Prussian Revolutionary cabinet

Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet

Cabinet of the Free State of Prussia
1918–1919
Co-President Hirsch
Date formedNovember 14, 1918
Date dissolvedMarch 25, 1919
(4 months, 1 week and 4 days)
People and organisations
Minister PresidentPaul Hirsch
Heinrich Ströbel
History
PredecessorHertling cabinet
SuccessorHirsch cabinet

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.

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

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The 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

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Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Minister PresidentsNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 SPD
November 14, 1918January 4, 1919 USPD
Minister of FinanceNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 SPD
November 14, 1918January 4, 1919 USPD
Minister of ScienceNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 SPD
November 14, 1918January 4, 1919 USPD
Minister of JusticeNovember 14, 1918January 4, 1919 SPD
November 27, 1918March 25, 1919 USPD
Minister of TradeNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 GDD
Minister of Public WorksNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 N/A
Minister of Interior AffairsNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 SPD
November 16, 1918January 4, 1919 USPD
Minister of WarNovember 14, 1918[a]January 2, 1919 N/A
January 3, 1919March 25, 1919 N/A
Minister of AgricultureNovember 14, 1918March 25, 1919 SPD
November 14, 1918January 4, 1919 USPD
Police Chief of BerlinNovember 16, 1918January 3, 1919 USPD
January 4, 1919March 25, 1919 SPD
Minister of State
(without specific area)		November 16, 1918January 3, 1919 SPD

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Heinrich Scheuch was the only member of the Hertling cabinet to continue into the Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet.

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
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