ABSTRACT
The new government proved hardly revolutionary in mould. It was dominated by moderate socialists (SPD) who still clung to elements of the pre-war political scene; indeed, the administrative continuity with the past proved to be one of the most remarkable features of the Gennan revolution. One result was that more revolutionary but minor socialist groups were quickly alienated and, later, were subject to violent suppression, with the help of newly fonned army units. The threads of political continuity were reinforced, moreover, when in the first parliamentary election in January 1919, the socialists (SPD and USPD) were able to fonn a government only with the support of the Catholic Centre Party (Zentrum) and the Gennan Democratic Party (DDP).
