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Rosa's Reich - Red Germany
- Thread starter GlobalHumanism
- Start date
Introduction
Rosa’s Reich
(Democratic Communism in 1919)
By GlobalHumanism
Welcome to the official 3x Turtledove Nominated timeline “Rosa's Reich”!
Questions:
• "Communism is Evil!" Why are you writing this?
I'm not an apologist. Certain nations that have practiced communism have done horrendous things in the name of Marxist doctrine(s). However, to believe that Stalin, Lenin, Mao, etc, are the end all be all to such a vast ideology ignores a vast amount of competing interpretations within the discourse.
This timeline will therefore explore competing ideologies within Marxist doctine that existed at the time of post WW1 Europe, and see what might happen if one of them gained power.
• What's the central What if?
In 1919, Rosa Luxemburg, an ardent communist but firm believer in worker democracy over centrist dictatorship, was assassinated by a band of Freikorps reactionaries on the outskirts of Berlin.
But what if this didn't happen?
What if Rosa survived to lead a Democratic Communist Revolution within the midst of the German Revolution at large?
• Why are you are doing this Redux now?
For several reasons with the main being that I wanted to go back and expand on several diversions that occur in the timeline to enrich both the narrative and world created by this POD.
•Yeah, but you haven’t even finished the other one…
True, but what sense does it make continuing on with inadequate structure that neither satisfies the scope that I want to obtain nor satisfies the awesome readers that become fans of the timeline.
• Will readers still have a chance at voting during key junctions?
Yes! Reader participation is awesome for the storyline, with the added benefit of keeping things interesting for me as the writer.
• Well I read through the other one already, so there’s nothing to see until you catch up to where you left off?
Wrong! Expect far more detail, starting from the initial PoD, all the way to where the first draft of this timeline left off. This includes more accurate pictures, custom maps, flags, charts, newsclippings, videos, etc. When I read timelines, I like to pretend I'm there; my readers deserve nothing less
• Anything else I should expect?
Other than a slight change in the prose of the narrative and a small title change, not really. Just get ready to have even more fun this go around!
With that being said, let’s dive in!
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Prologue
Prologue
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Rosa Luxemburg was born to a middle class Jewish family in Poland on March 5, 1871.
Since childhood Rosa had been imparted with a keen interest in the liberal ideals of direct democracy and mass political participation, leading her to join one of the first Polish political parties in 1886 at the young age of 15.
While a member of the leftist Poland Proletariat Party, she participated in the group’s first organized general strike in Warsaw.
After the Russian authorities violently cracked down on the group, executing several leading members in the process, Rosa fled to Switzerland where she studied at the University of Zurich until 1897.
Completing her doctorate in the spring of the same year (and one of the first women to do so at the University), she swiftly dived back into revolutionary politics and she, along with fellow revolutionary socialists Leo Jogiches and Julian Marchlewski, founded Sprawa Robotnicza (“The Workers Cause”) newspaper in 1893.
Believing that the worker’s struggle should not solely focus on the acquisition of self-determination, she distanced herself from many Marxists of her day. This in turn sparked several literary feuds with other Switzerland-based agitators such as Vladimir Lenin.
Moving to Berlin in 1897, Rosa became a member of the radical left-wing SPD party and spent the next several years developing her political philosophy. By 1908, she had solidified her position.
Assured of where she stood within the milieu of revolutionary politics, and dismayed by the SPD’s shocking support for Germany after the outbreak of World War I, Rosa, along with her close ideological friends Karl Liebknecht, Klara Zetkin and Franz Mehring founded the Die Internationale group in August 1914; this transformed into the Spartacus League in January 1916.
Imprisoned for an attempt to organize a general strike in June of 1916, Rosa, along with fellow Spartacist Karl Liebknecht, were jailed for two years, first at Posen, then at Breslau.
During this time she published several more articles with “The Russian Revolution”, a polemic criticizing the actions and structure of Bolshevik revolutionary politics, being the most explosive.
Taking a particular interest in railing against the "vanguard party" power regime started by Vladimir Lenin, Rosa pointed her criticism toward the Russian soviet system by stating:
Now a household name in left-wing circles, on November 8th, 1918 Rosa Luxemburg was released from prison.
Rosa then joined Karl Liebknecht after his own release, and together they worked to distance themselves from the SPD party in the waning months of 1918, establishing the Communist Party of Germany in January of 1919. This then lead to the Spartacus Uprising, and the subsequent military reaction by the Freikorps. Their lack of allies, coupled with the premature insistence on violent revolution, lead to the quick collapse of the uprising and the murder of both Karl and Rosa, along with the annihilation of the Spartacus League.
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Point of Difference
Instead, Rosa, after her release from prison, and pushed on by her own ideological imperatives, breaks from Karl Liebknecht, decides to act decisively on her own and immediately works to build her own individual power base for radical left wing socialism.
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Instead, Rosa, after her release from prison, and pushed on by her own ideological imperatives, breaks from Karl Liebknecht, decides to act decisively on her own and immediately works to build her own individual power base for radical left wing socialism.
Chapter I (1918) | Part I (Kaiser Abdicates)
Chapter I: Spartacus League Reborn
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Time Period: November 8th, 1918
Rosa Luxemburg, hero of the radical left, and champion of the revolutionary social democratic movement in Germany, step forth from the shadows of her makeshift imperial prison van into the streets of Berlin.
It was November 8th, 1918, and the world she knew was ablaze with revolutionary fervor.
Spurred on by the strife and misery wrought by four years of industrialized warfare, and inspired by the world-shaking revolutionary activities of the Russian Bolsheviks, revolts had ignited Germany were breaking out.
Picking up copy of "Die Freihet" at a corner newsstand, she read of the sailor mutinies occurring in n Hanover, Brunswick, Frankfurt on main with a massive one occurring successfully in Kiel.
Moving her eyes swiftly down the front page, she also read of Kurt Eisner and his Independent Socialist Party's (USPD) deposing of the Wittlesbach monarchy in Munich.
“The revolution had come…” she excitedly thought to herself.
Quickly her excitement turned to dismay, as she began to read that the mutineers, along with the Kurt Eisner's USPD party in Munich had each set up “Soviet Councils,” in their controlled areas respectively and had simultaneously adopted policies that mirrored those adopted Bolshevik regime in Russia.
“I knew this would occur...” Rosa whispered quietly to herself.
“The precedent established by Lenin’s dictatorial vangardism is spreading, threatening not just the future of democratic liberation for the working class, but the overall unshackling of the working class itself.”
Tossing the paper back on the pile in front of her, she clasped her right her to chin and began to think.
“No.” she thought. “I will not let this critical moment in history be corrupted by the dangerous pragmatism of the Bolshevik program.”
She immediately rushed off. “No; democracy for the workers will triumph.” she muttered.
Making her way to a small hotel located a mile away, Rosa, who through letters during her incarceration had asked close friend and fellow ex-Spartacus League founder Klara Zetkin’s to come to Berlin upon her release day, greeted her political comrade around midday.
“Rosa!” Clara cried with tears of joy in her eyes. “Your back!”
“I have, but unfortunately we don’t have a moment to spare.” Rosa said back.
“What on earth do you mean?” inquired Klara.
“We must revive the Spartacus League.” said Rosa.
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Time Period: November 8th, 1918
Rosa Luxemburg, hero of the radical left, and champion of the revolutionary social democratic movement in Germany, step forth from the shadows of her makeshift imperial prison van into the streets of Berlin.
It was November 8th, 1918, and the world she knew was ablaze with revolutionary fervor.
Spurred on by the strife and misery wrought by four years of industrialized warfare, and inspired by the world-shaking revolutionary activities of the Russian Bolsheviks, revolts had ignited Germany were breaking out.
Picking up copy of "Die Freihet" at a corner newsstand, she read of the sailor mutinies occurring in n Hanover, Brunswick, Frankfurt on main with a massive one occurring successfully in Kiel.
Moving her eyes swiftly down the front page, she also read of Kurt Eisner and his Independent Socialist Party's (USPD) deposing of the Wittlesbach monarchy in Munich.
“The revolution had come…” she excitedly thought to herself.
Quickly her excitement turned to dismay, as she began to read that the mutineers, along with the Kurt Eisner's USPD party in Munich had each set up “Soviet Councils,” in their controlled areas respectively and had simultaneously adopted policies that mirrored those adopted Bolshevik regime in Russia.
“I knew this would occur...” Rosa whispered quietly to herself.
“The precedent established by Lenin’s dictatorial vangardism is spreading, threatening not just the future of democratic liberation for the working class, but the overall unshackling of the working class itself.”
Tossing the paper back on the pile in front of her, she clasped her right her to chin and began to think.
“No.” she thought. “I will not let this critical moment in history be corrupted by the dangerous pragmatism of the Bolshevik program.”
She immediately rushed off. “No; democracy for the workers will triumph.” she muttered.
Making her way to a small hotel located a mile away, Rosa, who through letters during her incarceration had asked close friend and fellow ex-Spartacus League founder Klara Zetkin’s to come to Berlin upon her release day, greeted her political comrade around midday.
“Rosa!” Clara cried with tears of joy in her eyes. “Your back!”
“I have, but unfortunately we don’t have a moment to spare.” Rosa said back.
“What on earth do you mean?” inquired Klara.
“We must revive the Spartacus League.” said Rosa.
Clara, who too had become excited over the socialist uprisings began to argue that there was no need to restart a dead political action group.
“Rosa, we may be better served joining up with the Social Democrats (SPD).” said Klara.
“The same SPD that supported the imperialists and the capitalists during this apocalyptic war? Never.” said Rosa sharply.
“Never will I side with any of these pragmatic bourgeois mouth-pieces.
No, the workers, and all other oppressed peoples in the Germany need a party that will be the loudest voice, in a sea of voices. A voice that will cry out for their right for freedom to participate not only in the political machinations of their country, but their right to freely associate, own and manage the means of productions; those tools that the bourgeois powers of Friedrich and his SPD will only continue to use to control and enslave them.”
Klara was silent. The words that Rosa spoke resonated deeply with her.
“I am with you Rosa.” Klara said.
On the night of November 8th, 1918, with a hand shake between two old comrades, the Spartacus League had risen from the ashes.
“Our message of liberation shall be the same.” said Rosa. “But our methods will be different.”
The next morning both Rosa and Klara made their way to the local jailhouse.
“Where are we headed?” asked Klara as they rushed out the door.
“Karl; he’s arriving back in Berlin today." said Rosa.
Rushing along the city streets, the women made their way downtown.
As they reached the central city promenade, they heard an announcement being made by a newsboy.
“The Kaiser has Abdicated!”
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“Rosa, we may be better served joining up with the Social Democrats (SPD).” said Klara.
“The same SPD that supported the imperialists and the capitalists during this apocalyptic war? Never.” said Rosa sharply.
“Never will I side with any of these pragmatic bourgeois mouth-pieces.
No, the workers, and all other oppressed peoples in the Germany need a party that will be the loudest voice, in a sea of voices. A voice that will cry out for their right for freedom to participate not only in the political machinations of their country, but their right to freely associate, own and manage the means of productions; those tools that the bourgeois powers of Friedrich and his SPD will only continue to use to control and enslave them.”
Klara was silent. The words that Rosa spoke resonated deeply with her.
“I am with you Rosa.” Klara said.
On the night of November 8th, 1918, with a hand shake between two old comrades, the Spartacus League had risen from the ashes.
“Our message of liberation shall be the same.” said Rosa. “But our methods will be different.”
The next morning both Rosa and Klara made their way to the local jailhouse.
“Where are we headed?” asked Klara as they rushed out the door.
“Karl; he’s arriving back in Berlin today." said Rosa.
Rushing along the city streets, the women made their way downtown.
As they reached the central city promenade, they heard an announcement being made by a newsboy.
“The Kaiser has Abdicated!”
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Chapter I (1918) | Part II (Spartacus League)
Chapter I: Spartacus League Reborn
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Time Period: November 9th - 12th, 1918
On November 9th, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II informed sitting Chancellor Prince Max of Baden that he was abdicating both his Imperial and Prussian crowns.
Though the announcement was a shock to the populace at large, given that occurred while the Kaiser was visiting his officers in Belgium, it was not surprising Rosa.
“The Kaiser has abdicated!” a Berlin newsboy yelled.
“Prince Max expected to do so as well!”
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Time Period: November 9th - 12th, 1918
On November 9th, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II informed sitting Chancellor Prince Max of Baden that he was abdicating both his Imperial and Prussian crowns.
Though the announcement was a shock to the populace at large, given that occurred while the Kaiser was visiting his officers in Belgium, it was not surprising Rosa.
“The Kaiser has abdicated!” a Berlin newsboy yelled.
“Prince Max expected to do so as well!”
“Providence seems to be on our side.” Klara whispered to her close friend.
“I have no use for providence; but opportunity - I can work with.” Rosa whispered back.
“Either way, this event has made it imperative that we take advantage of this milieu sooner rather than later.”
The women then continued to proceed to Berlin rail station.
