The Soldiers' and Workers' soviets were now in charge, under their chairman identified simply as "Husar Schütz". Husar Emil Schütz is thought to have been a former infantryman, like hundreds of thousands of others recently returned from the military defeat in France. Two days later, on 10 November 1918 the Socialist Republic of Braunschweig was proclaimed by the Soldiers' and Workers' soviets, to be administered by a USPD government. At the suggestion of Sepp Oerter, the soviets proclaimed August Merges as their president. It was in many ways the high-point of his political career. It is not clear how much consensus existed between members Soldiers' and Workers' soviets on the future government structure for the new Socialist Republic. It is therefore not clear whether August Merges was expected to be a hands-on executive president, or a presiding figure. Some sources indicate that "real power" was to be exercised on a day-to-day basis by the . August Merges proposed the creation of radical Soviet Republic, based on the Soviet model. His party comrade Sepp Oerter, whose opinion carried considerable weight, favoured a more parliamentary approach from the outset, advocating a to work alongside the eight "people's commissars". In any case, it was already clear that the as part of a wider series of uprisings across Germany. The longer term objective for the workers' and soldiers' councils became the creation of a unified German republic into which Braunschweig would be absorbed. But the more immediate priority was the creation of a functioning economy and socialist state in Braunschweig. The draft electoral law adopted by the workers' and soldiers' councils of Braunschweig provided for equal and direct voting rights for all persons aged 20 or above, including even women. Provision was also made for voting in elections to be undertaken using a secret ballot. It was one of a number of important precedents.