# Prussian Revolutionary cabinet

The Prussian Revolutionary Cabinet was the provisional state government of Prussia from November 14, 1918 to March 25, 1919. It was based on a coalition of Majority Social Democrats (MSPD) and Independent Social Democrats (USPD), as was the Council of the People's Deputies, which was formed at the Reich level. The Prussian cabinet was revolutionary because it was not formed on the basis of the previous Prussian constitution of 1848/1850.
The cabinet under Paul Hirsch from the MSPD existed from November 12, 1918 to March 25, 1919. One MSPD and one USPD man were assigned to each department. The USPD members left the cabinet on January 4, 1919. It was finally replaced by a new cabinet after a Prussian State Assembly was elected.

## History

The Kingdom of Prussia was, by far, the most important member state in the monarchical federal state and remained so even after the German Revolution of 1918–1919. Prussia and the German Empire were linked to each other in many ways: the German Chancellor was also the Prussian Prime Minister, and many state secretaries were Prussian ministers. Prussia was the dominant power in the German Bundesrat, which benefited the German Chancellor.
On November 9, 1918, the last Imperial Chancellor, Max von Baden, announced prematurely that Kaiser and King William II had abdicated. Max, unconstitutionally, transferred the office of German Chancellor to Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the German Majority Social Democrats. On November 10, Ebert formed the Council of the People's Deputies (German: Rat der Volksbeauftragten) as a revolutionary transitional body at the Federal level and became one of two chairmen of the council.
As Max von Baden was not Prussian Prime Minister, he was unable to give Ebert the premiership at the same time. The majority of the Prussian State Ministry wanted to resign on November 8th, but after the King's abdication was declared the next day, he could no longer accept their resignations. The Prussian cabinet, therefore, remained in office, similar to the state secretaries at the Federal level.
On November 9th, Reich Chancellor Ebert instructed the Prussian leader of the MSPD Paul Hirsch to ensure peace and order. The Prussian Interior Minister Bill Drews confirmed this instruction with his own power of attorney to Hirsch. According to Ernst Rudolf Huber, Hirsch briefly became "Federal and Prussian State Commissioner".

## Cabinet members

| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Minister Presidents | Paul Hirsch | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister Presidents | Heinrich Ströbel | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD |
| Minister of Finance | Albert Südekum [de] | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of Finance | Hugo Simon | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD |
| Minister of Science | Konrad Haenisch | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of Science | Adolph Hoffmann | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD |
| Minister of Justice | Kurt Rosenfeld | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of Justice | Wolfgang Heine | November 27, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | USPD |
| Minister of Trade | Otto Fischbeck | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | GDD |
| Minister of Public Works | Wilhelm Hoff | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | N/A |
| Minister of Interior Affairs | Paul Hirsch | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of Interior Affairs | Rudolf Breitscheid | November 16, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD |
| Minister of War | Heinrich Scheuch | November 14, 1918 | January 2, 1919 | N/A |
| Minister of War | Walther Reinhardt | January 3, 1919 | March 25, 1919 | N/A |
| Minister of Agriculture | Otto Braun | November 14, 1918 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of Agriculture | Adolf Hofer | November 14, 1918 | January 4, 1919 | USPD |
| Police Chief of Berlin | Emil Eichhorn | November 16, 1918 | January 3, 1919 | USPD |
| Police Chief of Berlin | Eugen Ernst | January 4, 1919 | March 25, 1919 | SPD |
| Minister of State (without specific area) | Eugen Ernst | November 16, 1918 | January 3, 1919 | SPD |