By midday, just as
a train pulled into the platform with the recently released Karl Liebknecht on board,
Prince Max had announced his own resignation of the Chancellorship within the chambers of the Reich's Chancellery, with Social Democrat Party (SPD) leader Friedrich Ebert subsequently appointed as his successor.
“Karl!” shouted Rosa and she ran up and shook his hand fiercely.
"It's good to see you! I hope these past two years have treated you well."
"I am alive - that's all I can say.” responded Karl.
The two comrades spoke for several minutes about the evolving revolutionary situation for Germany and Europe at large.
"The Russians, Hungarians, Poles, Germans - they all burn with revolutionary fervor!" Karl extolled.
“We have only to follow comrade Lenin’s lead...”
Rosa's immediately interjected.
"The Bolsheviks have proven to be nothing more than bandits on the march dictatorship," she said.
"Have you not witnessed their disregard for people's will during the Fifth Congress of Soviets!? They've begun liquidating all dissenting voices - even fellow Communists!"
Rosa was referring to the dismissal of the Left Communist from the Congress of Soviets in the Spring of that year.
"Lenin took decisive action, Rosa!" Karl responded.
"Revolution needs a single voice to speak above all other if it is to succeed."
A shouting match ensured as the two comrades found it impossible to reconcile over the Karl's intention to mirror Lenin's revolutionary stratagem in Berlin.
"If you believe that Bolshevist program, and one applied haphazardly, can liberate the working class - then you are truly lost," Rosa responded
"And if you believe that it cannot, than those years in prison have made you truly naive."
Stunned at her friend’s statement, Rosa began to back away.
A bond, forged over years of ideological comradeship, with a few words had be broken.
"Where you go, Klara and I refuse to follow." she said as took several steps back
"I only hope that your chosen path does not lead you to ruin."
Fixing his jacket lapels, Karl turn his back toward the two women and immediately marched off.
“I have no use for providence; but opportunity - I can work with.” Rosa whispered back.
“Either way, this event has made it imperative that we take advantage of this milieu sooner rather than later.”
The women then continued to proceed to Berlin rail station.
By midday, just as
a train pulled into the platform with the recently released Karl Liebknecht on board,
Prince Max had announced his own resignation of the Chancellorship within the chambers of the Reich's Chancellery, with Social Democrat Party (SPD) leader Friedrich Ebert subsequently appointed as his successor.
“Karl!” shouted Rosa and she ran up and shook his hand fiercely.
"It's good to see you! I hope these past two years have treated you well."
"I am alive - that's all I can say.” responded Karl.
The two comrades spoke for several minutes about the evolving revolutionary situation for Germany and Europe at large.
"The Russians, Hungarians, Poles, Germans - they all burn with revolutionary fervor!" Karl extolled.
“We have only to follow comrade Lenin’s lead...”
Rosa's immediately interjected.
"The Bolsheviks have proven to be nothing more than bandits on the march dictatorship," she said.
"Have you not witnessed their disregard for people's will during the Fifth Congress of Soviets!? They've begun liquidating all dissenting voices - even fellow Communists!"
Rosa was referring to the dismissal of the Left Communist from the Congress of Soviets in the Spring of that year.
"Lenin took decisive action, Rosa!" Karl responded.
"Revolution needs a single voice to speak above all other if it is to succeed."
A shouting match ensured as the two comrades found it impossible to reconcile over the Karl's intention to mirror Lenin's revolutionary stratagem in Berlin.
"If you believe that Bolshevist program, and one applied haphazardly, can liberate the working class - then you are truly lost," Rosa responded
"And if you believe that it cannot, than those years in prison have made you truly naive."
Stunned at her friend’s statement, Rosa began to back away.
A bond, forged over years of ideological comradeship, with a few words had be broken.
"Where you go, Klara and I refuse to follow." she said as took several steps back
"I only hope that your chosen path does not lead you to ruin."
Fixing his jacket lapels, Karl turn his back toward the two women and immediately marched off.
As Rosa and Klara made their way back to their temporary apartment, a crowd which had gathered outside of the Reichstag, heard SPD minister Philipp Scheidemann announce the end of the German Monarchy.
"The old and rotten monarchy has collapsed.
Long live the German Republic!"
With the proclamation of the German Republic, Rosa Luxemburg went to work on devising a plan of action.
"Karl will surely place his efforts in reforming the Spartacus League - we must do all that we can to prevent this from happening," said Rosa as she paced about Klara's apartment.
Prior to her and Karl's incarceration, the league, which served as a collection like-minded Leftists that had broken from the German Social Democratic Party for their support of the War, was a symbol of resistance for the urban working class. It's reformation was critical.
“There is no other option - we must beat him to it.”
Quickly Klara pulled out several pieces of paper and began to write.
“Luckily I've kept in contact with our former comrades,” she said as her pen ran furiously over each page.
"By calling them here we can begin work on doing just that."
Over the next several hours, Rosa and Klara drafted letters addressed personally to each former member of the Spartacus League.
"The old and rotten monarchy has collapsed.
Long live the German Republic!"
With the proclamation of the German Republic, Rosa Luxemburg went to work on devising a plan of action.
"Karl will surely place his efforts in reforming the Spartacus League - we must do all that we can to prevent this from happening," said Rosa as she paced about Klara's apartment.
Prior to her and Karl's incarceration, the league, which served as a collection like-minded Leftists that had broken from the German Social Democratic Party for their support of the War, was a symbol of resistance for the urban working class. It's reformation was critical.
“There is no other option - we must beat him to it.”
Quickly Klara pulled out several pieces of paper and began to write.
“Luckily I've kept in contact with our former comrades,” she said as her pen ran furiously over each page.
"By calling them here we can begin work on doing just that."
Over the next several hours, Rosa and Klara drafted letters addressed personally to each former member of the Spartacus League.
Wilhelm Peck | Franz Mehring | Ernst Meyer | Paul Levi
Leo Jogiches | August Thalheimer | Julian Marchlewski
Leo Jogiches | August Thalheimer | Julian Marchlewski
Taking the opportunity to both sell their intention to re-found the League as a political action group Rosa and Klara, hoped to have a voice dedicated to the ideals of worker democracy and mass mobilization.
"Honestly Rosa, what use is a League in such revolutionary times? The government has already collapsed- What we need is a political party!"
Rosa, grin stretched across her face, agreed and instead signed each letter describing the intention to transform the re-founded League into a revolutionary party.
Sending the letters the out on the morning of November 10th, 1918, Klara, and even more so Rosa, waited anxiously for their responses.
At the same time, Karl Leibknecht and a group of like-minded revolutionaries were speaking to crowd of gathered workers. Taking the opportunity to rouse disaffection towards Philip Schnidemann's declaration of the New German Republic, he likewise announced that the fall of the Kaiserreich would soon usher in a People's Republic in the same vain as the Lenin's in Moscow.
"Honestly Rosa, what use is a League in such revolutionary times? The government has already collapsed- What we need is a political party!"
Rosa, grin stretched across her face, agreed and instead signed each letter describing the intention to transform the re-founded League into a revolutionary party.
Sending the letters the out on the morning of November 10th, 1918, Klara, and even more so Rosa, waited anxiously for their responses.
At the same time, Karl Leibknecht and a group of like-minded revolutionaries were speaking to crowd of gathered workers. Taking the opportunity to rouse disaffection towards Philip Schnidemann's declaration of the New German Republic, he likewise announced that the fall of the Kaiserreich would soon usher in a People's Republic in the same vain as the Lenin's in Moscow.
In the Reichstag, Chancellor Friedrich Ebert, empowed by his appointment the previous day, convened an emergency joint meeting between his SPD party and the supporting USPD party.
“If we are to deal with growing power of the radical factions in the North of Germany, we must show unity not just here in Berlin, but also across the Reich.”
He shouted confidently as he opened the meeting. “And that means reigning in Herr Eisner, and his separatist clique in Munich.”
Referring to actions of Kurt Eisner's bloodless coup against the Wittelsbach monarchy earlier in the month, Ebert future explained how the loss of Bavaria constitutes the biggest existential threat to the new Republic.
Turning to the USPD section of the Reichstag meeting hall, Ebert publicly addressed Hugo Hasse, the leader of the independent socialists.
“That means, if the Berlin USPD members wish to remain part of this republican government, the USPD must bring Eisner into accordance with the leadership here in Berlin.”
“If we are to deal with growing power of the radical factions in the North of Germany, we must show unity not just here in Berlin, but also across the Reich.”
He shouted confidently as he opened the meeting. “And that means reigning in Herr Eisner, and his separatist clique in Munich.”
Referring to actions of Kurt Eisner's bloodless coup against the Wittelsbach monarchy earlier in the month, Ebert future explained how the loss of Bavaria constitutes the biggest existential threat to the new Republic.
Turning to the USPD section of the Reichstag meeting hall, Ebert publicly addressed Hugo Hasse, the leader of the independent socialists.
“That means, if the Berlin USPD members wish to remain part of this republican government, the USPD must bring Eisner into accordance with the leadership here in Berlin.”
“Then, if you seek the support of the USPD, we must have assurances that you will immediately end this horrific war.”
After several additional hours of debate, during which more political maneuvering was done on both sides, both Hugo and Ebert came to an agrrement.
Taking to the podium once more, on the morning of November 11th, Friedrich announced the formation of the Rat der Volksbeauftragten ("Council of People's Deputies"), an emergency governmental body to consist of a union between SPD and USPD party members.
Under the arrangement, both Friedrich and Hugo would temporarily occupy co-equal leadership positions in government, with Friedrich’s first priority being the creation of a domestic food relief program for the German people, and the signing of an armistice with the Western powers; Hugo’s would be the ending of Eisner’s Bavarian Soviet Republic.
The agreement was made public on November 12th.
On the same day Rosa began to receive the responses from her letters.
The first she read was from Leo Jogiches, who since her and Karl’s imprisonment in 1916, had continued to agitate in the name of the Spartacus League in Berlin. Writing that it was therefore his intention to once again follow Rosa in her plan to reform the league, even without the participation of Karl, he informed her that she could count on his undying, personal support.
Next, Paul Levi, another close confident of not just Rosa, but also Klara during his time in the League, also informed her that he would be willing to join her so long as it remained committed to the ideals of democracy for the workers.
Unfortunately, as Klara opened Franz Mehring’s, Wilhelm Peck’s, Julian Marchlewski's and Ernst Meyer's letters, both she and Rosa were informed that not only neither would be joining them their political venture, but also that both had already pledged their allegiance to Karl and had committed to join him in his goal bring about a German revolution as soon as possible.
However, August Thalheimer, a former Spartacist, as well as a former SPD party member, and sitting editor the SPD’s Volksfreund newspaper, as well a writer for the official Spartakusbriefe newspaper of the USPD, had extensive contacts within both parties in Berlin. If Rosa could gain his commitment to her cause, she could likewise use him to bring forth the necessary allies she needed in the coming months.
“Well…?” said Klara after Rosa stared at the letter in silence. “Where does August stand?”
Turning the letter over and presenting it in front of Klara’s face, she read the only words, outside of his signature, that were on the page.
"Rosa, I am with you."
Rosa had her League.
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After several additional hours of debate, during which more political maneuvering was done on both sides, both Hugo and Ebert came to an agrrement.
Taking to the podium once more, on the morning of November 11th, Friedrich announced the formation of the Rat der Volksbeauftragten ("Council of People's Deputies"), an emergency governmental body to consist of a union between SPD and USPD party members.
Under the arrangement, both Friedrich and Hugo would temporarily occupy co-equal leadership positions in government, with Friedrich’s first priority being the creation of a domestic food relief program for the German people, and the signing of an armistice with the Western powers; Hugo’s would be the ending of Eisner’s Bavarian Soviet Republic.
The agreement was made public on November 12th.
On the same day Rosa began to receive the responses from her letters.
The first she read was from Leo Jogiches, who since her and Karl’s imprisonment in 1916, had continued to agitate in the name of the Spartacus League in Berlin. Writing that it was therefore his intention to once again follow Rosa in her plan to reform the league, even without the participation of Karl, he informed her that she could count on his undying, personal support.
Next, Paul Levi, another close confident of not just Rosa, but also Klara during his time in the League, also informed her that he would be willing to join her so long as it remained committed to the ideals of democracy for the workers.
Unfortunately, as Klara opened Franz Mehring’s, Wilhelm Peck’s, Julian Marchlewski's and Ernst Meyer's letters, both she and Rosa were informed that not only neither would be joining them their political venture, but also that both had already pledged their allegiance to Karl and had committed to join him in his goal bring about a German revolution as soon as possible.
However, August Thalheimer, a former Spartacist, as well as a former SPD party member, and sitting editor the SPD’s Volksfreund newspaper, as well a writer for the official Spartakusbriefe newspaper of the USPD, had extensive contacts within both parties in Berlin. If Rosa could gain his commitment to her cause, she could likewise use him to bring forth the necessary allies she needed in the coming months.
“Well…?” said Klara after Rosa stared at the letter in silence. “Where does August stand?”
Turning the letter over and presenting it in front of Klara’s face, she read the only words, outside of his signature, that were on the page.
