Friedrich von Payer—German Politician Prominent Briefly in the Last Days of the War

Von Payer (Right) with Prince Max von Baden

Friedrich von Payer (1847–1931) was vice-chancellor of the German Empire from November 1917 to November 1918. In November 1918, he was offered the position of Reich chancellor, which he declined. Born in the university town of Tübingen, he  first attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Blaubeuren, before he studied law in his native city. After establishing himself in the legal profession in Stuttgart, he helped to found the Fortschrittliche Volkspartei (Progressive People's Party, FVP), which carried on the liberal heritage of 1848. As a member first of the city council, then of the Württemberg state parliament, Payer represented the district of Reutlingen, Tübingen, and Rottenburg. For almost this entire period (1893–1912), Payer was also president of the state parliament and a member of the FVP. His term as deputy of the German Reichstag lasted from 1877 until 1918.

As the leader of the FVP faction, Payer was a key actor in Reichstag politics, making over 30 trips to Berlin between 1915 and 1917. Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg (1856–1921) was removed from power by an intrigue of the Army High Command in July 1917. In the ensuing governmental crisis, Payer was appointed vice-chancellor on 12 November. He opposed unconditional submarine warfare, as well as extensive annexations in the east. At home, he sought the democratization of the Reichs Constitution. Instead, Payer advocated peace negotiations with the Allies as outlined in the Friedensresolution (Peace Resolution) from July 1917, which the FVP signed. His views  brought him into severe conflict with German High Command.

Chancellor Georg von Hertling (1843–1919) resigned on 30 September 1918, in the face of unavoidable military defeat. Payer was one of only two candidates whom the parliamentary majority would accept. This was a unique opportunity in the history of the German Empire: the highest political office was within the grasp of the leader of a left-leaning party. Payer refused, explaining that his allegiance was to Hertling. Payer remained vice-chancellor and continued to exercise substantial political weight; he saw his candidate of choice, Prince Max von Baden (1867–1929), appointed Reich chancellor on 3 October.

In November 1918, the Deutsche Demokratische Partei (German Democratic Party) was founded as a successor to the original FVP. It was one of the few parties, along with the Social Democratic Party, which stood unconditionally behind the new republic. Famous members included Max Weber (1864–1920), the liberal politician Friedrich Naumann (1860–1919), Theodor Heuss (1884–1963), later the first president of the Federal Republic, Walter Rathenau (1867–1922), who became foreign minister in 1922, and Hjalmar Schacht (1877–1970), the president of the Reichsbank. Three months later, Payer was elected chairman of the new party. It was also in the first months of the new government that Payer took part in the National Assembly at Weimar, where he was one of only seven members of his party to vote for the acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. In 1920, at the age of 73, Payer retired from politics. 

Sources:  The Prussian War Machine; 1914-1918 Online