Today in Labor History March 13, 1920: The Kapp Putsch attempted to overthrow the new German republic. While the government officials fled, workers launched a General Strike and refused to cooperate with the nationalists and royalists behind the coup attempt. The General Strike effectively ended the right-wing assault on the republic. However, it also inspired even more radical actions by the workers, including the Communist Ruhr Uprising, which lasted from March 13 through April 12. The government utilized the right-wing Freikorps to suppress the uprising, killing over 1,000 workers.