Cabinet of Georg von Hertling

7th Cabinet of the German Empire
1917 – 1918
Chancellor Georg von Hertling
Date formed1 November 1917
Date dissolved3 October 1918
(11 months and 2 days)
People and organisations
EmperorWilhelm II
ChancellorGeorg von Hertling
Vice ChancellorKarl Helfferich (until 24 October 1917)
Friedrich von Payer (from 9 November 1917)
Member partiesSupported by:
Social Democratic Party
Centre Party
National Liberal Party
Progressive People's Party
Status in legislatureMajority government
286 / 397 (72%)
History
Election(s)1912 federal election
Legislature term(s)13th Reichstag of the German Empire
PredecessorMichaelis cabinet
SuccessorBaden cabinet

The Hertling cabinet, headed by Georg von Hertling of the Centre Party, was the seventh government of the German Empire and the first that had come about after consulting with the majority parties in the Reichstag. The cabinet took office on 1 November 1917 when it replaced the Michaelis cabinet, which had been dismissed after losing the support of Emperor Wilhelm II and most parties in the Reichstag.

Hertling belonged to the right wing of the Catholic Centre Party, and was against a parliamentarisation of the German Empire. The left wing around Matthias Erzberger took the opposite view, and the broad centre of the party wanted to take into account the views of the right wing, but also took note of the wishes of Catholic workers for democratisation. The centre did not want to put obstacles in the way of parliamentarisation, but did not take active steps to prevent a split in the party. Hertling's chancellorship meant that the Centre and the left Liberals took account of the conservative elements. The latter could thus get used to a parliamentary way of governing.[1]

The Social Democrats did not join the cabinet, not wanting to render the process of forming a government even more difficult. However, they supported the cabinet in parliament.

Members

The cabinet consisted of the following ministers:

PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft officeParty
Chancellorship1 November 19173 October 1918 Centre
Vice-Chancellorship1 November 191724 October 1918 Independent
9 November 19173 October 1918 FVP
Foreign Affairs1 November 19179 July 1918 Independent
9 July 19183 October 1918 Independent
Interior1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Justice1 November 19173 October 1918 NLP
Navy1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Economic Affairs1 November 191720 November 1917 Independent
Hans Karl von Stein zu Nord- und Ostheim
20 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Food Supply
Wilhelm von Waldow
1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Postal Affairs
Otto Rüdlin
1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Treasury
Siegfried Graf von Roedern
1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent
Colonial Affairs1 November 19173 October 1918 Independent

Further reading

  • Regenten und Regierungen der Welt, Vols 2,3. Neueste Zeit: 1492–1917, ed. by B. Spuler; 2. edition, Würzburg, Ploetz, 1962.

References

  1. ↑ Manfred Rauh: Die Parlamentarisierung des Deutschen Reiches, Droste Verlag: Düsseldorf 1977, p. 383, 384 and 386.
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