The Efforts of the MSPD to form a government under the leadership of Erhard Auer, January/February 1919

After the state elections in January/February 1919 and after the refusal of the Bavarian People's Party (BVP) to participate in a government, the Mehrheitssozialdemokraten (MSPD) under the leadership of their chairman Erhard Auer (1874-1945) planned to form a new government. Auer was considered a reactionary by the left because of his strong support for parliamentary democracy and for his rejection of the councils. Because of the deteriorating situation in Munich, the MSPD acted very cautiously and did not demand the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Kurt Eisner (1867-1919). It waited for the newly elected State Parliament to be convened. In the meantime, however, Auer already negotiated with possible coalition partners to form a government.

In the meantime; the Eisner government was hardly able to operate. In the Ministerrat, it discussed the proposed draft of the Weimar constitution, which was rejected in its more unitary form, i.e. the greater powers of the Reich as opposed to those of the states. Other than that, the government could only respond to current problems. The cabinet urged Eisner to resign. He finally agreed and meant to declare his resignation at the constituent session of the Landtag on 21 February 1919.

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