Chapter I. The Governmental Structure of Germany. 17
Revolutions—Not unknown in Germany—Prussia and the Hohenzollerns—Frederick the Great—Germany under foreign domination—The Battle of the brotherhood of man—Lassalle's national Socialists join the Internationale—Germany's political backwardness—The war of 1870-71—Erection of the German Empire—Why the Reichstag failed to become a real parliament—The Emperor's powers as Kaiser and as King of Prussia.
Chapter II. The German Conception of the State. 31
Individualism repressed for efficiency's sake—Authority the keynote—The Beamter and his special privileges—Prussian ideals of duty—Education—The Officer corps as supporters of the throne—Militarism—Dreams of a Welt-Imperium—The fatal cancer of Socialism.
Chapter III. Internationalism and Vaterlandslose Gesellen. 45
The menace of internationalism—Marx and Engels—Socialist teachings of the brotherhood of man—Lassalle's national Socialists join the Internationale of Marx, Engels and Liebknecht—Socialism becomes a political factor—Bismarck's special laws fail—He tries State Socialism—Kaiser Wilhelm denounces the Socialists—Labor-union movement a child of Socialism—German "particularism"—Socialism weakens feelings of patriotism and undermines the church.
Chapter IV. Germany under the "Hunger-Blockade." 61
Germany's inability to feed and clothe her inhabitants—The war reduces production—Germany's imports in 1913—Food conservation—The "turnip-winter"—Everybody goes hungry—Terrible increase of mortality—Discontent engendered and increased by suffering—Illegitimate trade in the necessaries of life—Rations at the front become insufficient.
Chapter V. Internationalism at Work. 75
General enthusiasm at the war's outbreak—Socialists support the government—Liebknecht denounces the war—Otto RÜhle, Franz Mehring, Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg—The "Spartacus Letters"—Extreme Socialists begin to follow Liebknecht—The first open break in the party—The seceders attack the war—Liebknecht sent to prison—The Russian Revolution as a factor—The political strikes of January, 1918—The army disaffected—Shortage of trained officers.
Chapter VI. Propaganda and Morale. 89
Submarine losses shake sailors' morale—Independent Socialists' propaganda—Admiral von Cappelle admits serious mutiny at Wilhelmshafen—Haase, Dittmann and Vogtherr denounced—Lenine passes through Germany—Russian Bolshevist propaganda in Germany—Treaty of Brest-Litovsk throws down the bars—Activities of the Bolshevist Ambassador Joffe—Haase, Cohn and other Independent Socialists work with him—Joffe expelled from Germany—Allied propaganda helps weaken German morale at home and on the fronts—Atrocity stories.
Chapter VII. Germany Requests an Armistice. 107
Chancellor Michaelis resigns and is succeeded by Count Hertling—Empire honeycombed with sedition—Count Lichnowsky's memoirs—Another Chancellor crisis—Socialists consent to enter a coalition government—Bulgaria surrenders—Hertling admits desperateness of situation—The German front begins to disintegrate—Prince Max of Baden becomes Chancellor, with the Socialist Philip Scheidemann as a cabinet member—Max requests an armistice—Lansing's reply.
Chapter VIII. The Last Days of Imperial Germany. 121
Reforms come too late—The Independent Socialists attack the government—Liebknecht released from prison and defies the authorities—The Kaiser makes sweeping surrenders of powers—Austria-Hungary's defection—Revolution in Vienna—Socialists demand the Kaiser's abdication—The new cabinet promises parliamentary reforms.
Chapter IX. A Revolt Which Became a Revolution. 133
Mutiny at Kiel—Troops fire on mutinous sailors—Demands of the mutineers granted—Noske arrives—The red flag replaces the imperial standard—Prince Henry's flight—Independent Socialists and Spartacans seize their opportunity—Soviets erected throughout Northwestern Germany—Official cowardice at SwinemÜnde—Noske becomes Governor of Kiel.
