Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert (German: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈeːbɐt] ⓘ; 4 February 1871 – 28 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the first president of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925.
Friedrich Ebert | |
|---|---|
Ebert in 1925 | |
| President of Germany | |
| In office 11 February 1919 – 28 February 1925 | |
Minister President (1919) | Philipp Scheidemann Gustav Bauer |
Chancellor (1919–1925) | |
| Preceded by | Office established (Wilhelm II as Emperor) |
| Succeeded by | Paul von Hindenburg |
| Head of government of Germany | |
| De facto 9 November 1918 – 13 February 1919 | |
| Preceded by | Max von Baden (as Chancellor) |
| Succeeded by | Philipp Scheidemann (as Minister President) |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 20 September 1913 – 15 June 1919 | |
| Preceded by | August Bebel |
| Succeeded by |
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| Member of the Reichstag for Düsseldorf 2 | |
| In office 7 February 1912 – 9 November 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Friedrich Linz |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 February 1871 Heidelberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire |
| Died | 28 February 1925 (aged 54) Berlin, Weimar Republic |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, including Friedrich Jr. |
| Signature | |
Ebert was elected leader of the SPD on the death in 1913 of August Bebel. In 1914, shortly after he assumed leadership, the party became deeply divided over Ebert's support of war loans to finance the German war effort in World War I. A moderate social democrat, Ebert was in favour of the Burgfrieden, a political policy that sought to suppress squabbles over domestic issues among political parties during wartime in order to concentrate all forces in society on the successful conclusion of the war effort. He tried to isolate those in the party opposed to the war and advocated a split.
Ebert was a pivotal figure in the German Revolution of 1918–19. When Germany became a republic at the end of World War I, he became its first chancellor. His policies at that time were primarily aimed at restoring peace and order in Germany and suppressing the left, to establish a democracy. To accomplish these goals, he allied himself with conservative and nationalistic political forces, in particular the leadership of the military under General Wilhelm Groener and the right-wing Freikorps. With their help, Ebert's government crushed a number of liberal, socialist, communist and anarchist uprisings as well as those from the right, including the Kapp Putsch, a legacy that has made him a controversial historical figure.