Stenographic Report on the Congress of Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ Councils, February/March 1919

On 25 February 1919, the Congress of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Councils met in Munich. It already was the second meeting of the Bavarian councils, each of which sent delegates to Munich. At a first meeting lasting from 13 to 20 February, the Councils drew up claims to enshrine the concept of councils in a future constitution.

The renewed convocation of the congress had become necessary as a result of the attacks on 21 February and of the resulting power vacuum. Demonstratively, the councils did not meet - as they had done the first time - in the Deutsches Theater, but in the plenary hall of the State Parliament. The new council congress was to function as a transitional parliament.

During the course of the meetings, it became clear that some of the Munich councils were much more radical than the delegates from the rest of Bavaria. A motion put forward by Erich Mühsam (1878-1934) on 28 February, which provided for the immediate proclamation of the Soviet Republic, was rejected by a clear majority. After the installation of a new cabinet had failed due to the resistance of the Mehrheitssozialdemokraten, it was agreed with Johannes Hoffmann (1867-1930) that the State Parliament should meet briefly, elect a new government and provide it with authority. Councils should be able to send representatives to cabinet meetings. For the time being, both the council congress and the Landtag should remain adjourned. The compromise was adopted on 8 March and the council congress subsequently adjourned.

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