If you are fascinated by short-lived states just as I am, you know that the period after WW1 is
a goldmine when it comes down to short-lived states. In this video we're gonna talk about
the short-lived Bremen Soviet Republic, that was actually proclaimed right there. Keep watching.
Good to have you back on the channel. If you're new I'm Stefan, I'm a Dutch history teacher
and I like to cover history on location 4 U. I'm now in the German city of Bremen.
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On 21 March 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on the Western Front in order to break
the stalemate, codenamed Operation Michael. German guns fired more than a million shells on the enemy
positions in the Somme-Arras Sector. A total of 32 German divisions moved forward as they overran the
southern sector of the front. The Allies were in panick and British military leaders spoke about
the evacuation of British troops from the European mainland. On April 5th the operation ended. Yes,
major territories gains were achieved. Yes, the Allies were repelled. But no,
they were not defeated. It was a tactical victory, but not a strategic one.
Also, the Germans lost many men they could not replace, among which their precious elite
troops. Not to mention the supply lines that became severily overstreched. German commander
Ludendorff then ordered the attacks at other fronts in Flandres and at the Aisne. Again,
the Germans achieved territorial gains but exhaustian set in. Many troops stopped advancing
as they seized food stocks in the conquered territories. In short, the German Spring
Offensives caused more problems than it solved. And then the Spannish Flu hit the troops. This
world wide influenza claimed 50 million lives. In the summer the Allies counterattacked. Soon the
ground the Germans had taken during their previous offensive was lost to the Allies. The Allied
Hundred Days Offensive started with the Battle of Amiens, which was known as the Black Day of
the German Army where German commanders Ludendorff and Hindenburg realized the war was a lost cause.
In the German city of Kiel a mutiny broke out (3rd Nov), led by socialists and communists. Soon uprisings
at other naval cities like Bremen, Lübeck, Hamburg and Tilsit occured. On the 7th the
revolution spread inland. The German government resigned and a new social democrat government
with Friedrich Ebert as Reichschanselor was appointed (9th Nov). The same day the new
German government declared a republic. The German Kaiser went into exile in the
Netherlands. Two days later the armistice was signed in a trainwagon at Compiègne, in France.
The German Revolution which started with the Kiel Mutiny and ended half-way 1919 saw
different revolts in Berlin (Spartacus Uprising) as well as München where the
short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic saw the light of day. But what happened here in Bremen?
Left-wing labour organizations enjoyed huge support in Bremen because many worked in heavy
industry. Many supported the SPD: the Social Democratic Party of Germany. This party broke
with the radical left-wing Spartacus League. Many people from Bremen leaned more towards the
Spartacists than the SPD. The revolt in Bremen actually occured before the Kaiser adbicated:
6 November 1918. A workers' council was being established. The council began to
ran Bremen as a small independent state independently of the Weimar Republic.
The Soviet of People's Representatives assumed the role of legislature and counted
a total of nine representatives, consisting of three members of the Bremen radical left,
three USPD members (Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany) led by Alfred Henke and three
independent soldiers. Johann Knief, a member of the International Communists of Germany,
had considerable influence within the republic and held the role of People's Commissar. It
was formed from the works council established in November 1918 with a similar composition.
On January 10, the workers' council proclaimed the republic of the establishment of the Soviet
of People's Representatives in the city. Teachers, notably Johann Knief, formed the bulk of the
leadership who expressed support for many Leninist theories. The Soviet of People's Representatives
replaced the workers' council and was also housed in the town hall. Since its inception, the council
had passed many reform laws, including the equal pay requirement. The long-term goal, though never
realized, was also to nationalize Bremen's economy by establishing a dictatorship of the proletariat.
Friedrich Ebert sent the Freikorps to this area. And the problem with the Bremen Soviet
Republic was that they had no support. The surrounding areas were Weimar controlled.
And the Spartacus League was all the way in Berlin. And pretty much defeated by now.
Therefore the Freikorps came in and toppled the short-lived Bremen Soviet Republic. Around 80
people were killed among which its leaders who were executed by the Freikorps. This
happened on February 4. A few days later the Soviet rebels in Bremerhaven were defeated.
The Weimar Republic had an uneasy start to say the least. In March 1920 a right-wing
coup attempt was undertaken: the Kapp Putch. That same month a left-wing workers' revolt in
the Ruhr region (the Ruhr Uprising) also took place. Both were put down. Clashes
between left and ring-wing sympathisers occured throughout the years of existence
of the Weimar Republic. Until the Nazi party under Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933.
I covered many short-lived states. And I'm sure there is one you've never heard
of before. And that is the Galician Soviet Socialist Republic. You can
find the video I recorded back in the day in Ukraine on location right here.