#Mutiny at great jones full

When the protestors’ path was blocked by a combination of police and military during the ensuing confrontation, the soldiers opened fire, killing at least nine protestors and leaving many more wounded.Įnraged by the loss of life, the following day thousands more sailors joined the protests. The protestors marched towards a military prison in central Kiel where some of the arrested men were held. On 3 November, for the first time, several thousand sailors as well as a number of civilians participated in the protests. That repression included investigations lead by officers that handed down harsh punishments to sailors, as well as the execution of the alleged strike leaders, Albin Köbis (1892-1917) and Max Reichpietsch (1894-1917). Many of the protestors were mobilized by the memory of the repression of the previous year’s sailors’ protests and strike. However, the most important motivation at this point concerned the fate of their comrades arrested during the mutiny.

The participants’ motivations ranged from wanting to prevent any further offensive military operations to the goal of commencing a socialist revolution. On 1 and 2 November 1918, there were small protests in central Kiel. At this point in time several hundred sailors had been arrested for their role in the mutiny. After they had reassured their commanders of their loyalty, performing drills as instructed after the offensive operation had been abandoned, the III Flottilla, which included some of the most rebellious ships, docked in Kiel harbor. The men who led this mutiny were motivated by the desire to save themselves rather than risk their lives in a battle that they believed would have no impact on the war’s final outcome. Nevertheless, panicked by their subordinates’ disobedience, the naval command abandoned the operation during the night of 29-30 October. The mutiny’s greatest impact was limited to a handful of ships as they lined up off the coast in Wilhelmshaven. Some of them simply refused to follow orders and took absence of their ships, while others sabotaged their ships’ readiness to sail. Although they were unaware of the operational plan, a significant number of sailors and stokers grew worried by the preparations and they began a small-scale mutiny during the final days of October 1918. Some of the leading voices calling for the operation also considered it possible that the navy’s sacrifice could reignite the German population’s “will” to continue the war.

#Mutiny at great jones full

They also feared that the officer corps would lose honour if the war came to an end without the full deployment of the surface fleet, something that had been considered too great a risk up to this point in the war.

The men behind the operation were especially worried by the prospect that their ships, built at tremendous cost since the turn of the century, would be surrendered to Britain as part of an Armistice deal. Over the course of the remainder of the month, as the diplomatic exchange of notes began to discuss terms of an Armistice, led by Admiral Reinhard Scheer (1863-1928), the German Navy’s highest command set in place secret plans for a major naval assault upon the Royal Navy.

The leadership of the German Navy was shocked by this prospect and refused to believe that Germany was defeated.

In his first note, Prince Max requested that Wilson bring an end to the war upon the basis of his fourteen points. On 3 October 1918 the new German government led by Prince Max von Baden (1867-1929) initiated an exchange of diplomatic notes with US President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).