Ebert–Groener pact
The Ebert–Groener pact was an agreement between the Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert, at the time the Chancellor of Germany, and Wilhelm Groener, Quartermaster General of the German Army, on November 10, 1918.
In return, Ebert promised that the government would take prompt action against leftist uprisings, that he would call a national assembly and most importantly that military command would remain with the professional officer corps.
It kept the military, which had been the true power in the German Empire during World War I, as a largely self-governing institution that operated outside of civilian control.
Historically, the German civil government and the Army supreme command had remained independent of one another with the military only responsible to the Kaiser, not the Chancellor.
During the course of World War I, the military high command (OHL) and, in particular, Erich Ludendorff, the First Quartermaster General of the German Army, had become the de facto ruler of Germany.
[3]: 36–40 In early October, the Emperor appointed a liberal, Prince Maximilian of Baden, as chancellor to lead peace negotiations with the Allies.
[3]: 59–72 On November 9, as the striking masses were marching on Berlin, Prince Max unilaterally and untruthfully declared that Emperor Wilhelm II had abdicated.
[3]: 87 Ebert's first action as Chancellor was to issue a proclamation, asking the people to remain calm, get off the streets and to restore peace and order.
That evening, a group of several hundred followers of labour leaders from Berlin known as the Revolutionary Stewards occupied the Reichstag and held an impromptu debate.
[3]: 100–103 On November 10, the SPD, led by Ebert, managed to ensure that a majority of the newly elected workers' and soldiers' councils came from among their own supporters.
[3]: 139–147 In January 1919, during the so-called Spartakuswoche, the masses again gathered in Berlin and the KPD and USPD under Karl Liebknecht and Georg Ledebour tried to topple the Ebert government.
[3]: 169–182 Since the January 19 elections to the National Assembly returned a solid majority for the democratic parties (SPD, Centre and DDP), Ebert felt that the revolutionary forces had no legitimacy left.
[4] His successor, Hans von Seeckt, who, from October 1, 1919, held the new position of chief of the Truppenamt (as the Treaty of Versailles did not allow Germany to have a general staff) was unwilling to follow every order given to him by the civilian government.
