He served as a Minister in the revolutionary government of the Bavarian Soviet Republic and subsequently in the People's State of Bavaria administration, 1919–20.

In 1907, he joined the Social Democrats and was elected deputy of the Bavarian Landtag the next year; his candidacy earned him disciplinary proceedings and he finally had to quit public service.

After the German Revolution of 1918–19 and the establishment of the People's State of Bavaria, he served as Bavarian Minister of Education under Minister-President Kurt Eisner.

After Eisner's assassination (21 February 1919) he succeeded him as minister-president of the People's State of Bavaria on 17 March 1919[1] as the first freely elected Bavarian Minister President.

Ousted from Munich by the forces of the Bavarian Soviet Republic and the local worker's council led by Hoffmann's former party fellow Ernst Niekisch, the parliament and government fled to Bamberg in April 1919, where Hoffmann took part in the working out of the Bavarian Constitution ("Bamberg Constitution").