| Date | 31 September 1923 - 1925 | ||
| Location | Weimar Germany | ||
| Result | Revolutionary Victory, Free State of East Prussia seceded, French Rhineland Protectorate created | ||
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The German Civil War widely known as The Civil War or The People's War domestically took place from 1923 to 1925. Following continued hyperinflation during 1923, leftists within the Social Democratic Party of Germany, most popular in Germany at the time, joined with the Communist Party of Germany and declared revolution. A responsive alliance of convenience formed from anti-communists, nationalists, capitalists and supports of alternative socialism. The war sent the country further into ruin and directly led to independence of the Free State of East Prussia, Republic of Bavaria and the reorganisation of the Rhineland Protectorate by a combined France and the League of Nations. By 1925, the revolutionaries were victorious, controlling the majority of the metropolitan area of Germany. The War influenced and inevitably pushed Austria into their own civil war.
Background[]
Early during 1923, Germany had defaulted on its reparation to the Allies which led to the Occupation of the Ruhr by the French military. This caused the economic situation to spiral further into hyperinflation as German workers and unionists in the region passively protested, stopping production. The bank rate had increased by 90% by mid-September, pushing the Government to announce a state of emergency.
During September and November, various parties across German saw this moment as the perfect opportunity to take power through a coup d'etat. Within the Social Democratic Party of Germany, an internal conflict arose which led to the assassination of Chairman Otto Wells who was a centrist against extremism. Hermann Müller evaded the same fate. Although initially Müller was against opposition and supported the Grand Coalition during the year, it fell out of favour and Müller inevitably supported the internal leftist faction in order to avoid further threats that many other centralists within the party faced.
Initial Events[]
Within Berlin, Hamburg and Bavaria, leftists rose up between 31st September to 2nd October in revolution. Minor fighting took place between Red forces and troops loyal to the government but quickly simmered. In Munich, Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, had successfully led a putsch. The party clashed in the streets with revolutionaries and government police alike before taking the Town Hall. Munich became a hot spot within Bavaria which was contested throughout the war between revolutionary and anti-revolutionary forces. Hitler successfully secured loyalty from Freikorps within Bavaria.