The Greatest Day in History by Nicholas Best

Author:Nicholas Best
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PublicAffairs

In Wilhelmshaven, the first president of the new republic of Oldenburg was taking a bow. Stoker First Class Bernhard Kuhnt had just been proclaimed as such, to tumultuous applause from his supporters. The imperial flag had come down over the barracks and the red flag of Bolshevism had risen in its place. Sirens were hooting across the town, ships in the harbour were sounding their bells, and the forts were firing gun salutes. Wilhelmshaven was in party mood as its people celebrated the beginning of the new era.

For seaman Richard Stumpf, it was a time of mixed emotions as he contemplated the fall of the monarchy, both in his native Bavaria and in Germany as a whole. Until recently, Stumpf had always considered himself a fervent monarchist, but the events of the past few days had turned him into a republican of sorts. He was vacillating between exultation and despair as he struggled to come to grips with the new order. He was all in favour of a proletarian revolution, but couldn’t quite identify with the thousands of soldiers and sailors marching confidently through the town in the belief that all their troubles were over now that the red flag was flying. Stumpf wished he could believe it, but still had his doubts.

The celebrations continued all day and well into the evening. As it grew dark, the searchlights came on and signal rockets began to go up, thousands of them in red, white and green, lighting up the harbour while the sirens hooted and the guns started up again. Stumpf thought it was an air raid at first, or perhaps an attack by the Royal Navy. He remained at his post aboard ship and went on with his duties as the din continued:

‘The hellish music had not yet ceased when a delegate from the sailors’ council with a very crestfallen face ran up the gangplank and wordlessly handed me a broadsheet bearing the ominous title: The Terms for a Ceasefire. I read the fateful sheet with bated breath and growing amazement. What were the terms? Evacuation of the left bank of the Rhine as well as the right to an extent of forty kilometres . . . 150,000 railway carriages . . . 10,000 lorries . . . 5,000 heavy guns . . . the blockade to remain in effect . . . the navy to be surrendered . . . 10,000 . . . 5,000 . . . 30,000 . . . It can’t be. This is ridiculous . . . It means a fight to the finish . . . What a sudden change from the joy we had felt that morning! “This is what you get for your goddamned brotherhood,” I shouted to the suddenly silent spectators. It was too much for me to bear and I hurried off to grieve in a lonely corner.

‘The last of the rockets exploded; one siren after another turned silent; but within me the storm still raged as I was convulsed to the very core of my soul by a deep and terrible anguish.

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