The Kiel Uprising of 1918 - the uprising of the sailors of the German fleet in Kiel in November 1918, which grew from a riot on separate ships of the imperial fleet of Germany, which was anchored near Wilhelmshaven , until the November Revolution , which led to the fall of the monarchy in Germany .
By 1917, anti-militarist agitation was noticed in the German Navy, in large warships. The uprising was immediately preceded by an instruction from Admiral Scheer of October 24, 1918 , according to which the German navy of the open sea was ordered to wage "the last decisive battle" against the British fleet . Although formally the plan involved yet another attempt to trap the British fleet (in an ambush of pre-deployed submarines), in practice, an attempt to act against the numerically and technically superior British fleet, reinforced by American ships, would be clearly suicidal and aimed only at “saving the honor” German Navy. " And this despite the fact that the new government under the leadership of Prince Max von Baden during the month of truce has already probed the ground for peace with the Entente .
Before the planned battle, the German fleet embarked on an anchorage near the city of Wilhelmshaven . Here, on the night of October 29-30, 1918, part of the crews of the battleship Thuringia and Helgoland refused to carry out the combat order, explaining that this was pointless and even contradicted the course for peace talks with the enemy, taken by the German government. The ship crews, who remained faithful to the oath, aimed their guns at the rebels and forced them to return to the port of registry of Kiel on November 1. More than a thousand sailors were arrested.
On November 1, 1918, ships with arrested rebels on board came to Kiel. However, since most of the sailors sympathized with the rebels, most of them used the shore leave to discuss ways to free the rebels in the building of the Kiel Trade Union. Interaction was established with representatives of trade unions of the city, members of the SPD and the Independent SPD . The police dispersed the crowd, but at a rally on November 2, 1918, it was decided to assemble a large demonstration in support of the imprisoned sailors the next day.
On November 3, 1918, a peaceful demonstration of sailors demanding the release of their comrades and the Kiel workers who joined them, demanding "bread and peace," was shot by a military patrol. 9 people were killed and 29 injured. In response, one of the sailors shot dead the lieutenant who commanded the patrol. The soldier was disarmed.
Baltic Port Governor Admiral Sushon ordered an urgent call for troops loyal to the Kaiser in Kiel to suppress the uprising. But the infantry units sent to Kiel also went over to the side of the rebellious sailors. By the evening of November 4, 1918, the rebels defeated the government troops and all of Kiel was in their hands. The sailors elected the first during the revolution of 1918-1919. The Council of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies, led by Karl Artelt , senior stoker of the third division of destroyers. On all ships except one that went into the sea, red flags were hoisted. The arrested sailors were released. The only victim that day was the captain of the Koenig battleship Weniger, who was trying to prevent him from raising the red flag on the mast and was shot dead for it. Representatives of ship's crews and sailors in the barracks on the shore "14 Kiel points" , which read:
- the release of all arrested and political prisoners ;
- complete freedom of speech and press;
- cancellation of postal censorship;
- proper management of the team;
- the return of all comrades to ships and barracks without punishment;
- a ban on entering the fleet at sea under any circumstances;
- prohibition of protective actions related to bloodshed;
- the withdrawal of all troops that are not part of the garrison;
- all measures to protect private property are established directly by the Council of Soldiers' Deputies;
- there are no bosses outside the watch ;
- unlimited personal freedom for everyone after the shift and before embarking on the next;
- we welcome in our ranks all the officers who have declared their agreement with the actions of the Council of Soldiers' Deputies;
- each member of the council of soldiers ’deputies is exempted from duty;
- in the future, all measures are taken only with the consent of the Council of Soldiers' Deputies.
The “14 Points” were adopted on November 5, 1918.
The government of Max Badensky entrusted the suppression of the uprising to one of the right-wing leaders of the Social Democrats, Gustav Noske . On November 4, he arrived in Kiel to pacify the rebels. Noske leads the movement to form the Council of Sailors. Over the next few weeks, by his actions he was able to reduce the influence of the Council in Kiel, but he was not able to prevent the spread of the Revolution to other cities and lands. With their impulse and enthusiasm, the sailors signaled revolutionary action throughout the German Empire . Together with the workers, they took power in Kiel and along the coast. The German revolution takes from the Russian revolution the slogan: “Form councils!” Over the next few days, revolutionary Councils were created in almost all German cities, calling on Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate. After the revolution began in Berlin on November 9, 1918, Karl Liebknecht and his associates immediately began to seek the creation of the Red Guard there , but the right wing of the SPD rejected these plans. Many sailors arrived in Berlin . They joined forces under the leadership of Heinrich Dorrenbach, Paul Wichorek and Fritz Radke to provide armed support to the revolutionaries. Thus came the People’s Maritime Division. She could not replace the Red Guard, but her creation was the greatest embodiment of Karl Liebknecht's plans to create Red Guard detachments. Sailors in those days captured the War Ministry and the Imperial Chancellery, the Office of the Navy, the city commandant’s office, the building of the Main Naval Headquarters, as well as the castle and stables.
For further developments, see the November Revolution .