"Rosa, I am with you."
Rosa had her League.
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Chapter I (1918) | Part III (League Organization)
Chapter I: Spartacus League Reborn
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Time Period: November 15th - December 3rd, 1918
On the night of November 15th, 1918, Rosa Luxembourg, Klara Zetkin, Leo Jogiches, and Paul Levi met over dinner at August Thalheimer’s Berlin apartment.
“Thank you, my dear friends, for traveling here tonight with especial thanks to you, August, for treating us to such a hearty dinner!”
The group laughed.
“But seriously...” said Rosa and she rose a glass of wine in the air.
“We must not forget that all of the work and sacrifices each of us have made over the past many years has lead us to this moment where the European working class stands on the precipice of revolution.”
“To the revolution!” shouted Leo as he too stood up and rose his stein in the air.
“To the revolution!” the rest shouted.
“So, as you all have read in Klara letters, you have been invited here to help reform the Spartacus League. And while I know during my time in prison, several of you have courageously continued the fight in your individuals ways respectively, I implore each of you to consider the what we can achieve if we once again work together.”
“Yes, but what do you propose?” interjected Paul Levi.
“Well, look at what August has accomplished only a few short days ago?” she responded.
“Working with comrade Fritz in his Stuttgart general strike and assuming one its leadership positions; Image if we could mirror that for all of Germany.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting expanding Fritz’s influence, especially with him siding with Karl,” said Paul anxiously.
“Yes, and why must we distance ourselves from Karl anyway? I find this feud between you two to be quite asinine,” interjected August.
“We should be working together not fighting against…”
Leo Jogiches slammed his fists to the table.
“Did you not read Rosa’s letter, August?! Karl has betrayed the working class!” shouted Leo.
“Lenin’s path has already lead to the autocracy of the Bolshevik party in Russia, and Karl’s blustering only seeks to bring that here.”
Using the lull in the conversation to bring out a copy of Volksfreun, Rosa started to read a direct quote from a speech Karl had made in Berlin a few days prior.
------
"Comrades, the Russian revolution was to an unprecedented degree the cause of the proletariat of the whole world becoming more revolutionary. Its defeat, if we choose not to show solidarity here in Germany, will be the defeat of the global proletariat."
-Karl Liebknecht
------
“Comrades we only have to read his own words to intimate the path he has chosen,” Rosa said she place the paper down on the table.
“And based on your attendance here tonight, I too can intimate your abhorrence to the machinations of Vanguardism. Now, while it may be possible that we can bring back those former comrades that have strayed toward the allure of immediate power, back into the correct course of action, we must now forge our own path forward.”
“We are with you Rosa.” said Leo and Klara in unison.
“As are we.” said August and Paul afterword.
“Excellent,” said Rosa confidently. “Now to the main item at hand. It is my intention that if we are to agree to immediately reform the Spartacus League tonight, then we do so as a political party, rather than an a simple action group.”
“To compete with the SPD?” asked August as he coughed on his food.
“Precisely,” said Rosa.
Spending the next few hours detailing the plan she had envisioned for the reformation of the New Spartacus League into a political party, Rosa hoped to not only gain confirmation from her fellow team members, but to also solicit their participation.
“Upon your confirmation comrades, here is the plan that I believe with lead us to political influence in this new German Republic.” she said.
______________
Rosa Luxemburg’s Plan:
“By following this plan of action, I fervently believe we can snatch the support of the working class right out from under Karl’s and Friedrich nose,” Rosa concluded.
Before being to ask for her comrade’s support, August interjected.
“Again, I must protest this competitive arrangement you seem to have with Karl, and now the USPD. While I may admit that our shared experiences with them and the Social Democrats has not been particularly warm, I nevertheless believe that seeking to further fracture the already divisive milieu of working class politics may lead us all to ruin; Especially if you consider Friedrich potential sympathy toward the old guard remnants of the Kaiserreich regime.
Instead, might I suggest a slightly different course of action.”
______________
August Thalheimer’s Plan:
“We can still grow our group via the means you outlined Rosa, but at least with this plan, we can work within the scope of the current political environment.” August concluded.
Rosa then quickly raised her hand.
“Enough,” she said.
“Let our course be decided by a vote. All in favor of August’s plan of action raise your hand.”
August and Paul Levi both raised theirs.
“All in favor of mine, raise theirs,” said Rosa afterward.
Rosa, Klara, and Leo raised theirs.
“So with a vote of 3-2, it’s settled!”
With her plan confirmed Rosa quickly assigned roles to her fellow members.
“With the revolutionary color of this flag, and this symbol of industrial liberation, I know I can rally the unions to our cause!” said an enthused Leo Jogiches.
“Then be on your way comrade. Build expand our support base as soon as you can,” Rosa replied.
Taking the mock up of the flag with him, Leo departed for a local garment manufacturer.
Rosa then concluded the meeting.
“Everything we do over these next several weeks will be critical to our long term success. We must do everything we can to make efficient use of this time.”
The group then dispersed.
While both Klara left for the USPD Headquarters, August Thalheimer and Paul Levi remained in the apartment to being work on a draft of the party manifesto.
Over the next several weeks,
while Leo Jogiches spent nearly every waking hour meeting with various trade union leaders, Paul Levi worked furiously.
At the same time, Karla met with various Independent Socialist party members in a number of secret locations, hoping to recruit them to the ranks of her party, all while August Thalheimer began to cajole funds from several sympathetic socialist societies and action groups to start the all important newspaper.
While the Luxemburgists began to form their power base in Berlin, the classical European system of governance began to collapse throughout the central and eastern portions of the continent.
______________
Happenings Around Europe
______________
With this serving as a background,
Rosa called for the 2nd meeting of the Spartacus Party on December 1st.
“Comrades,” she announced excitedly to her fellow party members as they met in a makeshift party office August had purchased days prior in downtown Berlin.
“Let us share the status of all of our efforts.”
______________
1st Spartacus Party Congress
“Amazing work comrades!,” said Rosa and she began to roll up her sleeves.
“Now, to the real work.
Leo, fetch me the leaders of the Free Workers Union.
Let's solidify an alliance of interests with great haste."
______________
______________
Time Period: November 15th - December 3rd, 1918
On the night of November 15th, 1918, Rosa Luxembourg, Klara Zetkin, Leo Jogiches, and Paul Levi met over dinner at August Thalheimer’s Berlin apartment.
“Thank you, my dear friends, for traveling here tonight with especial thanks to you, August, for treating us to such a hearty dinner!”
The group laughed.
“But seriously...” said Rosa and she rose a glass of wine in the air.
“We must not forget that all of the work and sacrifices each of us have made over the past many years has lead us to this moment where the European working class stands on the precipice of revolution.”
“To the revolution!” shouted Leo as he too stood up and rose his stein in the air.
“To the revolution!” the rest shouted.
“So, as you all have read in Klara letters, you have been invited here to help reform the Spartacus League. And while I know during my time in prison, several of you have courageously continued the fight in your individuals ways respectively, I implore each of you to consider the what we can achieve if we once again work together.”
“Yes, but what do you propose?” interjected Paul Levi.
“Well, look at what August has accomplished only a few short days ago?” she responded.
“Working with comrade Fritz in his Stuttgart general strike and assuming one its leadership positions; Image if we could mirror that for all of Germany.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting expanding Fritz’s influence, especially with him siding with Karl,” said Paul anxiously.
“Yes, and why must we distance ourselves from Karl anyway? I find this feud between you two to be quite asinine,” interjected August.
“We should be working together not fighting against…”
Leo Jogiches slammed his fists to the table.
“Did you not read Rosa’s letter, August?! Karl has betrayed the working class!” shouted Leo.
“Lenin’s path has already lead to the autocracy of the Bolshevik party in Russia, and Karl’s blustering only seeks to bring that here.”
Using the lull in the conversation to bring out a copy of Volksfreun, Rosa started to read a direct quote from a speech Karl had made in Berlin a few days prior.
------
"Comrades, the Russian revolution was to an unprecedented degree the cause of the proletariat of the whole world becoming more revolutionary. Its defeat, if we choose not to show solidarity here in Germany, will be the defeat of the global proletariat."
-Karl Liebknecht
------
“Comrades we only have to read his own words to intimate the path he has chosen,” Rosa said she place the paper down on the table.
“And based on your attendance here tonight, I too can intimate your abhorrence to the machinations of Vanguardism. Now, while it may be possible that we can bring back those former comrades that have strayed toward the allure of immediate power, back into the correct course of action, we must now forge our own path forward.”
“We are with you Rosa.” said Leo and Klara in unison.
“As are we.” said August and Paul afterword.
“Excellent,” said Rosa confidently. “Now to the main item at hand. It is my intention that if we are to agree to immediately reform the Spartacus League tonight, then we do so as a political party, rather than an a simple action group.”
“To compete with the SPD?” asked August as he coughed on his food.
“Precisely,” said Rosa.
Spending the next few hours detailing the plan she had envisioned for the reformation of the New Spartacus League into a political party, Rosa hoped to not only gain confirmation from her fellow team members, but to also solicit their participation.
“Upon your confirmation comrades, here is the plan that I believe with lead us to political influence in this new German Republic.” she said.
______________
Rosa Luxemburg’s Plan:
Mission Statement
The formation of a Spartacus Party that will exist as a third political group, separate from the Social Democrats and the Independent Socialists, in the Reichstag.
______________
• Recruitment will first be centralized among the trade union leaders located in Berlin
• Disaffected SPD and USPD party members will be approached for membership in party
• A Manifesto will be completed by the end of the month, with a Final Draft being approved via majority party vote by a deadline date of December 31st.
• A newspaper will be started immediately with limited circulation beginning in Berlin.
The formation of a Spartacus Party that will exist as a third political group, separate from the Social Democrats and the Independent Socialists, in the Reichstag.
______________
• Recruitment will first be centralized among the trade union leaders located in Berlin
• Disaffected SPD and USPD party members will be approached for membership in party
• A Manifesto will be completed by the end of the month, with a Final Draft being approved via majority party vote by a deadline date of December 31st.
• A newspaper will be started immediately with limited circulation beginning in Berlin.
“By following this plan of action, I fervently believe we can snatch the support of the working class right out from under Karl’s and Friedrich nose,” Rosa concluded.
Before being to ask for her comrade’s support, August interjected.
“Again, I must protest this competitive arrangement you seem to have with Karl, and now the USPD. While I may admit that our shared experiences with them and the Social Democrats has not been particularly warm, I nevertheless believe that seeking to further fracture the already divisive milieu of working class politics may lead us all to ruin; Especially if you consider Friedrich potential sympathy toward the old guard remnants of the Kaiserreich regime.
Instead, might I suggest a slightly different course of action.”
______________
August Thalheimer’s Plan:
Mission Statement
The integration of the new Spartacus League Party that will continue to exist as a far left political action group, but from within both Social Democratic and the Independent Socialists camps in the Reichstag.
The integration of the new Spartacus League Party that will continue to exist as a far left political action group, but from within both Social Democratic and the Independent Socialists camps in the Reichstag.
“We can still grow our group via the means you outlined Rosa, but at least with this plan, we can work within the scope of the current political environment.” August concluded.
Rosa then quickly raised her hand.
“Enough,” she said.
“Let our course be decided by a vote. All in favor of August’s plan of action raise your hand.”
August and Paul Levi both raised theirs.
“All in favor of mine, raise theirs,” said Rosa afterward.
Rosa, Klara, and Leo raised theirs.
“So with a vote of 3-2, it’s settled!”
With her plan confirmed Rosa quickly assigned roles to her fellow members.
• Rosa Luxemburg [Party Chairman]
• Leo Jogiches [Party Recruitment]
• Klara Zetkin [Party Recruitment]
• Paul Levi [Party Secretary]
• August Thalheimer [Party Propaganda]
• Leo Jogiches [Party Recruitment]
• Klara Zetkin [Party Recruitment]
• Paul Levi [Party Secretary]
• August Thalheimer [Party Propaganda]
“With the revolutionary color of this flag, and this symbol of industrial liberation, I know I can rally the unions to our cause!” said an enthused Leo Jogiches.
“Then be on your way comrade. Build expand our support base as soon as you can,” Rosa replied.
Taking the mock up of the flag with him, Leo departed for a local garment manufacturer.
Rosa then concluded the meeting.
“Everything we do over these next several weeks will be critical to our long term success. We must do everything we can to make efficient use of this time.”
The group then dispersed.
While both Klara left for the USPD Headquarters, August Thalheimer and Paul Levi remained in the apartment to being work on a draft of the party manifesto.
Over the next several weeks,
while Leo Jogiches spent nearly every waking hour meeting with various trade union leaders, Paul Levi worked furiously.
At the same time, Karla met with various Independent Socialist party members in a number of secret locations, hoping to recruit them to the ranks of her party, all while August Thalheimer began to cajole funds from several sympathetic socialist societies and action groups to start the all important newspaper.
While the Luxemburgists began to form their power base in Berlin, the classical European system of governance began to collapse throughout the central and eastern portions of the continent.
