The New Germany

The book offers a contemporary account of Germany’s tumultuous months between the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles, written in 1919. It traces the collapse of the old imperial order and the surge of workers’ councils, militia groups, and provisional police forces that reshaped public life. The narrative captures the uneasy clash of reactionary forces and fledgling revolutionary bodies as they vie for control.

Through detailed observation, the author shows how the new security arrangements—Sicherheitswehr, Einwohnerwehr—blurred class lines and created a tentative partnership between moderate reformers and the state. He argues that Germany’s political vitality was a dimming flame, vulnerable to both external pressure from the peace settlement and internal discord. Listeners will gain a nuanced picture of a nation caught between its war‑worn past and an uncertain, often contradictory future.