Luxembourg rebellions

Between 1918 and 1919, Luxembourg experienced a series of uprisings and military mutinies, sparked by the revolutionary wave that swept Germany at the end of World War I. These rebellions ultimately collapsed because they attracted little backing from the general population, and because French troops intervened to uphold the existing government.

During World War I, the German Empire had fully occupied Luxembourg from August 1914 until the armistice in November 1918. Germany justified the occupation as necessary to support its armies fighting in France, though many Luxembourgers—both at the time and later—viewed it differently. The country kept its own government and political system, but the German army’s presence overshadowed all affairs. Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide remained on the throne, but her pro-German stance cost her support among many citizens and the Allied powers.

In November 1918, two small communist-led revolts broke out—one in Luxembourg City on the 10th and another in Esch-sur-Alzette on the 11th—but police quickly put them down. Around the same time, socialist and liberal deputies in the Chamber of Deputies called for the Grand Duchess’s abdication, though the motion was narrowly defeated.

Tensions escalated in December within Luxembourg’s volunteer army. Soldiers at the Luxembourg City barracks mutinied, drawing up a list of 31 demands for the Chamber of Deputies. These included abolishing the Prussian-style military command, adopting French command methods, improving promotion opportunities, and cutting the number of lieutenants. The government refused to negotiate with the soldiers’ delegates, so the troops returned to their barracks, fortified their position, and formed an emergency commission to handle talks. All settlement proposals from the soldiers were ultimately rejected.

By January 1919, discontent had grown sharply. On the 9th, the same socialist and liberal deputies who had pushed for abdication in November introduced a motion to turn Luxembourg into a republic. The motion passed, and socialist leader M. Mark proclaimed a republic, announcing that deputies who had stayed away from the session would elect a Committee of Public Safety. A crowd gathered near the Chamber of Deputies and the volunteer barracks. Left-wing politician Émile Servais came out, addressed the crowd, and called for a republic, which was met with cheers.