The Spartacist League (Spartakusbund in German) was a left-wing Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during and just after the politically volatile years of World War I. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The League was named after Spartacus, leader of the largest slave rebellion of the Roman Republic. Spartacus (c 109 BC-71 BC according to Roman historians was a Slave who became the leader (or possibly one of several leaders in the unsuccessful slave The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the It was founded by Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg (see Luxemburgism), Clara Zetkin, and others. ( August 13, 1871 - January 15, 1919) was a German Socialist and a co-founder of the Spartacist League and the Communist Rosa Luxemburg (Róża Luksemburg 5 March 1870 or 1871 15 January 1919 was a Polish-born Jewish German Marxist theorist, socialist Luxemburgism (also written Luxembourgism) is a specific revolutionary theory within Communism, based on the writings of Rosa Luxemburg. Clara Zetkin, maiden name Eissner ( 5 July 1857 - 20 June 1933) was an influential socialist German politician Its greatest period of activity was during the German Revolution of 1918, when it sought to incite a revolution similar to that of the Bolsheviks in Russia by circulating illegal subversive publications, such as the newspaper Spartacus Letters. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Subversion refers to an attempt to overthrow structures of Authority, including the State.
The League subsequently renamed itself the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD), joining the Comintern in 1919. The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 The Comintern ( Com munist Intern ational also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organisation founded in Moscow The League and the subsequent KPD were famous for pitched street battles with police and other direct action militant activities, some of which Vladimir Lenin disapproved of as premature, anarchistic, misguided, etc. Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i , yet nevertheless tolerated. On 1 January 1919, the KPD executed a short-lived communist revolution in Berlin despite protests from Luxemburg and Liebknecht. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A communist revolution is a Proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace Capitalism with Communism, typically Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The uprising was crushed by the government of the new Weimar Republic; however, the government had to rely on the right wing freikorps in place of the army or police. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century
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History
Both Luxemburg and Liebknecht were prominent members of the left wing faction of the German Social-Democratic Party (SPD). Liebknecht was the son of SPD founder Wilhelm Liebknecht. Wilhelm Liebknecht ( March 29, 1826 &ndash August 7, 1900) was a German Social democrat, one of the founders of the They moved to found an independent organization after the SPD decided to support the German government's decision to declare war on the Russian Empire in 1914, beginning what would later be known as World War I. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Besides their opposition to what they saw as an imperialist war, Luxemburg and Liebknecht maintained the need for revolutionary methods, in contrast to the leadership of the SPD, who had decided to participate in the parliamentary process. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude A revolutionary when used as a noun is a person who either actively engages in some kind of Revolution, or advocates the revolution with recognition from some government or
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Spartacists decided to agitate for a similar course, a government based on local workers' councils (soviets), in Germany. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them A workers' council is a Deliberative assembly, composed of Working class members intended to institute Workers' self-management or Workers' control A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Liebknecht and Luxemburg were imprisoned from 1916 until 1918 for their roles in helping to organize a public demonstration in Berlin against German involvement in the war. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. After the November revolution which overthrew the Kaiser at the end of World War I, a period of instability and revolutions began, which would last until 1923. Kaiser is the German title meaning " Emperor " with Kaiserin being the female equivalent " Empress " World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Liebknecht declared a socialist republic in Germany from a balcony of the Kaiser's Berliner Stadtschloss in November of 1918 — the same night that Philipp Scheidemann of the SPD declared the Weimar Republic from the Reichstag. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Stadtschloss (Berliner Stadtschloss rendered in English as Berlin City Palace) was a royal palace in the centre of Berlin, capital of Germany Philipp Scheidemann ( 26 July 1865 &ndash 29 November 1939) was a German Social Democratic politician who proclaimed the The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The Reichstag building in Berlin was constructed to house the Reichstag, the first Parliament of the German Empire.
In December 1918, the Spartakusbund became the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 On January 1, 1919, the KPD attempted to take control of Berlin in what came to be known as the Spartakus uprising. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Spartacist uprising, also known as the January uprising, was a General strike (and the armed battles accompanying it in Germany from January 5 This occurred against the advice of Luxemburg, who argued that an uprising was premature since the Spartakusbund was too weak and not enough of the working class had come over to its side.
The attempted revolution was crushed by the combined forces of the SPD, the remnants of the German Army, and the right-wing paramilitary groups known as the Freikorps, on the orders of chancellor Friedrich Ebert. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century Friedrich Ebert ( February 4, 1871 February 28, 1925) was a German Politician ( SPD) who served as Luxemburg and Liebknecht, among many others, were murdered while held prisoner by the Freikorps, and their bodies dumped in a river. Hundreds of Spartacists were killed in the weeks following the uprising.
The remains of the Spartacist League continued as the KPD, which retained the League's newspaper, die Rote Fahne (Red Flag), as its publication. The German newspaper Die Rote Fahne ( "The Red Flag") was created on 9 November 1918 by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin Red flags can signify a warning Martial law, defiance or Left-wing politics
The Spartacist Manifesto of 1918
One of the most notable parts of the Spartacist Manifesto (published in 1918) is the following:
- The question today is not democracy or dictatorship. The question that history has put on the agenda reads: bourgeois democracy or socialist democracy. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system For the dictatorship of the proletariat does not mean bombs, putsches, riots and anarchy, as the agents of capitalist profits deliberately and falsely claim. Rather, it means using all instruments of political power to achieve socialism, to expropriate the capitalist class, through and in accordance with the will of the revolutionary majority of the proletariat. Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian
Prominent members of the Spartacist League
- Willi Budich
- Hermann Duncker
- Käte Duncker
- Hugo Eberlein
- Paul Lange
- Leo Jogiches
- Paul Levi
- Karl Liebknecht
- Rosa Luxemburg
- Julian Marchlewski (Julian Balthasar Marchlewski)
- Franz Mehring
- Ernest Meyer (Ernst Meyer)
- Wilhelm Pieck
- August Thalheimer
- Clara Zetkin
See also
Luxemburgism
Council Communism
Left Communism
External links
- On the Spartacus Programme by Rosa Luxemburg
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