______________
Happenings Around Europe
Hungary, which since the Aster Revolution at the end of October had been existing tentatively as a republic since November 16th, was dealing with increasing agitation from the far left.
Lead by Bolshevik-inspired revolutionaries such as Bela Kun, groups and unions sought to dismantle and destroy the fragile democratic government of sitting President Mihaly Karolyi.
In Russia, Lenin’s Bolshevik Party which power-base had now sufficiently placed itself in Moscow, was battling with White Army troops on all fronts.
Lead by Bolshevik-inspired revolutionaries such as Bela Kun, groups and unions sought to dismantle and destroy the fragile democratic government of sitting President Mihaly Karolyi.
In Russia, Lenin’s Bolshevik Party which power-base had now sufficiently placed itself in Moscow, was battling with White Army troops on all fronts.
With this serving as a background,
Rosa called for the 2nd meeting of the Spartacus Party on December 1st.
“Comrades,” she announced excitedly to her fellow party members as they met in a makeshift party office August had purchased days prior in downtown Berlin.
“Let us share the status of all of our efforts.”
______________
1st Spartacus Party Congress
Leo Jogiches
Taking the floor first, Leo told how he was successfully able to persuade the several key members of the newly refounded and popular Free Workers Union of Germany to at least contemplate support for and possible membership in the Spartacus Party.
Specifically mentioning influential members such as Fritiz Kater and Fritz Koster, Leo mused to the group that while ascribing to syndicalism and anarchism, these and other leading figures could potentially be allies for the Spartacus Party.
“Or at the very least, they can assist us temporarily in dismantling the power programme of the SPD,” concluded Leo.
“An interesting anecdote!” shouted Klara as she interrupted Leo’s speech.
“Rosa and I’s secret meetings with the USPD also yielded similar results. While some USPD members mused about potentially supporting us, most responded more fervently to the idea of dismantling the SPD.”
______________
Paul Levi
“That’s strange, considering Hugo Hasse’s power sharing agreement with Ebert. That’s definitely something we need to exploit going forward.”
Pausing briefly, Paul then pulled out a large booklet.
“Regardless, I have completed the first draft of the manifesto,” he said as he swung open the front cover.
“All that’s left are any potential revisions and of course our signatures.”
“Hold that thought Paul,” said Party Chairman Rosa. “I’m curious to hear August’s progress before we begin to contemplate how we may complete that document.”
______________
August Thalheimer
As all eyes turned to Thalheimer, he reached into his bag, pulling out two draft newspapers in the process.
“Befreiung! (Liberation!),” he bellowed as he tossed the first draft newspaper onto the table. “And Die Industrearbeiter (The Industrial Worker),” as he tossed the other in quick succession.
“These two papers will be the voice of our party and of our movement.”
Picking both up simultaneously , Rosa asked the purpose of two instead of one.
“One will function ideological mouthpiece and the other will focus solely on the plight of the German worker,” explained August.
Taking the floor first, Leo told how he was successfully able to persuade the several key members of the newly refounded and popular Free Workers Union of Germany to at least contemplate support for and possible membership in the Spartacus Party.
Specifically mentioning influential members such as Fritiz Kater and Fritz Koster, Leo mused to the group that while ascribing to syndicalism and anarchism, these and other leading figures could potentially be allies for the Spartacus Party.
“Or at the very least, they can assist us temporarily in dismantling the power programme of the SPD,” concluded Leo.
“An interesting anecdote!” shouted Klara as she interrupted Leo’s speech.
“Rosa and I’s secret meetings with the USPD also yielded similar results. While some USPD members mused about potentially supporting us, most responded more fervently to the idea of dismantling the SPD.”
______________
Paul Levi
“That’s strange, considering Hugo Hasse’s power sharing agreement with Ebert. That’s definitely something we need to exploit going forward.”
Pausing briefly, Paul then pulled out a large booklet.
“Regardless, I have completed the first draft of the manifesto,” he said as he swung open the front cover.
“All that’s left are any potential revisions and of course our signatures.”
“Hold that thought Paul,” said Party Chairman Rosa. “I’m curious to hear August’s progress before we begin to contemplate how we may complete that document.”
______________
August Thalheimer
As all eyes turned to Thalheimer, he reached into his bag, pulling out two draft newspapers in the process.
“Befreiung! (Liberation!),” he bellowed as he tossed the first draft newspaper onto the table. “And Die Industrearbeiter (The Industrial Worker),” as he tossed the other in quick succession.
“These two papers will be the voice of our party and of our movement.”
Picking both up simultaneously , Rosa asked the purpose of two instead of one.
“One will function ideological mouthpiece and the other will focus solely on the plight of the German worker,” explained August.
“Amazing work comrades!,” said Rosa and she began to roll up her sleeves.
“Now, to the real work.
Leo, fetch me the leaders of the Free Workers Union.
Let's solidify an alliance of interests with great haste."
______________
Last edited:
Chapter I (1918) | Part VI (Council Communist Party & Flag)
Chapter I: Spartacus League Reborn
______________
Time Period: December 3rd - December 16th, 1918
On December 3rd, 1918 Fritz Kater and Fritz Koster, faction leaders of the moderate section of the National Free Workers Union of Germany, met with Rosa and her new Spartacus Party.
“It’s a pleasure to meet with you and your esteemed colleges, Chairman Luxemburg,”
said Fritz Kater as he gripped Rosa's hand firmly.
“But, as your time is short, I'd prefer if we cut directly to the chase".
As heads of centrist-leaning faction of the union, both men sought political support for their many grievances against the current government. However, given the collapse of the conservative monarchy, their biggest concern was for the continued existence of the Union itself.
"We live in revolutionary times, that much is clear," said Fritz Koster.
"So if we must choose your side to support this conflict,
I must know
if the Spartacus Party plans to support continuation of traditional trade unionism among the working class."
Promising that if the Spartacus Party decides to do, they would in turn provide ample financial and public support to Rosa's political plans, Fritz Koster re-iterated the importance of maintain traditional unionist relations in such politically chaotic times.
After hearing the offer, Rosa paused.
In her mind, trade unions, while an example of worker mobilization, in their current form mirrored the inadequate structure up of Bismarck-era Welfarism.
"Worker unions, based upon trade craft and not-factory locales, benefit state bureaucracies," she thought to herself. "Making a concession here may equate to a step in the wrong direction..."
“Chairman Luxemburg?” asked Fritz Kater as he interrupted Rosa’s thought.
“Do you have an answer?”
After a few moments, she rendered her decision.
______________
Reader Vote
______________
“Herr Koster, I am afraid that we cannot offer our support at this time.”
“Outrageous!” said Fritz Koster as he briskly stood up from his chair.
“We are the largest union of organized workers in Berlin. And from what Leo told us, you are in need of allies. There is no discernible reason for the Spartacus Party refuse this offer!”
“While it pains me to do this Herr Koster, as Chairman of this party it is my duty to protect the its ideological integrity,” Rosa responded.
“And that ideology, especially in this critical moment, should not be debased by pragmatism.”
______________
Time Period: December 3rd - December 16th, 1918
On December 3rd, 1918 Fritz Kater and Fritz Koster, faction leaders of the moderate section of the National Free Workers Union of Germany, met with Rosa and her new Spartacus Party.
“It’s a pleasure to meet with you and your esteemed colleges, Chairman Luxemburg,”
said Fritz Kater as he gripped Rosa's hand firmly.
“But, as your time is short, I'd prefer if we cut directly to the chase".
As heads of centrist-leaning faction of the union, both men sought political support for their many grievances against the current government. However, given the collapse of the conservative monarchy, their biggest concern was for the continued existence of the Union itself.
"We live in revolutionary times, that much is clear," said Fritz Koster.
"So if we must choose your side to support this conflict,
I must know
if the Spartacus Party plans to support continuation of traditional trade unionism among the working class."
Promising that if the Spartacus Party decides to do, they would in turn provide ample financial and public support to Rosa's political plans, Fritz Koster re-iterated the importance of maintain traditional unionist relations in such politically chaotic times.
After hearing the offer, Rosa paused.
In her mind, trade unions, while an example of worker mobilization, in their current form mirrored the inadequate structure up of Bismarck-era Welfarism.
"Worker unions, based upon trade craft and not-factory locales, benefit state bureaucracies," she thought to herself. "Making a concession here may equate to a step in the wrong direction..."
“Chairman Luxemburg?” asked Fritz Kater as he interrupted Rosa’s thought.
“Do you have an answer?”
After a few moments, she rendered her decision.
______________
Reader Vote
Voting Time
Should the Spartacus Party support/adopt the cause of Trade Unionism, and likewise campaign to keep it in its current form?
______________
Results
Should the Spartacus Party support/adopt the cause of Trade Unionism, and likewise campaign to keep it in its current form?
______________
Results
______________
“Herr Koster, I am afraid that we cannot offer our support at this time.”
“Outrageous!” said Fritz Koster as he briskly stood up from his chair.
“We are the largest union of organized workers in Berlin. And from what Leo told us, you are in need of allies. There is no discernible reason for the Spartacus Party refuse this offer!”
“While it pains me to do this Herr Koster, as Chairman of this party it is my duty to protect the its ideological integrity,” Rosa responded.
“And that ideology, especially in this critical moment, should not be debased by pragmatism.”
As both men collected there things, and exited the party’s office, Leo Jogiches turned to Rosa.
“Why did you ask me to spend these weeks gathering allies among the labor unions only to deny them a voice in our movement?” he asked
“Yes Rosa, please explain your thinking,” asked August too.
“As I told Fritz Koster, we cannot afford to be pragmatic at this particular juncture and interestingly enough it’s for the same reason which he stated,” responded Rosa.
“Our goal is the establishment of a voice that exists above bourgeois politics.
Giving support to pillars of capitalist-hegemony only serves to blunt our revolution.”
“We still need allies, as well as financial backing. Where else can we pull these things from?” asked Leo.
“It’s simple, start meeting with the smaller trade unions.” she responded.
"They are less co-opted into the existing welfare state due the relative size of their membership, thus they are more likely to support our programme."
Dismissing Leo to begin his task, Rosa then turned to Klara.
“It’s also now even more imperative that we set up a similar meeting to some our new back channel contacts with the SPD and the USPD,” said Rosa.
Klara agreed and immediately departed.
“Now gentlemen,” said Rosa as she turned back to Paul Levi and August Thalheimer.
“Let’s see if we can complete this manifesto over the next several days.”
By December 5th they were finished.
Spartacus Party Manifesto
______________
“Why did you ask me to spend these weeks gathering allies among the labor unions only to deny them a voice in our movement?” he asked
“Yes Rosa, please explain your thinking,” asked August too.
“As I told Fritz Koster, we cannot afford to be pragmatic at this particular juncture and interestingly enough it’s for the same reason which he stated,” responded Rosa.
“Our goal is the establishment of a voice that exists above bourgeois politics.
Giving support to pillars of capitalist-hegemony only serves to blunt our revolution.”
“We still need allies, as well as financial backing. Where else can we pull these things from?” asked Leo.
“It’s simple, start meeting with the smaller trade unions.” she responded.
"They are less co-opted into the existing welfare state due the relative size of their membership, thus they are more likely to support our programme."
Dismissing Leo to begin his task, Rosa then turned to Klara.
“It’s also now even more imperative that we set up a similar meeting to some our new back channel contacts with the SPD and the USPD,” said Rosa.
Klara agreed and immediately departed.
“Now gentlemen,” said Rosa as she turned back to Paul Levi and August Thalheimer.
“Let’s see if we can complete this manifesto over the next several days.”
By December 5th they were finished.
Spartacus Party Manifesto
______________
The Spartacus Party
Manifesto
The question today is not democracy or dictatorship. The question that history has put on the agenda reads: bourgeois democracy or socialist democracy. 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.
"Workers of the World Unite!"
Our 10 Demands
1) We demand the dissolution of the existing German Republic.
2) We demand the union of all existing provincial and local apparatus into a single National Convention to represent the interest of all economic classes
3) We demand the immediate end of all war hostilities with the allied powers
4) We demand the economic liberation of all major industrial centers in Germany
5) We demand the recognition of all existing worker councils
6) We demand the immediate dissolution of all existing trade unions, and propose they be reformed into factory-based unions.
7) We demand that the State shall above all else ensure that every foreign or non-foreign persons living within Germany the equal provision of food, shelter and work, and recognize each as a natural right.
8) We demand that the State shall recognize, irrespective of class distinction, the equality of all persons living in Germany under law.
9) We demand the immediate nationalization of the top fifty surplus-good producing industrial factories and farms
10) We demand the immediate creation of several central governmental bodies that will oversee the redistribution of wealth, ensuring economic equality throughout the nation.
Manifesto
The question today is not democracy or dictatorship. The question that history has put on the agenda reads: bourgeois democracy or socialist democracy. 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.
"Workers of the World Unite!"
Our 10 Demands
1) We demand the dissolution of the existing German Republic.
