Gustav Bauer - Definition and Overview

Gustav Bauer

Order:	11th Chancellor of Germany
Term of Office:	August 14, 1919–March 26, 1920
Predecessor:	Philipp Scheidemann
Successor:	Hermann Müller
Date of Birth:	6 January 1870
Date of Death:	16 September 1944
Political Party:	SPD
Profession:

Gustav Bauer (6 January 1870–16 September 1944) was a German Social Democratic Party leader and Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920.

Born in Darkehmen near Königsberg in East Prussia, Bauer, who rose to notice through his leadership of a white-collar trade union, served from 1908 to 1918 as chairman of the General Commission of Trade Unions for all of Germany. A member of the Reichstag, Bauer entered Prince Max of Baden's government in October 1918 as Minister of Labour, a role which he continued to hold in the government of Philipp Scheidemann after the war. When Scheidemann resigned in June 1919 to protest the Treaty of Versailles, Bauer became Chancellor, serving until March 1920, when he resigned shortly after the failure of the Kapp Putsch.

Bauer later served in the governments of Hermann Müller and Joseph Wirth.

Cabinet June 1919 - March 1920

• Gustav Bauer (SPD) - Minister-President (after 14 August 1919 Chancellor)
• Matthias Erzberger (Z) - Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister
• Hermann Müller (SPD) - Foreign Minister
• Dr. Eduard David (SPD) - Interior Minister
• Rudolf Wissell (SPD) - Economics Minister
• Robert Schmidt (SPD) - Food Minister
• Dr. Alexander Schlicke (SPD) - Labour Minister
• Dr. Johannes Bell (Z) - Transportation Minister and Colonial Minister
• Johannes Giesberts (Z) - Postal Minister
• Wilhelm Mayer (Z) - Treasury Minister
• Gustav Noske (SPD) - Defence Minister

Changes

• July 15 1919 - Robert Schmidt succeeds Wissell as Economics Minister. Schmidt remains Food Minister.
• October 3 1919 - Dr. Eugen Schiffer (DDP) enters the cabinet as Justice Minister and succeeds Erzberger as Vice-Chancellor. Erzberger remains Finance Minister. Dr. Erich Koch-Weser (DDP) succeeds David as Interior Minister. David remains in the cabinet as Minister without Portfolio.
• October 25 1919 - Otto Gessler (DDP) enters the cabinet as Reconstruction Minister.
• November 7 1919 - The Colonial Office is abolished. Bell remains Transportation Minister.
• January 30 1920 - Mayer resigns as Treasury Minister.
• March 12 1920 - Erzberger resigns as Finance Minister.