The Ruhr and Revolution

In 1918/19 the Ruhr was part of the Prussian western provinces of Rhineland and Westphalia. At the lowest level of the Prussian administrative system was the Amt, an amalgamation of several parishes the head of which was the Amtsrat, and the town, headed by the Biirgermeister (mayor). Several Amter and towns combined to form the Kreis (Stadtkreis or Landkreis). The chief administrator of the Kreis was the Landrat. Grosstddte (cities with a population of more than 100,000) were taken out of the Kreis and became self-governing under the leadership of an Oberburgermeister (lord mayor). Several Kreis and Grosstadte combined to form the Regierungsbezirk (government district) which was headed by the Regierungsprasident (government president). The latter was responsible to the Oberprdsident (Supreme President) of the province and at the top of the pyramid was the Prussian Minister for the Interior. Parallel to the administration was a system of representative institutions to which delegates were elected (Gemeinde or Stadtverordnetenversammlungen, Provinziallandtage). These assemblies had responsibility for important local policies and election to them was based on a class franchise system. With the exception of the terms mayor, lord mayor, government district, and government president, the German terms mentioned above are used throughout this book.This book, first published in 1979, analyses the German November Revolution of 1919 and the years and conditions that led to it. It examines the economic, social and political background of the Ruhr up to the coal miners’ strike of 1912; how the war aggravated social hardship and rifts in the workers’ party; and, in detail, the revolution itself.