2) We demand the union of all existing provincial and local apparatus into a single National Convention to represent the interest of all economic classes
3) We demand the immediate end of all war hostilities with the allied powers
4) We demand the economic liberation of all major industrial centers in Germany
5) We demand the recognition of all existing worker councils
6) We demand the immediate dissolution of all existing trade unions, and propose they be reformed into factory-based unions.
7) We demand that the State shall above all else ensure that every foreign or non-foreign persons living within Germany the equal provision of food, shelter and work, and recognize each as a natural right.
8) We demand that the State shall recognize, irrespective of class distinction, the equality of all persons living in Germany under law.
9) We demand the immediate nationalization of the top fifty surplus-good producing industrial factories and farms
10) We demand the immediate creation of several central governmental bodies that will oversee the redistribution of wealth, ensuring economic equality throughout the nation.
______________
“We hold a powerful document in our hands gentlemen,” said Rosa as she held up the final copy.
“Get these to print immediately.”
As August departed the building, Klara rushed in.
“The USPD representatives are here Rosa,” she said.
In attendance were Under-Secretary of State Karl Kautsky, Vice-Chairmen Arthur Crispien and Ernst Daumig, pacifist Kurt Lownstein, and military veteran Karl Korsch.
“We took a great risk coming here; I hope this was worth it." said Karl Kautsky.
After exchanging pleasantries with each of her guest, Rosa spent several hours detailing her plan to have her new Spartacus group compete politically with the SPD and USPD factions currently in power.
Concluding by handing our drafts of the manifesto, she personally extended offers of membership to each of them.
After glancing over the Ten Demands listed in the document, a grinning Karl Korsch lept up.
“Finally!” he yelled with excitement.
“A political party that stands for something! Rosa, if you pursue these goals outlined here, then you have my support,”
“I know each of you detest the political pragmatism of Hugo Hasse and his alliance with the bourgeois Friedrich Ebert,” she said as she extended a red membership ribbon to Korsch.
“Join us, your fellow revolutionaries, in creating not just a party that will contest such a traitorous arrangement, but will bring about a popular insurrection for working class liberation."
After an additional hour of debate, during which Crispien and Kaul Kautsky argued fiercely against Rosa’s gambit, she skillfully was able to convince them all.
“I cannot deny that the SPD is party dominated by war-supporting capitalists,” said Crispien as he too was extended a symbol of membership.
“If you are committed to dismantling this false republic, have my support.”
After shaking Rosa’s hand, the rest of the USPD members followed suit.
Concluding by handing our drafts of the manifesto, she personally extended offers of membership to each of them.
After glancing over the Ten Demands listed in the document, a grinning Karl Korsch lept up.
“Finally!” he yelled with excitement.
“A political party that stands for something! Rosa, if you pursue these goals outlined here, then you have my support,”
“I know each of you detest the political pragmatism of Hugo Hasse and his alliance with the bourgeois Friedrich Ebert,” she said as she extended a red membership ribbon to Korsch.
“Join us, your fellow revolutionaries, in creating not just a party that will contest such a traitorous arrangement, but will bring about a popular insurrection for working class liberation."
After an additional hour of debate, during which Crispien and Kaul Kautsky argued fiercely against Rosa’s gambit, she skillfully was able to convince them all.
“I cannot deny that the SPD is party dominated by war-supporting capitalists,” said Crispien as he too was extended a symbol of membership.
“If you are committed to dismantling this false republic, have my support.”
After shaking Rosa’s hand, the rest of the USPD members followed suit.
On December 6th, Klara brought in the few SPD party members that she and Rosa had be secretly corresponding with.
With individuals such as radical left-wing Marixst Konrad Haenisch and Heinrich Cunow being in the only who chose to attend, Rosa again went over her intent to lead a mass insurrections against the government.
“Join our party, and I can assure that you both will have a voice in the coming revolution.”
After a few moments, they each gave their commitments and joined the Spartacus Party.
Between December 8th – 14th, several small trade union leaders met with Rosa.
With individuals such as radical left-wing Marixst Konrad Haenisch and Heinrich Cunow being in the only who chose to attend, Rosa again went over her intent to lead a mass insurrections against the government.
“Join our party, and I can assure that you both will have a voice in the coming revolution.”
After a few moments, they each gave their commitments and joined the Spartacus Party.
Between December 8th – 14th, several small trade union leaders met with Rosa.
And over that time, leadership from the German Train Drivers Union (Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivefuhrer), and the German Civil Service Federation(Deutcher Beamtenbund) secretly pledged their support for the Spartacus Party, with Rosa extending each of their respective constituencies invitations to join the lower ranks of the party.
The Spartacus Party now swelled with several hundred members.
In the midst of this success, Rosa called for a 2nd Party Congress on December 15th in order to lay down a decisive plan forward for launching her revolution.
On December 15th, the enlarged Spartacus Party held their 2nd Party Congress in a basement meeting room within the Humboldt University of Berlin campus.
While several topics concerning the the finalization of the cost of membership dues and creation of several leadership positions were discussed, the most important was Rosa's presentation concerning the revolutionary path that she planned for the party to take.
"Comrades! What we have achieved in just a few short months is amazing!" she said during her closing speech.
"Now it is time to chart a solid path forward. The working class demands it!"
However, just as Rosa had begun to explain her revolutionary plan, several men rush into the meeting hall and interrupted her speech.
"We are representatives of Communist Party of Germany (KPD) - Sent here on the behalf of General Secretary Karl Liebknecht." one of them announced to the attendees.
"He wishes to meet you at once."
Pausing briefly to confer with the rest of her party leadership, Rosa knew that Karl must have a important reason to issue such a request.
"He's declared himself in support of Bolshevism, what business would have with our party?" she thought to herself.
After a few moments, she rendered her decision.
______________
The Spartacus Party now swelled with several hundred members.
In the midst of this success, Rosa called for a 2nd Party Congress on December 15th in order to lay down a decisive plan forward for launching her revolution.
On December 15th, the enlarged Spartacus Party held their 2nd Party Congress in a basement meeting room within the Humboldt University of Berlin campus.
While several topics concerning the the finalization of the cost of membership dues and creation of several leadership positions were discussed, the most important was Rosa's presentation concerning the revolutionary path that she planned for the party to take.
"Comrades! What we have achieved in just a few short months is amazing!" she said during her closing speech.
"Now it is time to chart a solid path forward. The working class demands it!"
However, just as Rosa had begun to explain her revolutionary plan, several men rush into the meeting hall and interrupted her speech.
"We are representatives of Communist Party of Germany (KPD) - Sent here on the behalf of General Secretary Karl Liebknecht." one of them announced to the attendees.
"He wishes to meet you at once."
Pausing briefly to confer with the rest of her party leadership, Rosa knew that Karl must have a important reason to issue such a request.
"He's declared himself in support of Bolshevism, what business would have with our party?" she thought to herself.
After a few moments, she rendered her decision.
______________
Reader Vote
______________
"You may tell Karl that we will agree to his meeting, but on the condition that it be held here in the University, and that it take place tomorrow night."
The men agreed to relay the terms back to the KPD party leadership and departed; with Rosa temporarily adjourning the Spartacus Party Congress soon after.
On December 16th, Karl his KPD leadership met directly with Rosa and the Spartacus Party leadership in a small room adjoined to the larger hall.
“What reason did you ask us all hear tonight?” asked Rosa
“I have watched your party grow substantially over the past month and I have say I am extremely impressed. I believe that both our interests would be better served if we once again d work together. ” responded Karl.
“Those alliances with these smaller labor unions have been quite advantageous for you, but you’ve done much to alienate the larger trade unions, whose alliances would otherwise be advantageous to all of us sitting here tonight."
"I stand by my decision," said Rosa.
Immediately Leo Jogiches stood up.
“And we all stand by her,” he said confidently.
Commending all of their loyalties to their Party Chairmen, Karl went on to explain that the purpose of the meeting wasn't to dissuade Rosa's ideological integrity but to alter it to better serve the situation at hand.
"My spies within the Ebert's cabinet have obtained some frighting information regarding the SPD's plans to crack down on the revolutionary fervor. I don't know the shape of whats to come, but I am confident it their will be a military response to not only the situation in Bavaria, but also anything that may occur in Berlin." said Karl
"We need to act now, and with as many allies in tow as possible."
Karl then made his offer.
______________
"You may tell Karl that we will agree to his meeting, but on the condition that it be held here in the University, and that it take place tomorrow night."
The men agreed to relay the terms back to the KPD party leadership and departed; with Rosa temporarily adjourning the Spartacus Party Congress soon after.
On December 16th, Karl his KPD leadership met directly with Rosa and the Spartacus Party leadership in a small room adjoined to the larger hall.
“What reason did you ask us all hear tonight?” asked Rosa
“I have watched your party grow substantially over the past month and I have say I am extremely impressed. I believe that both our interests would be better served if we once again d work together. ” responded Karl.
“Those alliances with these smaller labor unions have been quite advantageous for you, but you’ve done much to alienate the larger trade unions, whose alliances would otherwise be advantageous to all of us sitting here tonight."
"I stand by my decision," said Rosa.
Immediately Leo Jogiches stood up.
“And we all stand by her,” he said confidently.
Commending all of their loyalties to their Party Chairmen, Karl went on to explain that the purpose of the meeting wasn't to dissuade Rosa's ideological integrity but to alter it to better serve the situation at hand.
"My spies within the Ebert's cabinet have obtained some frighting information regarding the SPD's plans to crack down on the revolutionary fervor. I don't know the shape of whats to come, but I am confident it their will be a military response to not only the situation in Bavaria, but also anything that may occur in Berlin." said Karl
"We need to act now, and with as many allies in tow as possible."
Karl then made his offer.
Karl's Offer
______________
______________
______________
Proposal
"It is therefore my proposal that your Spartacus Party, along with your new allies in the USPD and the SPD parties, and my group that you see sitting here tonight, unify into a single Communist Party."
The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) will absorb the Spartacus Party (Spartacusbund)
Karl Liebknecht will occupy the General Secretary position.
"It is therefore my proposal that your Spartacus Party, along with your new allies in the USPD and the SPD parties, and my group that you see sitting here tonight, unify into a single Communist Party."
The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) will absorb the Spartacus Party (Spartacusbund)
Karl Liebknecht will occupy the General Secretary position.
______________
Immediately the hall filled with debate, all while Rosa sat silently in her chair.
Placing her hands on the table after a few minutes, Rosa hoisted herself out of her chair and walked over to Karl.
“Karl is right comrades; A unified voice would be much stronger,” she said to everyone.
“However, I will not abide by this gambit to simply absorb my Party into your revolutionary clique. A different arrangement must be made."
Rosa's Offer
______________
______________
“But Rosa!” shouted Leo Jogiches. “Karl merely seeks to exploit our successes for his own personal gains.”
“Silence Leo; This is a necessary step that I believe will reap great rewards for our cause!”
Seeking to settle the matter that same night, given the nature of the revolutionary situation in Berlin, as well use the opportunity to further enfranchise democratic ideals among the revolutionary leaders, Rosa demanded the competing arrangements be put to a vote.
Spartacus Party Secretary Paul Levi then stood up and asked for those in favor or Karl Liebknecht's plan to raise there hands. Then he asked the same of those who favored Rosa's
By less then 3 votes, the unification, as championed by Rosa, won.
As as the newly decreed party compatriots each raised a glass of wine in the air to celebrate the unification, Karl slumped over in his chair.
“It is the party's will” said Rosa loudly.
“Trust that I will continue to lead us all on the right path toward revolution.”
A minute later, Karl raised his glass in a gesture of cautious approval.
Rosa had won, primarily due to the weight that her celebrity held for many of the revolutionaries in attendance. She was the symbol of a radical revolutionary for many, which in turn helped those who were wary of her anti-Bolshevik stance, invest implicit trust in her leadership.
She knew this, and promised to herself that she wouldn't let them down.
After few more rounds of congratulatory gesturing, Rosa immediately set to work on re-organizing the unified party in consort with the leadership.
KPD-Spartacist Unification Programme
______________
Luxemburgist Unification
• In order to encapsulate the ideologies of both groups the KPD-Spartcus Party union will be reformated as a the unified Council Communist Party of Germany (Rat Kommunistische Partei | RKP)
• The political newspapers drafted by Propaganda Leader August Thalheimer will be carried over to serve as the written mouthpiece of the RKP
• The flag of the former Spartacus Party will be carried over to serve as the standard of the RKP
• The Internationale, anthem of the working class struggle, will serve as the party's anthem
______________
Council Communist Party of Germany
Revolutionary Leadership
• Rosa Luxemburg [Party Chairman]
• Karl Liebknecht [Vice Chairman]
• Leo Jogiches [Director of Party Security]
• Klara Zetkin [Director of Coalitions]
• August Thalheimer [Director of Propaganda]
• Fritz Mehring [Director of Union Relations]
• Wilhelm Peck [Vice-Director of Union Relations]
• Karl Kautsky [Director of Finance]
• Ernst Meyer [Vice-Director of Finance]
• Paul Levi [Party Secretary]
"Partners once again, it seems," said Rosa as she shook Karl's hand.
"It's to time to shake the world."
