Proclamation of the Soviet Republic in Munich, 7 April 1919

In the late evening of 6 April 1919, a meeting led by the Central Council, by the Revolutionary Workers Council and by the USPD in Munich decided to proclaim the "Räterepublik Baiern" the next day. The concept of the Soviet government was that the entire electorate should be organised in councils. The decision-making process was to be bottom-up. The councils were to send representatives to the superior committees headed by the "Revolutionäre Zentralrat" (Revolutionary Central Council). Its chairman was Ernst Niekisch (1889-1967, MSPD), who resigned on 8 April and was replaced by Ernst Toller (1893-1939, USPD). "People's Representatives" were to form a government and replace the previous ministers.

The transition to the Soviet Republic took place peacefully in Munich, for the military and police remained quiet. In addition, the authorities continued to work smoothly. However, the socialist camp was divided: Only the USPD supported the Soviet Republic. The KPD rejected it and called it a "bogus Soviet Republic". A majority of the MSPD leaders had declared in favour of parliamentary democracy.

In the text of the poster dated 6 April, the Revolutionäre Zentralrat listed several of its most important goals and concerns: Thus the dictatorship of the proletariat had "become a fact," a "truly socialist community" and a "socialist-communist economy" could now be realised. The press should be socialised, a "Red Army" formed and a "Revolutionary Court of Justice" instituted. The Central Council falsely claimed that the Bavarian government has resigned. Cooperation with the "despicable" Reich government in Berlin was excluded. With the Soviet Republics of Hungary and Russia, the Revolutionäre Zentralrat also cited models of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, with whose peoples it strove for a "fraternal union". Finally, the Central Council declared 7 April a national holiday.

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