decision to leave the government, but was overruled.
His death the next year following a gallbladder
Gallbladder
In vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....
operation was seen as a major blow to the Social Democrats. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde
Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde
The Friedrichsfelde Central Cemetery , also known as the Memorial to the Socialists , is a cemetery in the borough of Lichtenberg in Berlin. When the cemetery was founded in 1881 it was called the Freidrichsfelde Municipal Cemetery Berlin...
.
Family
Müller's father was a champagne producer who died in 1892. In 1902 he married Frieda Tockus. They had one daughter, Annemarie, in 1905; however, Tockus died several weeks later, due to complications from the pregnancy. He remarried in 1909, and the following year his daughter Erika was born.Cabinet March 1920 - June 1920
- Hermann Müller (SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
) - Chancellor and Foreign MinisterForeign Minister of GermanyThe Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle... - Dr. Erich Koch-WeserErich Koch-WeserErich Koch-Weser was a German lawyer and liberal politician...
(DDP) - Vice ChancellorVice-Chancellor of GermanyThe Vice-Chancellor of Germany is, according to protocol, the second highest position in the Cabinet of GermanyIn case of the Chancellor's absence, the vice-chancellor acts in his or her place, for instance by heading cabinet meetings...
and Interior Minister - Dr. Andreas BlunckAndreas BlunckMax Andreas Blunck was a politician of the liberal German Democratic Party.Blunck was born in Krempe and studied law and the Chinese language. He worked as lawyer in Hamburg. From 1912 he was parliament member of the Reichstag...
(DDP) - Justice Minister - Dr. Joseph WirthJoseph WirthKarl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922.-Biography:...
(Centre PartyCentre Party (Germany)The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
) - Finance Minister - Robert SchmidtRobert SchmidtRobert Schmidt was a German politician and member of the SPD.Schmidt, born in Berlin, learned the profession of piano manufacturer. From 1893 to 1902 he was editor for the social-democratic newspaper Vorwärts....
(SPD) - Economics Minister - Dr. Andreas HermesAndreas HermesAndreas Hermes was a German Christian Democratic Union politician, agricultural scientist, Finance Minister of the Weimar Republic, and a member of the resistance to Nazism.- Life :...
(Centre Party) - Food Minister - Dr. Alexander Schlicke (SPD) - Labour Minister
- Dr. Otto GesslerOtto GesslerOtto Karl Gessler was a German politician during the Weimar Republic. From 1910 until 1914, he was mayor of Regensburg and from 1913 to 1919 mayor of Nuremberg. He served in Weimar cabinets from 1919 until 1928, usually as Minister of Defence.-Biography:Gessler was born in Ludwigsburg in the...
(DDP) - Defence Minister - Dr. Johannes Bell (Centre Party) - Transportation Minister
- Johannes Giesberts (Centre Party) - Postal Minister
- Gustav BauerGustav Bauer' was a German Social Democratic Party leader and Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920.Born in Darkehmen near Königsberg in East Prussia, Bauer, who rose to notice through his leadership of a white-collar trade union, served from 1908 to 1918 as chairman of the General Commission of Trade...
(SPD) - Treasury Minister - Dr. Eduard DavidEduard DavidEduard Heinrich Rudolph David was a German politician. During the Weimar Republic he was the Minister of the Interior from 21 June 1919 to 3 October 1919....
(SPD) - Minister without PortfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
Changes
- 10 April 1920 - Dr. Adolf KösterAdolf KösterAdolf Köster was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and diplomat. He served as Foreign Minister of Germany and Interior Minister of Germany .-Background:...
(SPD) succeeds Müller as Foreign Minister. Müller remains Chancellor. - 1 May 1920 - Gustav BauerGustav Bauer' was a German Social Democratic Party leader and Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920.Born in Darkehmen near Königsberg in East Prussia, Bauer, who rose to notice through his leadership of a white-collar trade union, served from 1908 to 1918 as chairman of the General Commission of Trade...
succeeds Bell as Transportation Minister. Bauer remains Treasury Minister.
