29/9/1918 Germany’s “Revolution from Above”

Germany’s position is unravelling. The Allies are pressing hard on the Western Front while its allies are being picked off: Bulgaria has thrown in the towel, Turkey is being battered in the Middle East and Austria-Hungary looks like it might be on the brink of disintegration. Ludendorff has come to the conclusion that an armistice must be secured at once before the situation deteriorates further. Now he and Hindenburg meet with Hintze, the foreign minister, and demand an immediate request to the Allies for an armistice.

Hintze however fears the political consequences of an armistice request. The German public have largely been shielded from the facts of the disastrous situation at the front and are still under the impression that victory is within Germany’s grasp. A sudden revelation of the true situation could lead to an explosion of anger against the regime. To prevent a domestic crisis, Hintze proposes…