Bremen Soviet Republic

proclaimed by the workers of Bremen on Jan. 10, 1919, in the context of the upsurge of the revolutionary struggle in Germany. Its creation was one of the manifestations of the German working people’s indignation at the counterrevolutionary policies of the social democratic government, which provoked the January battles in Berlin. Bremen was declared a socialist republic. A government—the Soviet of People’s Representatives (three communists, three members of the Independent Social Democratic Party, and three nonparty soldiers)—and people’s commissariats of provisions, finances, and education were created, among others. Measures were developed to increase relief to the unemployed and to raise workers’ wages. The implementation of revolutionary transformation was hindered in every way by the right-wing leaders of the “independents.” Troops were sent against Bremen at the end of January. The capitulatory position of the leaders of the “independents” and Bremen’s isolation from the rest of Germany led to the fall of the Bremen Soviet Republic on Feb. 4, 1919.