German Communism And Socialism

Communism is a system of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the state or community and all citizens share in the common wealth, more or less according to their need.

The Spartacus league had begun in 1914 a group of communists who opposed Germany’s involvement in the First World War.

They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. They wrote pamphlets against the war, and were imprisoned after organizing a demonstration in 1916. They were glad to have got rid of the Kaiser and now they wanted a real social revolution, like the Russian Revolution of the previous year. They did not trust the new Weimar Government to look after the interests of the working people.

In January 1919 members of the League organized the Spartacist Uprising in Berlin. The German Army and the Freikorps were brought in to put an end to the rebellion. Over the next few weeks many of the Spartacist leaders and members were executed without trial. This robbed the Communists of their leaders, and the movement did not recover from this. The Weimar Government had already come to rely on the Army, and had alienated many of the working classes.

Hitler despised all left wing political parties, in particular communists, he identified them as national enemies, and accused them of starting the Reichstag Fire of 1933.

Related pages: History Mrs March Year Ten Year Eleven

Category: History

Author: Mrs March