德国革命又称为十一月革命,是德国在1918年与1919年发生的一连串事件,致使德国皇帝威廉二世被推翻以及威玛共和国的建立。如俄罗斯的二月革命,德国革命并非由任何一个政党领导,类似苏维埃的工人团体亦企图夺权。但这些事件只令左派分子更分裂,因为社会民主党领导的共和政府利用右翼的自由军团,镇压左翼的斯巴达克同盟。
正如俄罗斯的革命般,第一次世界大战导致的灾难引发德国革命。德军统帅埃里希·鲁登道夫想领导军队在1918年向盟军投降,结果引起政治危机。威廉二世退位后后,虽然巴登亲王任命社会民主党代表领导临时政府,但仍未能阻止叛乱爆发。
1918年10月29日至11月3日,基尔港首先发生起义。四万名海员及船只认为德国在战争中大势已去,出战只是自取灭亡,于是抗拒海军的出兵命令。11月8日时,工人与士兵的议会已占领了德国西部的大部分,为“议会共和”作准备。11月9日,威廉二世被迫退位,德意志帝国灭亡。纵然如此,仍有不少上产或中产的分子支持帝制。社会民主党跃升成为领导德国的政党,与激进的德国独立社会民主党(Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands)共同执政。
不过,独立社民党认为,社民党想保持资本主义在德国的现状,便在12月脱离联合政府。其后,1919年1月,斯巴达克同盟发动第二股革命浪潮,让它横扫德国。社民党主席弗里德里希·艾伯特聘用自由军团镇压起义。1月15日,斯巴达克团两位领导人卡尔·李卜克内西与罗莎·卢森堡惨遭杀害。5月,共和国成功镇压了革命。
德国革命促成威玛共和国的成立,同时又促使纳粹党的崛起。
The German Revolution (German: Novemberrevolution) was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I. The period lasted from November 1918 until the formal establishment of the Weimar Republic in August 1919.
The roots of the revolution can be found in the social tensions of the German Empire, its undemocratic constitution and the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to reform. The revolution was triggered by the policy of the Supreme Command[clarification needed]and the decision of the Naval Command in the face of defeat to deliver one last battle to the British Royal Navy. The sailor’s revolt which then ensued in the naval ports of Wilhelmshaven and Kiel spread across the whole country within days and led to the proclamation of a republic on 9 November 1918 and shortly thereafter to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Further-reaching goals of the revolutionaries inspired by communist ideas failed because of the resistance of the Social Democratic Party of Germany leadership in January 1919. Fearing an all-out civil war they, in line with the middle-class parties, did not have in mind to completely strip the old imperial elites of their power. Instead they sought to reconcile them with the new democratic conditions. In this endeavour they sought an alliance with the Supreme Command and had the army and Freikorps (nationalist militias) quell the so-called Spartacist uprising by force.