______________
Placing her hands on the table after a few minutes, Rosa hoisted herself out of her chair and walked over to Karl.
“Karl is right comrades; A unified voice would be much stronger,” she said to everyone.
“However, I will not abide by this gambit to simply absorb my Party into your revolutionary clique. A different arrangement must be made."
Rosa's Offer
______________
Proposal
"I refuse to allow Boleshivek ideology trump the Marxist ideals of worker democracy. If we are to unify then let be in under the guise of mass revolution; not dictatorial vangardism."
The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) will unify with the Spartacus Party (Spartacusbund) and form a non-Boleshivek variant of the former, as new Communist Party of Germany.
Rosa Luxemburg will occupy the Party Chairman position.
"I refuse to allow Boleshivek ideology trump the Marxist ideals of worker democracy. If we are to unify then let be in under the guise of mass revolution; not dictatorial vangardism."
The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) will unify with the Spartacus Party (Spartacusbund) and form a non-Boleshivek variant of the former, as new Communist Party of Germany.
Rosa Luxemburg will occupy the Party Chairman position.
______________
“But Rosa!” shouted Leo Jogiches. “Karl merely seeks to exploit our successes for his own personal gains.”
“Silence Leo; This is a necessary step that I believe will reap great rewards for our cause!”
Seeking to settle the matter that same night, given the nature of the revolutionary situation in Berlin, as well use the opportunity to further enfranchise democratic ideals among the revolutionary leaders, Rosa demanded the competing arrangements be put to a vote.
Spartacus Party Secretary Paul Levi then stood up and asked for those in favor or Karl Liebknecht's plan to raise there hands. Then he asked the same of those who favored Rosa's
By less then 3 votes, the unification, as championed by Rosa, won.
As as the newly decreed party compatriots each raised a glass of wine in the air to celebrate the unification, Karl slumped over in his chair.
“It is the party's will” said Rosa loudly.
“Trust that I will continue to lead us all on the right path toward revolution.”
A minute later, Karl raised his glass in a gesture of cautious approval.
Rosa had won, primarily due to the weight that her celebrity held for many of the revolutionaries in attendance. She was the symbol of a radical revolutionary for many, which in turn helped those who were wary of her anti-Bolshevik stance, invest implicit trust in her leadership.
She knew this, and promised to herself that she wouldn't let them down.
After few more rounds of congratulatory gesturing, Rosa immediately set to work on re-organizing the unified party in consort with the leadership.
KPD-Spartacist Unification Programme
______________
Luxemburgist Unification
• In order to encapsulate the ideologies of both groups the KPD-Spartcus Party union will be reformated as a the unified Council Communist Party of Germany (Rat Kommunistische Partei | RKP)
• The political newspapers drafted by Propaganda Leader August Thalheimer will be carried over to serve as the written mouthpiece of the RKP
• The flag of the former Spartacus Party will be carried over to serve as the standard of the RKP
• The Internationale, anthem of the working class struggle, will serve as the party's anthem
______________
Council Communist Party of Germany
Revolutionary Leadership
• Rosa Luxemburg [Party Chairman]
• Karl Liebknecht [Vice Chairman]
• Leo Jogiches [Director of Party Security]
• Klara Zetkin [Director of Coalitions]
• August Thalheimer [Director of Propaganda]
• Fritz Mehring [Director of Union Relations]
• Wilhelm Peck [Vice-Director of Union Relations]
• Karl Kautsky [Director of Finance]
• Ernst Meyer [Vice-Director of Finance]
• Paul Levi [Party Secretary]
"Partners once again, it seems," said Rosa as she shook Karl's hand.
"It's to time to shake the world."
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Chapter I (1918) | Part V (Final Preparations)
Chapter I: Spartacus League Reborn
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Time Period: December 16th - January 1st, 1919
______________
Time Period: December 16th - January 1st, 1919
On the night of December 16th, with the structure, ideology and leadership of the Council Communist Party (RKP) now set, the meeting was called to a close.
"We stand at the precipice of revolution, comrades. And it will be our party that will be the engine that drives the masses to that end." toasted Karl.
"Let us design a plan to accomplish this goal."
Between December 16th and December 29th the leadership expend their efforts on doing just that.
Spearheaded by the re-united colleagues of Rosa and Karl, the group laid the framework for a Mass Strike that would at once economically paralyze the Ebert's SPD-led government and at the same time coral the working class of Berlin to the communist cause.
"I cannot stress this enough; Presenting the RKP as a vangardist-party will not be a component of this strike! Rather, we must be a symbol; a rallying cry for the workers." said Rosa during a dinner with Karl.
"While I disagree, I place my trust in your wisdom." responded Karl.
The synthesis of ideas between the two of them formed a comprise between their competing opinions.
Thus, while Karl acquiesced to Rosa anti-Bolshevik programme, Rosa acquiesced to Karl insistence on hastened insurrection against the established order.
On December 18th, after some negotiation, each of the union alliances forged by the Leo Jogiches agreed to prompt their members to join in the planned Mass Strike with the understanding that its success would mean the creation of an economic order more favorable to their structure.
"If we are successful, there will be structural changes imposed upon the traditional trade unionist system. But what comes after will be an order that will favors the disenfranchised; providing direct political representation to each and everyone of them," said Leo during an underground rally.
The workers that had joined the party, while agreeing with Leo's presentments, each also had their own grievances with SPD rule. The Emergency Relief programme promised by the Ebert's cabinet had yet to come to fruition leaving the poor of Berlin starving for basic necessities.
Moreover, news of the merger between the two communist faction also prompted Fritz Kater and Fritz Koster to re-approach the RKP with a second alliance proposal. When word leaked of the planned Mass Strike, they did so with great earnest.
"Trade unions still serve as the backbone of organized working class resistance, not only in Germany but across Europe. I implore you to not alienate those who still support that arrangement for the sake of ideological zealotry. The workers are starving in the streets; the factories remained shuttered; we wish to join your crusade but letus do so in good faith" said Koster during a meeting between Karl and Rosa.
"Promise to support the trade unions and our men are yours to command."
Rosa tacitly agreed.
With everything set, on December 30th, a leadership meeting was held to present the Mass Strike plan to the party as well as to discuss the implementation plan of the RKP - Ten Point Program once successful.
3rd Party Congress
______________
Revolutionary Plan
______________
"Our slogan will be Peace & Democracy," said Rosa to the party leaders.
"Peace & Democracy," they each echoed in response.
After spending an additional hour go over the specifics of the of each moving part, the insurrectionist scheme was set.
Knowning full and well that some of their comrades in attendance that night may not survive the coming days, Klara stood up and toasted each of the for their courage.
"If blood must be split, let it be for the working class!" she said as raised a glass in the air.
“To Revolution!” Leo responded.
“To Revolution!” they all echoed.
The dye had been cast.
After an additional day of preparation, the morning of January 1st arrived.
The Locomotive Workers stormed the Train Terminal
______________
"We stand at the precipice of revolution, comrades. And it will be our party that will be the engine that drives the masses to that end." toasted Karl.
"Let us design a plan to accomplish this goal."
Between December 16th and December 29th the leadership expend their efforts on doing just that.
Spearheaded by the re-united colleagues of Rosa and Karl, the group laid the framework for a Mass Strike that would at once economically paralyze the Ebert's SPD-led government and at the same time coral the working class of Berlin to the communist cause.
"I cannot stress this enough; Presenting the RKP as a vangardist-party will not be a component of this strike! Rather, we must be a symbol; a rallying cry for the workers." said Rosa during a dinner with Karl.
"While I disagree, I place my trust in your wisdom." responded Karl.
The synthesis of ideas between the two of them formed a comprise between their competing opinions.
Thus, while Karl acquiesced to Rosa anti-Bolshevik programme, Rosa acquiesced to Karl insistence on hastened insurrection against the established order.
On December 18th, after some negotiation, each of the union alliances forged by the Leo Jogiches agreed to prompt their members to join in the planned Mass Strike with the understanding that its success would mean the creation of an economic order more favorable to their structure.
"If we are successful, there will be structural changes imposed upon the traditional trade unionist system. But what comes after will be an order that will favors the disenfranchised; providing direct political representation to each and everyone of them," said Leo during an underground rally.
The workers that had joined the party, while agreeing with Leo's presentments, each also had their own grievances with SPD rule. The Emergency Relief programme promised by the Ebert's cabinet had yet to come to fruition leaving the poor of Berlin starving for basic necessities.
Moreover, news of the merger between the two communist faction also prompted Fritz Kater and Fritz Koster to re-approach the RKP with a second alliance proposal. When word leaked of the planned Mass Strike, they did so with great earnest.
"Trade unions still serve as the backbone of organized working class resistance, not only in Germany but across Europe. I implore you to not alienate those who still support that arrangement for the sake of ideological zealotry. The workers are starving in the streets; the factories remained shuttered; we wish to join your crusade but letus do so in good faith" said Koster during a meeting between Karl and Rosa.
"Promise to support the trade unions and our men are yours to command."
Rosa tacitly agreed.
With everything set, on December 30th, a leadership meeting was held to present the Mass Strike plan to the party as well as to discuss the implementation plan of the RKP - Ten Point Program once successful.
3rd Party Congress
______________
Revolutionary Plan
"Revolution is upon us comrades; And here is our plan of action!"
Luxemburgist Plan
Mass Strike & Aftermath
January 1st, 1919
1) March on the Reichstag
• At 6:00AM, 250 members of the aligned-Locomotive Drivers union will garrison and barricade themselves within the main Berlin train terminus and shut down transport into and out of the city.
• Simultaneously, Leo Jogiches and 15 handpicked RKP members armed with weapons will hit the police barracks and seize it in the name of the party. No blood is to spilled unless the local units fire first.
• At 6:15AM, Karl Liebknecht will march on the Reichsbank of Berlin with 50 party members and surround the building with orders to not storm it until called to do from Rosa.
• At 6:30AM, once panic has begun to spread throughout the city, Rosa and 500 members, including the rest of the leadership, will march on Reichstag via the central promenade.
2) Declaration of a Worker's Republic
• Rosa and the leaders will publicly announce surrender terms to both Friedrich Ebert and Hugo Hasse, and upon their acceptance, declare the collapse of the bourgeois German Republic and birth of a Worker's Republic. If they do not comply, Rosa will issue an arrest ultimatum to both leaders.
3) National call to German Workers
• With the Worker's Republic declared an national call to all workers of German to join them in their revolution will be issued with offers of immediate political recognition being extended to any spontaneous worker's councils that crop up via peaceful insurrection.
4) Implementation of RKP Programme
• With resistance to the regime quelled with the least amount of violence necessary, the process of worker councilization will commence along side the implementation of our Ten Point Programee.
Luxemburgist Plan
Mass Strike & Aftermath
January 1st, 1919
1) March on the Reichstag
• At 6:00AM, 250 members of the aligned-Locomotive Drivers union will garrison and barricade themselves within the main Berlin train terminus and shut down transport into and out of the city.
• Simultaneously, Leo Jogiches and 15 handpicked RKP members armed with weapons will hit the police barracks and seize it in the name of the party. No blood is to spilled unless the local units fire first.
• At 6:15AM, Karl Liebknecht will march on the Reichsbank of Berlin with 50 party members and surround the building with orders to not storm it until called to do from Rosa.
• At 6:30AM, once panic has begun to spread throughout the city, Rosa and 500 members, including the rest of the leadership, will march on Reichstag via the central promenade.
2) Declaration of a Worker's Republic
• Rosa and the leaders will publicly announce surrender terms to both Friedrich Ebert and Hugo Hasse, and upon their acceptance, declare the collapse of the bourgeois German Republic and birth of a Worker's Republic. If they do not comply, Rosa will issue an arrest ultimatum to both leaders.
3) National call to German Workers
• With the Worker's Republic declared an national call to all workers of German to join them in their revolution will be issued with offers of immediate political recognition being extended to any spontaneous worker's councils that crop up via peaceful insurrection.
4) Implementation of RKP Programme
• With resistance to the regime quelled with the least amount of violence necessary, the process of worker councilization will commence along side the implementation of our Ten Point Programee.
"Our slogan will be Peace & Democracy," said Rosa to the party leaders.
"Peace & Democracy," they each echoed in response.
After spending an additional hour go over the specifics of the of each moving part, the insurrectionist scheme was set.
Knowning full and well that some of their comrades in attendance that night may not survive the coming days, Klara stood up and toasted each of the for their courage.
"If blood must be split, let it be for the working class!" she said as raised a glass in the air.
“To Revolution!” Leo responded.
“To Revolution!” they all echoed.
The dye had been cast.
After an additional day of preparation, the morning of January 1st arrived.
The Locomotive Workers stormed the Train Terminal
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Chapter II (1919) | Berlin Revolution
Chapter II: Berlin Revolution
______________
Time Period: January 1st, 1919
With boards, furniture and trash cans; the Locomotive Drivers union members stormed the central terminus of the Berlin Train Station and barricaded all the main entrances.
After taking defensive positions behind each of them, several of the senior members broke into the maintenance offices and shut down the main power conductors.
Transit in and out of Berlin had been crippled.
