Chronology
1914
August 3: SPD group in the Reichstag decide by 78 votes to 14 to approve government's requested war loans.
August 4: Outbreak of First World War. SPD in German Parliament votes unanimously for the first War Loans Bill.
December 2: Karl Liebknecht votes alone in the Reichstag against the second War Loans bill.
1915
September 5-8: Left of Second International meet at Zimmerwald, Switzerland, in anti-war conference.
1917
March 8 (February 23 in the old style): The Russian Revolution starts.
April 6-8: USPD formed.
November 7 (October 25): The Bolshevik-led Russian Revolution overturns Provisional Government.
December 22: Start of peace negotiations between Russia and Germany at Brest Litovsk.
1918
January 14: Mass strikes in Austria-Hungary.
January 28: Revolution in Finland - workers' government installed.
January 28: Strikes break out of over one million in Berlin and over 50 other cities.
October 3-4: Prince Max of Baden appointed Chancellor; SPD leaders join the government.
October 16: 5000 join Berlin demonstration of USPD in Berlin to demand overthrow of government.
October 27-8: Naval mutinies break out in Kiel.
October 30: Social Democrat government formed in Austria after mass demonstrations.
October 31: Start of Hungarian revolution.
November 4: Workers' and Soldiers' Council formed at Kiel.
November 7-8: Revolutionary uprising of workers, sailors and soldiers spreads throughout Germany. Bavarian monarchy overthrown; republic declared in Munich, led by SPD-USPD-Peasants' League coalition.
November 9: Republic declared in Berlin; Ebert becomes Chancellor over SPD-USPD coalition. Rosa Luxemburg released from prison.
November 10: Formation of government of the Council of People's Representatives of three SPD members (Ebert, Scheidemann and Landsberg) and three USPD members (Haase, Dittmann and Barth).
November 11: Armistice signed with Allies. Spartacus League formed.
November 12: Council of People's Representatives announces its intention of 'implementing the socialist programme'. Republic declared in Austria.
November 16: Republic declared in Hungary.
November l9-December 17: Strikes start in Saxony and the Ruhr.
December 6: Right wing putsch in Berlin fails.
December 16-20: First national Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils in Berlin decides to call elections for a National Assembly on 19 January 1919 and also calls for immediate socialisation measures.
December 29: Founding congress of KPD opens. USPD members leave the Council of People's Representatives.
December (late): Freikorps troops move into Berlin; increasing clashes with workers.
1919
January 4: Prussian SPD government fires police chief Eichorn, provoking fighting.
January 5: Revolutionary Committee in Berlin; 'Spartacist Uprising'.
January 8: Noske's troops attack workers' positions.
January 12: Last resistance of Berlin workers crushed hy Noske's troops.
January 15: Liebknecht and Luxemburg murdered by Freikorps.
January 19: Elections for National Assembly. KPD boycott; SPD/USPD get 45% of vote.
February 6: National Assembly meets at Weimar.
February 11: Ebert elected President of the Republic.
February 13: Scheidemann forms first Weimar coalition government of SPS, DDP (German Democratic Party) and the Centre Party (Catholics).
February 21: USPD prime minister of Bavaria, Eisner, assassinated by monarchist.
March 2-6: Founding Congress of Communist International.
April 7: Bavarian Soviet Republic delared in Munich; eventually crushed (May 1) by Reichswehr and Bavarian Freikorps.
April 8-14: Second national Congress of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Councils meets; supports a bourgeois parliamentary republic.
June 28: Treaty of Versailles.
1920
February 24: NSDAP programme announced by Hitler.
March 13-17: Kapp-Luettwitz putsch; Ebert and ministers flee.
March 24: Noske and army chief Reinhardt resign.
June 6: Reichstag elections. SPD vote drops from 37.9% to 21.6%, USPD rises from 7.6% to 18%. KPD gets 2%.
July: Second Congress of Communist International.
October: Halle Congress of USPD; majority agrees to join with KPD as part of Communist International.
1921
March 27: 'March Action' called by KPD.
July 26-9: Hitler becomes leader of Nazis.
1923
January 10: Germany defaults on reparations.
January 11-12: French and Belgian armies occupy the Ruhr. Government urges 'passive resistance'.
September: Hyper-inflation reaches peak. Mass strikes.
September 26: State of Emergency in Bavaria.
September 27: State of Emergency throughout Germany declared by Ebert.
October 23: Abortive Hamburg rising.
October 29: Suppression of Socialist/Communist governments in Saxony ancl Thuringia.
November 2: SPD ministers resign.
November 8-9: Hitler's Munich putsch.
1924
May 4: Second Reichstag elections.
December 7: Third Reichstag elections.
1925
February 28: Ebert dies.
April 27: Hindenburg elected President.
1928
May 20: Fourth Reichstag elections; Nazis only get 12 seats out of 474; SDP and KPD get 42% of vote.
1930
September 14: Fifth Reichstag elections; Nazis get 107 seats, SPD 143, KPD 77.
1931
July: Financial crisis.
1932
April 20: Hindenburg re-elected President.
April 13: SA and Nazi para-military groups suppressed.
May 30: Von Papen appointed Chancellor.
June 17: SA ban lifted.
July 20: Von Papen deposes Prussian government.
July 31:Sixth Reichstag elections; Nazis get 230 seats, SPD 133, KPD 89.
November 6: Seventh Reichstag elections; Nazis get 196 seats (33%), SPD/KPD 221 (37%).
November 17: Von Papen resigns.
1933
January 30: Hitler appointed Chancellor.
February 27: Reichstag fire.
February 28: Mass arrests of KPD members and occupation of KPD premises.
March 5: Eighth Reichstag elections; Nazis get 288 seats, SPD/KPD 201.
March 6: KPD banned.
March 23: Enabling Act passed through Reichstag giving Hitler dictatorial powers.