Friedrich Ebert was a German political leader affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Following the end of First World War and the German monarchy, he served as the first President of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925. After the death of August Bebel in 1913, Ebert was chosen to serve as the leader of his party. However, in 1914, the party experienced severe division over Ebert's backing of war loans to finance the German war effort in World War I. He was a moderate social democrat and advocated for the Burgfrieden, a political policy that demanded an immediate solution of all domestic issues among political parties during wartime so the focus could be on the successful conclusion of the war effort. He attempted to single out those in his party that were against the war. However, he was unable to stop the split. During his tenure as the chancellor of Germany, his policies revolved around bringing back peace and order in the country. To achieve these objectives, he joined forces with conservative and nationalistic groups against the more extreme elements of both the revolutionary left and right. This has turned him into a controversial personality in German history.