Leo and his small clique had also made their way to the central police barracks and by 6:30am had effectively taken control of the weaponry stored inside. The police had been taken completely by surprise, resulting in not a single shot being fired.
"You are now prisoners of the revolution. Telephone your men stationed across the city and order them to stand down." stated Leo as he pointed a revolver at the police chief
The Reichsbank had also been surrounded by Karl's cadre as per Rosa's orders, but several officers who had been ordered to patrol there the previous night resisted.
A firefight quickly ensured, forcing Karl and his men to flee.
However, after they had re-organized themselves, and were joined by several armed men sent from Leo"s clique, Karl ordered a mass change on the bank.
"In the name of the workers! Storm the building!" he shouted.
The Revolution had Begun!
______________
Berlin Revolution
Marching in unison down the central city promenade, Rosa Luxemburg and the rest of the Council Communist Party members made their to the Reichstag.
Buttressed by a phalanx of 700 workers, the communists began to chant.
"Peace & Democracy! - Peace & Democracy!"
And when they grew tired of the chant, they sang the Internationale.
“Stand up, damned of the Earth; Stand up, prisoners of starvation…
“Reason thunders in its volcano; This is the eruption of the end…”
As they made their way, the entire city began to erupt with excitement over the procession. Rosa had strategically chosen the route of the march to intersect between the major working class districts of the city and the vocal support the poured from many apartment windows were signs of the idea's brilliance.
However, the commotion immediately roused Ebert and the SPD leaders who themselves were hold an early plenary session in their party headquarters.
“The leftists are marching on the Reichstag! - And further there's news that the police barracks and Berlin Reichsbank have been taken over by insurrections!" said a nervous Philip Schidemann.
A telegram was then sent to inform Hugo Hasse of the situation.
By 7:00AM, he and the rest of the USPD leadership had arrived at the SPD headquarters.
"My staff tells me both the city barracks and the Reichsbank are under siege - do we have any contingency plans to stop this insurrection?" Hasse asked.
"I have already messaged several Reichsarmee garrisons within a 10-mile radius of the city. We'll have troops under our command and ready to quell this violence within several hours," Ebert responded.
"Onward, Comrades!," shouted Rosa as the Reichstag came in sight of her group.
By then many regular german citizens had joined the march turning what was once a march of hundreds in one numbing in the thousands.
As they reached the front pavilion of the parliament Leo's now armed group had joined the procession, relaying to Rosa about the successful takeover of both the barracks and Reichsbank.
"We have all we need for our republic. All that is left is solidifying popular support," said Leo.
Rosa turned behind to see the swelling parade of marchers and grinned.
"That, we may have already accomplished." she said.
Now at the steps of the German parliament, Rosa and the RKP leaders in attendance rushed up the steps and addressed the massive crowd.
"Comrades! Today marks the day of your liberation!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Playing to crowd, she then asked them to declare what the crowd wanted.
“End-the-war! End-the-war!” they chanted.
"You want peace?! - They you shall have it!" shouted Leo.
As the RKP leaders continued to speak, the crowd continued to grow
Finally, just Karl joined the rest of the leadership and the pavilion reached its capacity, Rosa took center stage once more and declared the state of affairs for the city.
Announcing to the crowd that the central bank and central police station were under the command of the workers, she raised her right fist in the air and declared:
"The Corrupt, Rotten, Bourgeois Republic is collapsed! -
Long Live the Workers Republic of Germany!"
______________
______________
The RKP leadership continued address the crowd, explaining in detail what the assumption of their power would mean for the working class. At the same time, the German National flag flying above the Reichstag would lowered and replaced with the Council Communist Flag.
Across town in the Reichsbank, 30 RKP agents began to raid the bank vault of all available hard currency while at the barracks several hundred RKP agents armed themselves will revolvers and bolt-action rifles.
At 9:00AM, the Red Militia had arrived back at the Reichstag in time to hear Rosa's closing remarks.
However, just she began, Ebert's army detachment had arrived.
Taking offensive positions a half mile away from the pavilion, Rosa immediately called for the crowd to disperse.
"The Reactionaries are here! -Find shelter as quickly as you can!" she shouted.
The Battle for the Reichstag had begun.
As panic caused the massive crowd run all directions, shots from the Reichsarmee began to echo.
Hoping to save the crowd from the carnage, Rosa ordered Leo to personally lead a defensive response to the attack.
"Get down to there and divert attention away from the people - then drive them back!" she said as pointed down from the steps.
Leo then leapt into the fray.
The RKP militia successfully diverted fire to several positions they garrisoned away from the fleeing crowd and then returned fire with all of their available weaponry.
After taking heavy losses from their bottlenecked position thew Reicharmee troops began to retreat.
“Stand your ground comrades! - The battle is just about won!” Karl Liebkhnect shouted
As Rosa had now witnessed first hand the acts that Ebert's was willing commit to hold on to power, she at once knew that she much do something politically earth shaking to destroy his government's legitimacy.
“Stay your hearts comrades- ! The capitalists that rule this false democracy have finally shown true face; Let’s show what a true revolutionary force can do! Seize the Reichstag!” she shouted.
With a slight reprieve from the Reichsarmee assault, the RKP militia turned around and stormed up the parliament steps with the leadership and several hundred frightened citizens running behind.
Roaring with revolutionary fury, 5 of the largest militia troops arrived at the locked front door and smashed it open.
In an instant, the Reichstag had fallen to Rosa's communists.
Berlin belonged to the Revolution
______________
Time Period: January 1st, 1919
With boards, furniture and trash cans; the Locomotive Drivers union members stormed the central terminus of the Berlin Train Station and barricaded all the main entrances.
After taking defensive positions behind each of them, several of the senior members broke into the maintenance offices and shut down the main power conductors.
Transit in and out of Berlin had been crippled.
Leo and his small clique had also made their way to the central police barracks and by 6:30am had effectively taken control of the weaponry stored inside. The police had been taken completely by surprise, resulting in not a single shot being fired.
"You are now prisoners of the revolution. Telephone your men stationed across the city and order them to stand down." stated Leo as he pointed a revolver at the police chief
The Reichsbank had also been surrounded by Karl's cadre as per Rosa's orders, but several officers who had been ordered to patrol there the previous night resisted.
A firefight quickly ensured, forcing Karl and his men to flee.
However, after they had re-organized themselves, and were joined by several armed men sent from Leo"s clique, Karl ordered a mass change on the bank.
"In the name of the workers! Storm the building!" he shouted.
The Revolution had Begun!
______________
Berlin Revolution
Marching in unison down the central city promenade, Rosa Luxemburg and the rest of the Council Communist Party members made their to the Reichstag.
Buttressed by a phalanx of 700 workers, the communists began to chant.
"Peace & Democracy! - Peace & Democracy!"
And when they grew tired of the chant, they sang the Internationale.
“Stand up, damned of the Earth; Stand up, prisoners of starvation…
“Reason thunders in its volcano; This is the eruption of the end…”
As they made their way, the entire city began to erupt with excitement over the procession. Rosa had strategically chosen the route of the march to intersect between the major working class districts of the city and the vocal support the poured from many apartment windows were signs of the idea's brilliance.
However, the commotion immediately roused Ebert and the SPD leaders who themselves were hold an early plenary session in their party headquarters.
“The leftists are marching on the Reichstag! - And further there's news that the police barracks and Berlin Reichsbank have been taken over by insurrections!" said a nervous Philip Schidemann.
A telegram was then sent to inform Hugo Hasse of the situation.
By 7:00AM, he and the rest of the USPD leadership had arrived at the SPD headquarters.
"My staff tells me both the city barracks and the Reichsbank are under siege - do we have any contingency plans to stop this insurrection?" Hasse asked.
"I have already messaged several Reichsarmee garrisons within a 10-mile radius of the city. We'll have troops under our command and ready to quell this violence within several hours," Ebert responded.
"Onward, Comrades!," shouted Rosa as the Reichstag came in sight of her group.
By then many regular german citizens had joined the march turning what was once a march of hundreds in one numbing in the thousands.
As they reached the front pavilion of the parliament Leo's now armed group had joined the procession, relaying to Rosa about the successful takeover of both the barracks and Reichsbank.
"We have all we need for our republic. All that is left is solidifying popular support," said Leo.
Rosa turned behind to see the swelling parade of marchers and grinned.
"That, we may have already accomplished." she said.
Now at the steps of the German parliament, Rosa and the RKP leaders in attendance rushed up the steps and addressed the massive crowd.
"Comrades! Today marks the day of your liberation!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Playing to crowd, she then asked them to declare what the crowd wanted.
“End-the-war! End-the-war!” they chanted.
"You want peace?! - They you shall have it!" shouted Leo.
As the RKP leaders continued to speak, the crowd continued to grow
Finally, just Karl joined the rest of the leadership and the pavilion reached its capacity, Rosa took center stage once more and declared the state of affairs for the city.
Announcing to the crowd that the central bank and central police station were under the command of the workers, she raised her right fist in the air and declared:
"The Corrupt, Rotten, Bourgeois Republic is collapsed! -
Long Live the Workers Republic of Germany!"
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______________
The RKP leadership continued address the crowd, explaining in detail what the assumption of their power would mean for the working class. At the same time, the German National flag flying above the Reichstag would lowered and replaced with the Council Communist Flag.
Across town in the Reichsbank, 30 RKP agents began to raid the bank vault of all available hard currency while at the barracks several hundred RKP agents armed themselves will revolvers and bolt-action rifles.
At 9:00AM, the Red Militia had arrived back at the Reichstag in time to hear Rosa's closing remarks.
However, just she began, Ebert's army detachment had arrived.
Taking offensive positions a half mile away from the pavilion, Rosa immediately called for the crowd to disperse.
"The Reactionaries are here! -Find shelter as quickly as you can!" she shouted.
The Battle for the Reichstag had begun.
As panic caused the massive crowd run all directions, shots from the Reichsarmee began to echo.
Hoping to save the crowd from the carnage, Rosa ordered Leo to personally lead a defensive response to the attack.
"Get down to there and divert attention away from the people - then drive them back!" she said as pointed down from the steps.
Leo then leapt into the fray.
The RKP militia successfully diverted fire to several positions they garrisoned away from the fleeing crowd and then returned fire with all of their available weaponry.
After taking heavy losses from their bottlenecked position thew Reicharmee troops began to retreat.
“Stand your ground comrades! - The battle is just about won!” Karl Liebkhnect shouted
As Rosa had now witnessed first hand the acts that Ebert's was willing commit to hold on to power, she at once knew that she much do something politically earth shaking to destroy his government's legitimacy.
“Stay your hearts comrades- ! The capitalists that rule this false democracy have finally shown true face; Let’s show what a true revolutionary force can do! Seize the Reichstag!” she shouted.
With a slight reprieve from the Reichsarmee assault, the RKP militia turned around and stormed up the parliament steps with the leadership and several hundred frightened citizens running behind.
Roaring with revolutionary fury, 5 of the largest militia troops arrived at the locked front door and smashed it open.
In an instant, the Reichstag had fallen to Rosa's communists.
Berlin belonged to the Revolution
“This is unacceptable! - I will not have the seat of our government occupied by leftist rabble. Call-in all army forces to break the siege,” yelled Friedrich Ebert.
The initial skirmish had resulted in a small defeat for Ebert's Reichsarmee but more men were on their way.
By 3:00PM a thousand-men strong battalion had re-constituted itself for another assault against communists.
However, the actions of the Locomotive Driver's union had handicapped this force of vital munitions as trains into and out of the city remained completed shutdown, forcing them to rely on antiqued artillery batteries stored in local garrisons.
Anticipating this fact, the RKP leadership in tried to devise a way to take advantage of the situation.
Leo at first proposed a night time assault against the Reichsarmee encampment with goal of dispersing Ebert's force and simultaneously capturing their weapons for the party's use.
Karl quickly struck the idea down, arguing that it would most likely result in the complete decimation of their militia forces.
Rosa interjected and likewise argued for restraint.
“Though Friedrich and the capitalist forces that support him have forced our hand this morning, we will rush headlong into doom - The path forward is one of mass action. We must use this lull to prepare our defense here and use it as a rally cry for allies abroad.”
Rosa then turned to August Thalheimmer, Paul Levi, and Klara Zetkin and immediately ordered them return to RKP headquarter office, charging each of them to expend the next critical hours reaching out to all potential allies for their cause.
"We already occupy the most defensive position possible in the city - Thus, it is within this position where we will remain until the backs of the reactionaries are broken entirely." said Rosa before they departed.
Immediately the armed RKP members began to prepare defensive positions in and around the front of the parliament, taking care to completely block all of the potential side entrances - Rosa charged Leo will moving the citizens that had taken shelter within the Reichstag toward the furthermost meeting chamber towards the back of the main hall.
After both tasks were completed, Rosa the leaders back together to discuss an idea she had.
Explaining to the members that while she remain steadfast on her decision to defending the Reichstag at all cost, she propsed that the short time they had before the next assault should be committed to capture of Friedrich Ebert.
