Proclamation of the republic, Berlin, 1918 Social Democratic politician Philipp Scheidemann proclaims the establishment of the German Republic in Berlin, November 1918. (more) German Revolution (1918–19) 1918–1919 Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 25, 2026 •History German Revolution (1918–19), uprising that was triggered by the military defeat of the German Empire during World War I. This mass movement succeeded in toppling imperial Germany’s semi-autocratic constitutional monarchy and setting up a democratic republic. The republic proclaimed on November 9, 1918, is often called the “accidental republic.” When Friedrich Ebert—the leader of the so-called Majority Socialists, a faction of the Social Democratic Party (SPD)—accepted the imperial chancellorship of Germany from Maximilian, prince of...

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