The Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet was the provisional state government of Prussia from November 14, 1918 to March 25, 1919. It was based on a coalition of Majority Social Democrats (MSPD) and Independent Social Democrats (USPD), as was the Council of the People's Deputies, which was formed at the Reich level. The Prussian cabinet was revolutionary because it was not formed on the basis of the previous Prussian constitution of 1848/1850.
Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet | |
|---|---|
 Cabinet of the Free State of Prussia | |
| 1918–1919 | |
 Co-President Hirsch | |
| Date formed | November 14, 1918 |
| Date dissolved | March 25, 1919 (4 months, 1 week and 4 days) |
| People and organisations | |
| Minister President | Paul Hirsch Heinrich Ströbel |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Hertling cabinet |
| Successor | Hirsch cabinet |
The cabinet under Paul Hirsch from the MSPD existed from November 12, 1918 to March 25, 1919. One MSPD and one USPD man were assigned to each department. The USPD members left the cabinet on January 4, 1919. It was finally replaced by a new cabinet after a Prussian State Assembly was elected.
History
editThe Kingdom of Prussia was, by far, the most important member state in the monarchical federal state and remained so even after the German Revolution of 1918–1919. Prussia and the German Empire were linked to each other in many ways: the German Chancellor was also the Prussian Prime Minister, and many state secretaries were Prussian ministers. Prussia was the dominant power in the German Bundesrat, which benefited the German Chancellor.
On November 9, 1918, the last Imperial Chancellor, Max von Baden, announced prematurely that Kaiser and King William II had abdicated. Max, unconstitutionally, transferred the office of German Chancellor to Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the German Majority Social Democrats. On November 10, Ebert formed the Council of the People's Deputies (German: Rat der Volksbeauftragten) as a revolutionary transitional body at the Federal level and became one of two chairmen of the council.[1]
As Max von Baden was not Prussian Prime Minister, he was unable to give Ebert the premiership at the same time. The majority of the Prussian State Ministry wanted to resign on November 8th, but after the King's abdication was declared the next day, he could no longer accept their resignations. The Prussian cabinet, therefore, remained in office, similar to the state secretaries at the Federal level.[2]
On November 9th, Reich Chancellor Ebert instructed the Prussian leader of the MSPD Paul Hirsch to ensure peace and order. The Prussian Interior Minister Bill Drews confirmed this instruction with his own power of attorney to Hirsch. According to Ernst Rudolf Huber, Hirsch briefly became "Federal and Prussian State Commissioner".[1]
Cabinet members
edit| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister Presidents | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Minister of Finance | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Minister of Science | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Minister of Justice | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 27, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Minister of Trade | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | GDD | ||
| Minister of Public Works | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | N/A | ||
| Minister of Interior Affairs | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 16, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Minister of War | November 14, 1918[a] | January 2, 1919 | N/A | ||
| January 3, 1919 | March 25, 1919 | N/A | |||
| Minister of Agriculture | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | ||
| November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD | |||
| Police Chief of Berlin | November 16, 1918 | January 3, 1919 | USPD | ||
| January 4, 1919 | March 25, 1919 | SPD | |||
| Minister of State (without specific area) | November 16, 1918 | January 3, 1919 | SPD | ||
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Heinrich Scheuch was the only member of the Hertling cabinet to continue into the Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet.
References
edit- ^ a b Huber, Ernst Rudolf (1978). Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789: Weltkrieg, Revolution und Reichserneuerung, 1914-1919. 1. Aufl. 1978 (in German). Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer. pp. 1003–1004. ISBN 978-3-17-001055-0. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ Vondenhoff, Christoph (2001). Hegemonie und Gleichgewicht im Bundesstaat: Preussen 1867-1933 : Geschichte eines hegemonialen Gliedstaates (in German). Bonn: Shaker. pp. 28–31. ISBN 978-3-8265-5815-3. Retrieved 1 February 2024.