Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Most countries celebrate their revolutions - so why doesn't Germany? In 1918, German sailors refused to die in a pointless battle and sparked a revolution that would overthrow the Kaiser, end World War I, and give women the right to vote - all in a matter of weeks. It was one of the most successful democratic revolutions in history, yet hardly anyone knows about it.
In this episode of our series ‘Unmasking Revolutions’, we dive deep into this forgotten chapter of history with expert historians Mark Jones, Nadine Rossol, and Jaime González Arguedas. From mutinous sailors to two competing republics declared on the same day, this is a story of ordinary people changing the world.
This revolution transformed Germany from an authoritarian monarchy into a parliamentary democracy and gave German women voting rights before the United States, United Kingdom, and France. But the story didn't end there. What started as a largely peaceful uprising soon descended into violence and political chaos that would haunt Germany for decades to come.
The German Revolution of 1918-19 offers crucial lessons about what it takes to build and maintain democratic institutions. For anyone interested in history, women's rights, or the ongoing struggle for democracy around the world, this is a story that deserves to be remembered.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction: The German Revolution 1918/1919
2:41 From Denial to Defeat
11:10 The Navy's Last Gamble
14:26 The Powder Keg Explodes
17:34 The Day of Days
25:05 From Ideological Disputes to Civil War
36:05 The Stab-in-the-Back Myth
38:44 Aftermath and Consequences of the Revolution
CREDITS:
SCRIPT: Susanne Spröer, Ricarda Otte
PRODUCER: Ricarda Otte
HOST: David Levitz
EDIT: Juan Álvarez Pérez
GRAPHICS: João Marqués Ribeiro
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH: Julia Rose
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sarah Hofmann & Melanie von Marschalck
#dwunmaskingrevolutions #dwhistory
For more visit: dw.com/en/culture/s-1441
Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G
Most countries celebrate their revolutions - so why doesn't Germany? In 1918, German sailors refused to die in a pointless battle and sparked a revolution that would overthrow the Kaiser, end World War I, and give women the right to vote - all in a matter of weeks. It was one of the most successful democratic revolutions in history, yet hardly anyone knows about it.
In this episode of our series ‘Unmasking Revolutions’, we dive deep into this forgotten chapter of history with expert historians Mark Jones, Nadine Rossol, and Jaime González Arguedas. From mutinous sailors to two competing republics declared on the same day, this is a story of ordinary people changing the world.
This revolution transformed Germany from an authoritarian monarchy into a parliamentary democracy and gave German women voting rights before the United States, United Kingdom, and France. But the story didn't end there. What started as a largely peaceful uprising soon descended into violence and political chaos that would haunt Germany for decades to come.
The German Revolution of 1918-19 offers crucial lessons about what it takes to build and maintain democratic institutions. For anyone interested in history, women's rights, or the ongoing struggle for democracy around the world, this is a story that deserves to be remembered.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction: The German Revolution 1918/1919
2:41 From Denial to Defeat
11:10 The Navy's Last Gamble
14:26 The Powder Keg Explodes
17:34 The Day of Days
25:05 From Ideological Disputes to Civil War
36:05 The Stab-in-the-Back Myth
38:44 Aftermath and Consequences of the Revolution
CREDITS:
SCRIPT: Susanne Spröer, Ricarda Otte
PRODUCER: Ricarda Otte
HOST: David Levitz
EDIT: Juan Álvarez Pérez
GRAPHICS: João Marqués Ribeiro
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH: Julia Rose
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sarah Hofmann & Melanie von Marschalck
#dwunmaskingrevolutions #dwhistory
For more visit: dw.com/en/culture/s-1441
Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G