Chapter X. The Revolution Reaches Berlin. 147
Lansing announces that the allied governments accept Wilson's fourteen points with one reservation—Max appeals to the people—Hamburg revolutionaries reach Berlin—Government troops brought to the capital—Independent Socialists meet in the Reichstag building—The revolution spreads—Majority Socialists join hands with the revolutionaries—Supposedly loyal troops mutiny—Revolution.
Chapter XI. The Kaiser Abdicates. 159
Ebert becomes Premier for a day—The German Republic proclaimed—Liebknecht at the royal palace—Officers hunted down in the streets—The rape of the bourgeois newspapers by revolutionaries—The first shooting—Ebert issues a proclamation and an appeal—A red Sunday—Revolutionary meeting at the Circus Busch—A six-man cabinet formed—The Vollzugsrat—Far-reaching reforms are decreed.
Chapter XII. "The German Socialistic Republic." 177
The end of the dynasties—The Kaiser flees—Central Soviet displays moderate tendencies—Wholesale jail-releases—The police disarmed—Die neue Freiheit—A Red Guard is planned, but meets opposition from the soldiers—Liebknecht organizes the deserters—Armistice terms a blow to the cabinet—The blockade is extended.
Chapter XIII. "The New Freedom." 195
Germany's armed forces collapse—Some effects of "the new freedom"—The Reichstag is declared dissolved—The cabinet's helplessness—Opposition to a national assembly—Radicals dominate the Vollzugsrat—Charges are made against it—The Red Soldiers' League—The first bloodshed under the new rÉgime.
Chapter XIV. The Majority Socialists in Control. 209
Front soldiers return—The central congress of Germany's Soviets—Radicals in an insignificant minority—A new Vollzugsrat of Majority Socialists appointed—The People's Marine Division revolts—Independent Socialists leave the cabinet—The Spartacus League organized—The national government's authority flouted—Aggressions by Czechs and Poles—An epidemic of strikes.
Chapter XV. Liebknecht Tries to Overthrow the Government; Is Arrested and Killed. 225
The first Bolshevist uprising—Prominent Berlin newspapers seized by the Spartacans—The Independent Socialists' double-dealing—Capture of the VorwÄrts plant—Ledebour, Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg arrested—Liebknecht and Luxemburg killed—The Bolsheviki turn their attention to coast cities.
Chapter XVI. The National Assembly. 237
Germany's political parties reorganize—Theodor Wolff—Composition of the National Assembly—Convenes at Weimar—Spartacans stage various uprisings—Friedrich Ebert elected provisional president of the German Republic—Germany's desperate financial situation—The difference between theory and practice.
Chapter XVII. The Spartacans Rise Again. 251
Germany still hungering—Promised supplies of food delayed—Gas and coal shortage—Strikes add to people's sufferings—The Spartacans plan another uprising—Severe fighting in Berlin—The radical newspaper Die rote Fahne suppressed—Independent Socialists go over to the Spartacans—Independent Socialist and Spartacan Platforms contrasted.
Chapter XVIII. Red or White Internationalism: Which? 265
Radicalism encouraged by Bolshevism's success in Hungary.
Chapter XIX. The Weimar Constitution. 273
History of the new constitution—An advancedly democratic institution—Important change in constitution on third reading—The imperial constitution ceases to exist—Two "main divisions"—Construction of the state—Preambles of old and new constitutions compared—Fundamental and sweeping changes—Radical curtailment of states' rights—The President—The Reichstag, importance assigned to it—The Reichsrat—Legislative procedure—Referendum and initiative—Amendments—"Fundamental rights and fundamental duties of the Germans"—Articles on social and economic life—Socialist influence becomes unmistakable—Sweeping socialization made possible—Workmen's council is "anchored" in the constitution.
The Constitution of the German Commonwealth. 294
Translation by William Bennett Munro and Arthur Norman Holcombe. Reprinted by permission of the World Peace Foundation.
