Republic of Baden
Republic of Baden Republik Baden | |||||||||||
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State of Germany | |||||||||||
1918–1945 | |||||||||||
Anthem | |||||||||||
Badnerlied | |||||||||||
Capital | Karlsruhe | ||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||
• 1925[1] | 15,070 km2 (5,820 sq mi) | ||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||
• 1925[1] | 2,312,462 | ||||||||||
Government | |||||||||||
• Type | Anton Geiß | ||||||||||
• 1933–1945 (last) | Walter Köhler (Minister-President) | ||||||||||
Reichsstatthalter | |||||||||||
• 1933–1945 | Robert Wagner | ||||||||||
Legislature | Landtag | ||||||||||
Historical era | Interwar · World War II | ||||||||||
• Established | 14 November 1918 | ||||||||||
• Constitution enacted | 13 April 1919 | ||||||||||
11 March 1933 | |||||||||||
• Abolition (de jure) | 19 September 1945 | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Germany |
The Republic of Baden (German: Republik Baden) was a German state that existed during the time of the Weimar Republic, formed after the abolition of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1918. It is now part of the modern German state of Baden-Württemberg.
History
Revolution in Baden
With
On 10 November 1918 revolutionaries in Karlsruhe formed a provisional government, and an assembly of the various revolutionary councils took place on the following day. On 13 November Grand Duke
The provisional government declared the establishment of the freie Volksrepublik Baden (Free People's Republic of Baden) on 14 November 1918, and set 5 January 1919 as the date for new elections.
Republic
A national assembly was created on 12 January 1919, with the Christian democratic Centre Party emerging as the strongest party ahead of the centre-left SPD. Together, these two parties received 91.5% of all votes. On 1 April, the Badische parliament (Landtag) formed a government from members of the Weimar Coalition. Until 1933, Baden was mostly governed by the Centre Party.
On 21 March 1919, the Landtag unanimously passed a new constitution.[2] A referendum (Volksabstimmung) approved the constitution on 13 April. This popular vote was the first in German history, and the Baden constitution was the only one passed by popular vote in Germany during the Weimar period.[3]
Communist uprising
Kurt Eisner, Independent Social Democratic (USPD) Minister-President of the People's State of Bavaria, was assassinated on 21 February 1919. The Baden USPD and Communist Party of Germany (KPD) held a demonstration mourning Eisner in Mannheim on 22 February, which was attended by 10,000-40,000 people. Albert Stolzenburg, a KPD official, proclaimed a Soviet Republic without consulting the other organizers of the event.[4]
1,000 people went to Mannheim Palace, where some judiciary departments were, to demonstrate. The group stormed the castle, freed prisoners, and burned documents. Rioting broke out in the rest of the city. The 110th Infantry Regiment, believing that the SPD was involved, willingly disarmed itself while police took no action.[5]
Police starting combatting rioters on 23 February. The Revolutionary Workers' Council was formed in Mannheim on the same day. French soldiers blocked bridges along the Rhine in response to the uprising. The government of Baden declared a state of emergency and banned all gatherings, demonstrations, distributions of pamphlets, and public carrying of weapons. A curfew of 7 p.m. was instituted and rail connections to the city were stopped.[6]
On 23 February, a meeting between the SPD, USPD, and KPD reached an agreement in which the Soviet Republic was dissolved. The state of emergency was lifted, except in Mannheim, the next day.[7]
On 5 March, the government announced that the 110th Infantry Regiment would be withdrawn from Mannheim and replaced by a different battalion to support the police. The KPD called for a general strike to oppose this decision. The 2nd Volunteer Battalion was moved from Bruchsal to Mannheim on 7 March, and aided the police in arresting leaders of the uprising and prisoners freed from the castle.[8]
Nazi rule
After the
Post-war
Through the
Administration
Baden was subdivided into four administrative districts (Landeskommissärbezirke, similar to the modern
Leaders
Following the constitution, passed in 1921, the President of Baden was an elected from the standing members of the Baden Landtag for a 1-year term.[2] After Gleichschaltung, Baden was governed by appointed Nazi officials.
References
- ^ Beckmanns Welt-Lexikon und Welt-Atlas. Leipzig / Vienna: Verlagsanstalt Otto Beckmann. 1931.
- ^ a b "Constitution of the Republic of Baden". Verfassungen der Welt (in German). Retrieved 4 May 2007.
- ^ "Baden: Ereignisse 1918-1933". Wahlen in der Weimarer Republik (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2007.
- ^ Schmidgall 2012, p. 259-260.
- ^ Schmidgall 2012, p. 261-262.
- ^ Schmidgall 2012, p. 263-265.
- ^ Schmidgall 2012, p. 265-266.
- ^ Schmidgall 2012, p. 268-269.
- ISBN 978-1-781-55826-3.
- ^ "Allied Control Council Proclamation No.2" (in German). 19 September 1945.
- ^ "Der Freistaat Baden im Überblick". Wahlen in der Weimarer Republik (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2007.
Works cited
- Schmidgall, Markus (2012). Die Revolution 1918/19 in Baden. ISBN 9783866447271.
Blume, Wilhelm von (1922). Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company.
. In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.).