Cabinet June 1928 - March 1930
- Hermann Müller (SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
) - Chancellor - Dr. Gustav StresemannGustav Stresemannwas a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...
(DVPGerman People's PartyThe German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
) - Minister of Foreign AffairsForeign Minister of GermanyThe Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle... - Carl SeveringCarl SeveringCarl Wilhelm Severing was a German Social Democrat politician during the Weimar era.He was Interior Minister of Prussia from 1920 to 1926, Minister of the Interior from 1928 to 1930 and Interior Minister of Prussia again from 1930 to 1932...
(SPD) - Minister of the Interior - Dr. Erich Koch-WeserErich Koch-WeserErich Koch-Weser was a German lawyer and liberal politician...
(DDP) - Minister of Justice - Dr. Rudolf HilferdingRudolf HilferdingRudolf Hilferding was an Austrian-born Marxist economist, leading socialist theorist, politician and chief theoretician for the Social Democratic Party of Germany during the Weimar Republic, almost universally recognized as the SPD's foremost theoretician of his century, and a...
(SPD) - Minister of Finance - Dr. Julius CurtiusJulius CurtiusJulius Curtius was Foreign Minister of Germany from October, 1929 to October 1931. Curtius was a member of the national-liberal German People's Party and worked closely with Heinrich Brüning to revise the Treaty of Versailles in Germany's favor. However, Curtius was not a member of Brüning's inner...
(DVP) - Minister of Economics - Dr. Hermann Dietrich (DDP) - Minister of Food
- Rudolf WissellRudolf WissellRudolf Wissell was a German politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany . During the Weimar Republic, he held office as the Minister for Economics and the Minister for Labour.Wissell was a member of the SPD from 1888, and belonged to the right wing of the party...
(SPD) - Minister of Labour - Wilhelm GroenerWilhelm GroenerKarl 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...
- Minister of Defence - Theodor von GuérardTheodor von GuérardTheodor von Guérard was a German jurist and politician. He served as Minister of Justice during the Weimar Republic era in the early 1930s.-References:...
(Centre PartyCentre Party (Germany)The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
) - Minister of Transport and Occupied Territories - Dr. Georg Schätzel (BVPBavarian People's PartyThe Bavarian People's Party was the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party, which broke off from the rest of the party in 1919 to pursue a more conservative, more Catholic, more Bavarian particularist course...
) - Postal Minister
Changes
- 6 February 1929 - Schätzel succeeds von Guérard as Transportation Minister. Schätzel remains Postal Minister. Severing succeeds von Guérard as Occupied Territories Minister. Severing remains Interior Minister.
- 13 April 1929 - Von Guérard succeeds Koch-Weser as Justice Minister. Adam StegerwaldAdam StegerwaldAdam Stegerwald was a German Catholic politician and a leader of the left wing of the Centre Party. He served as Prime Minister of Prussia in 1921, and later as a minister in the national governments of Hermann Müller and Heinrich Brüning...
(Z) succeeds Schätzel as Transportation Minister. Schätzel remains Postal Minister. Joseph WirthJoseph WirthKarl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922.-Biography:...
(Z) succeeds Severing as Occupied Territories Minister. Severing remains Interior Minister. - 3 October 1929 - Stresemann dies. Curtius succeeds him as Foreign Minister.
- 11 November 1929 - Dr. Paul Moldenhauer (DVP) succeeds Curtius as Economics Minister. Curtius remains Foreign Minister.
- 21 December 1929 - Hilferding resigns as Finance Minister.
- 23 December 1929 - Moldenhauer becomes Finance Minister. Robert SchmidtRobert SchmidtRobert Schmidt was a German politician and member of the SPD.Schmidt, born in Berlin, learned the profession of piano manufacturer. From 1893 to 1902 he was editor for the social-democratic newspaper Vorwärts....
(SPD) succeeds him as Economics Minister.