The Kiel mutiny was an anti-government rebellion that broke among German sailors towards the end of World War I. It quickly transformed into a burgeoning revolution and contributed to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
By September 1918, German generals were resigned to the fact they could not win the war. In October, Wilhelm II named Prince Max von Baden, a minor royal of liberal political views, as his chancellor. This appointment, it was hoped, would facilitate armistice negotiations with the Allies – particularly the Americans, who were seen as being more amenable to a peace deal.
