German strike of January 1918

[1] The strike was caused by food shortages, war weariness and the October Revolution in Russia, which raised the hopes of revolutionary Marxists in Germany.The strike was conceived by the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany or USPD, whose left wing, the Spartacus League was now agitating for political revolution in order to end the war.[2] From 1916 onward, illegal labor strikes in Germany had begun to increase in occurrence due to eroding wages as well as food and energy shortages.[3] The USPD facilitated the creation of "workers' councils", which, while dissimilar to their soviet counterparts in that they were not dedicated to radicalism or revolutionary activity, still promoted striking and other popular agitation.[4] Richard Müller, leader of the Revolutionary Stewards concurred that labor was ready for an organized strike and proposed calling one at a joint USPD meeting in mid-January.[4] On 28 January Berlin's Metalworkers' Union or Deutscher Metallarbeiter-Verband (DMV) which was staffed with local representatives and USPD members, was demanding peace without annexations, food relief, and end to conscription, and pro-democracy reforms.
Political violence in Germany (1918–1933)Collapse of the Imperial German ArmyGerman Revolution of 1918–1919Greater Poland uprising (1918–1919)Occupation of the RhinelandSilesian UprisingsFeme murders1920 East Prussian plebisciteReichstag BloodbathKapp PutschRuhr uprisingFrench occupation of FrankfurtMarch ActionKlaipėda RevoltOccupation of the RuhrCuno strikesKüstrin PutschGerman OctoberHamburg UprisingBeer Hall PutschBlutmaiStennes revoltMurder of Paul Anlauf and Franz LenckAltona Bloody Sunday1932 Prussian coup d'étatPotempa murder of 1932Kwami Affair1932 Berlin transport strikeReichstag fireNazi boycott of Jewish businessesRöhm purgeJuly PutschKristallnachtWorld War IGerman EmpireJännerstreikAustria-HungaryBerlinOctober RevolutionIndependent Social Democratic Party of Germany Spartacus LeagueHamburgMannheimAugsburgimpressedKarl LiebknechtLeipzigAuxiliary National Services LawRichard MüllerRevolutionary StewardsHugo HaaseHeinrich Ströbelpeace without annexationsconscriptionRosa LuxemburgGeorg LedebourWilhelm DittmannFriedrich EbertPhilipp ScheidemannOtto BraunMinister of the InteriorTreptow ParkLeo Jogiches