"With the trains decommissioned, I am confident that he still remains within the city limits - It falls to you, Leo, and your best men to find and capture him in the name of the revolution."
The matter was quickly put to a vote.
______________
______________
The initial skirmish had resulted in a small defeat for Ebert's Reichsarmee but more men were on their way.
By 3:00PM a thousand-men strong battalion had re-constituted itself for another assault against communists.
However, the actions of the Locomotive Driver's union had handicapped this force of vital munitions as trains into and out of the city remained completed shutdown, forcing them to rely on antiqued artillery batteries stored in local garrisons.
Anticipating this fact, the RKP leadership in tried to devise a way to take advantage of the situation.
Leo at first proposed a night time assault against the Reichsarmee encampment with goal of dispersing Ebert's force and simultaneously capturing their weapons for the party's use.
Karl quickly struck the idea down, arguing that it would most likely result in the complete decimation of their militia forces.
Rosa interjected and likewise argued for restraint.
“Though Friedrich and the capitalist forces that support him have forced our hand this morning, we will rush headlong into doom - The path forward is one of mass action. We must use this lull to prepare our defense here and use it as a rally cry for allies abroad.”
Rosa then turned to August Thalheimmer, Paul Levi, and Klara Zetkin and immediately ordered them return to RKP headquarter office, charging each of them to expend the next critical hours reaching out to all potential allies for their cause.
"We already occupy the most defensive position possible in the city - Thus, it is within this position where we will remain until the backs of the reactionaries are broken entirely." said Rosa before they departed.
Immediately the armed RKP members began to prepare defensive positions in and around the front of the parliament, taking care to completely block all of the potential side entrances - Rosa charged Leo will moving the citizens that had taken shelter within the Reichstag toward the furthermost meeting chamber towards the back of the main hall.
After both tasks were completed, Rosa the leaders back together to discuss an idea she had.
Explaining to the members that while she remain steadfast on her decision to defending the Reichstag at all cost, she propsed that the short time they had before the next assault should be committed to capture of Friedrich Ebert.
"With the trains decommissioned, I am confident that he still remains within the city limits - It falls to you, Leo, and your best men to find and capture him in the name of the revolution."
The matter was quickly put to a vote.
______________
______________
It was decided.
A collection of 20 veteran revolutionaries, handpicked personally by Leo Jogiches, set off to the SPD headquarters office to capture and detain the leadership of both organizations.
"Act swiftly; Act decisively.” said Rosa as they departed.
The group then rushed out of the parliament’s back doors.
Simultaneously, in the RKP headquarters Paul, August, and Klara debated about merits of Rosa's instruction.
"How does she suppose to obtain allies from abroad when we have no legitimacy to ground ourselves upon? - I think our efforts may better be spent on rallying the citizen to take up arms against the Reichsarmee." said Paul
Klara then interjected, declaring that Paul's plan would simply fall on deaf ears.
"Allies bring legitimacy, and I have an idea regarding where we may obtain one." she said.
______________
A collection of 20 veteran revolutionaries, handpicked personally by Leo Jogiches, set off to the SPD headquarters office to capture and detain the leadership of both organizations.
"Act swiftly; Act decisively.” said Rosa as they departed.
The group then rushed out of the parliament’s back doors.
Simultaneously, in the RKP headquarters Paul, August, and Klara debated about merits of Rosa's instruction.
"How does she suppose to obtain allies from abroad when we have no legitimacy to ground ourselves upon? - I think our efforts may better be spent on rallying the citizen to take up arms against the Reichsarmee." said Paul
Klara then interjected, declaring that Paul's plan would simply fall on deaf ears.
"Allies bring legitimacy, and I have an idea regarding where we may obtain one." she said.
______________
Bavarian Soviet Republic
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______________
Over the next several minutes Klara explained that if Kurt Eisner, current leader of the Bavarian USPD and of the revolutionary Bavarian Soviet Republic, were to pledge even the most tacit level of solidarity to the RKP's actions, then it might spark a popular uprising in favor of their two polities.
They each agreed and began attempts to establish contact with the USPD of Munich.
Towards the eastern part of the city, at 9:00PM, Leo's strike force arrived at the front doors of the SPD headquarters.
Ebert's Capture
______________
______________
Friedrich Ebert had been captured.
Leo then lead them out of the apartment.
JAs they made their way back toward the Reichstag, in RKP headquarters, the leaders finally made contact with low ranking a USPD member of in the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
Berlin - Bavarian Alliance
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______________
They each agreed and began attempts to establish contact with the USPD of Munich.
Towards the eastern part of the city, at 9:00PM, Leo's strike force arrived at the front doors of the SPD headquarters.
Ebert's Capture
______________
After taking a moment to catch his breath, Leo placed his right foot on it and thrust wide open. As they rushed into building, sounds of frightened shouts echo throughout the halls.
“Where is Ebert?!” one of them yelled as he grabbed a secretary working late that night.
“His - residence!” she stuttered back. “All of them – there all there!”
Immediately they rushed back out of the front door and down the street to his apartment.
Deciding it was best to enter both the back and front doors of his residence, all 20 of them burst in made their way up the stairs.
"What is the meaning of...!" shouted one surprised of the SPD leaders sitting around the meeting table.
"Hand over Friedrich!" interrupted one of the revolutionaries as they started to ransack the place.
"He is gone!" responded one of leaders.
"He had a feeling you scoundrels might try to do this! So he's gone and to where I don't know."
"Well where's Hugo Hasse of the USPD?" asked a revolutionary.
The SPD leaders remained silent.
"Well if you won't talk, we'll make you talk." He said in response.
The men then seized the SPD party leaders and ushered them out the front door.
At the same time Leo a few others were examining the room for clues to Ebert's possible location.
“And so you say the leaders were just sitting around this table when you came in?” Leo asked one of the revolutionaries.
“Yes, just around this table.” he responded back.
“And you say you just burst in loudly through both the front and back doors?” Leo asked.
“Exactly; We wanted to make sure no one escaped.” The revolutionary answered.
After thinking to himself for a moment , Leo immediately asked for one of the wooden clubs that one of the revolutionaries was holding and slammed it on the floor, making a loud THUD* sound in the process.
Turning his attention to each of the four walls surrounding the apartment, he hit each one with the same force in quick succession.
On the third, the club made a large hollow dent, freeing a gust of air into the room.
Thrusting the weapon back into his comrade’s hands, he pointed at the damaged partition.
“Tear it down!” he shouted.
Instantly the men that surrounded him let loose their weapons.
After amount a minute, they heard a loud cry.
“Stop! Stop!” they heard as the rest of wall came down.
“Don’t - Just don't hurt me!”
After the dust settled, Leo came face-to-face with Ebert, who had hidden himself within the secret room.
Leo then gestured to the revolutionaries to seize the SPD leader.
“For crimes against the people, you now are a prisoner of the revolution.”
“Where is Ebert?!” one of them yelled as he grabbed a secretary working late that night.
“His - residence!” she stuttered back. “All of them – there all there!”
Immediately they rushed back out of the front door and down the street to his apartment.
Deciding it was best to enter both the back and front doors of his residence, all 20 of them burst in made their way up the stairs.
"What is the meaning of...!" shouted one surprised of the SPD leaders sitting around the meeting table.
"Hand over Friedrich!" interrupted one of the revolutionaries as they started to ransack the place.
"He is gone!" responded one of leaders.
"He had a feeling you scoundrels might try to do this! So he's gone and to where I don't know."
"Well where's Hugo Hasse of the USPD?" asked a revolutionary.
The SPD leaders remained silent.
"Well if you won't talk, we'll make you talk." He said in response.
The men then seized the SPD party leaders and ushered them out the front door.
At the same time Leo a few others were examining the room for clues to Ebert's possible location.
“And so you say the leaders were just sitting around this table when you came in?” Leo asked one of the revolutionaries.
“Yes, just around this table.” he responded back.
“And you say you just burst in loudly through both the front and back doors?” Leo asked.
“Exactly; We wanted to make sure no one escaped.” The revolutionary answered.
After thinking to himself for a moment , Leo immediately asked for one of the wooden clubs that one of the revolutionaries was holding and slammed it on the floor, making a loud THUD* sound in the process.
Turning his attention to each of the four walls surrounding the apartment, he hit each one with the same force in quick succession.
On the third, the club made a large hollow dent, freeing a gust of air into the room.
Thrusting the weapon back into his comrade’s hands, he pointed at the damaged partition.
“Tear it down!” he shouted.
Instantly the men that surrounded him let loose their weapons.
After amount a minute, they heard a loud cry.
“Stop! Stop!” they heard as the rest of wall came down.
“Don’t - Just don't hurt me!”
After the dust settled, Leo came face-to-face with Ebert, who had hidden himself within the secret room.
Leo then gestured to the revolutionaries to seize the SPD leader.
“For crimes against the people, you now are a prisoner of the revolution.”
Friedrich Ebert had been captured.
Leo then lead them out of the apartment.
JAs they made their way back toward the Reichstag, in RKP headquarters, the leaders finally made contact with low ranking a USPD member of in the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
Berlin - Bavarian Alliance
______________
“This is Paul Levi…Party Secretary of the Council Communist Party…I must speak with Kurt Eisner.” he said over the static filled phone line.
“Ok…heard you loud and clear…transferring you now…” the staffer replied.
After a minute of silence, a deep raspy voice spoke on the line.
“Good afternoon Paul! It’s magnificent that you’ve made contact with us!,” said Kurt Eisner.
“I have already been briefed on your situation. Please tell me what you need!.”
Immediately gesturing August to come over to the receiver, Paul, August and Kurt began to discuss the best way to bring assistance to the RKP insurrection.
“Ok…heard you loud and clear…transferring you now…” the staffer replied.
After a minute of silence, a deep raspy voice spoke on the line.
“Good afternoon Paul! It’s magnificent that you’ve made contact with us!,” said Kurt Eisner.
“I have already been briefed on your situation. Please tell me what you need!.”
Immediately gesturing August to come over to the receiver, Paul, August and Kurt began to discuss the best way to bring assistance to the RKP insurrection.
By 1:00AM Leo arrived back at the Reichstag with a handcuffed and slightly beaten Friedrich Ebert.
Tossing him into the sitting group of the other SPD leaders Leo turned to Rosa and asked what was next.
"Ebert represents a power political tool for our cause - but for now we have more pressing business to attend too." she said as she looked out the front windows.
The re-equipped and re-organized Reichsarmee had begun to march in the pavilion, with several artillery batteries in tow.
“We must hold this position - no matter the cost.” she said.
______________
______________
Time Period: January 2nd - January 5th, 1919
Before they began their main assault on the Reichstag, several hundred Reichsarmee troops were diverted to the breaking the occupation of the Berlin Train Terminal.
“Stand your ground men! - Don’t let these reactionaries break our lines!” shouted one of the revolutionary leaders as he saw they charging up the front path.
Over the next two hours the men valiantly defend their positions, returning gunfire until many began to run out of ammunition.
Though their defense of the terminus was initially successful, the arrival of a large armored car forced the front line strikers to retreat deeper in the station.
Inch by inch, the Reichsarmee troop fought the revolutionaries through each barricade hallway taking heavy losses in the process.
“We must hold this position as long as we can," one of the revolutionaries yelled.
Back across the city, the RKP leaders received word of the assault.
“Call off your dogs! - Or I’ll put a bullet in you for every revolutionary killed by your men. ”
Karl Liebknecht swiftly outstretched his hand and grabbed the weapon away from his comrade.
“Don’t be foolish! - Ebert is the only bargaining chip that we have.” he said
Rosa turned to Leo and nodded her head in agreement.
“Now is the time for cunning - Not brash actions that may only serve to make our situation worse.” she said
By 9:30AM, the revolutionaries defending the train terminal could no longer hold their position.
With men dying all around them, the leaders of the strike ordered a retreat to the Reichstag.
Arriving on foot at 10:00AM, they immediately informed the leadership that the bulk of the reactionaries were now on their way.
"They have tanks and artillery batteries - We must all prepare ourselves!” said one of them.
However, just as he finished his debrief, a shell fired from a mortar several hundred feet away crashed directly upon the front of the Reichstag entrance.
Shouts of panic immediately echoed in the hall.
“Men! - Take your positions along the front of the pavilion - return fire when they are in range” shouted Karl Liebknecht.
Just then another shell hit the Reichstag and exploded.
Rosa then went and peered out the front window.
She saw several thousand armed troops rushing toward them; buttressed by several armored cars and artillery pieces.
The main assault had begin.
“Rosa! - What should we do?!” shouted Leo as he ushered his men to take hold of Ebert and the SPD members.
Rosa knew she had to make a decisive decision; the revolution itself hung in the balance.
Reader Vote
______________
______________
“Take shelter deep in the Reichstag!” shouted Rosa.
Immediately a quick succession of shells hit the side of the building.
Immediately the revolutionaries began to fortify themselves deep in the main entrance hall.
Back outside, the Reichsarmee artillery commands received word to fire-at-will upon the parliament building.
“Don’t let them escape while we have them cornered!" a commander yelled.
Seeing this, Leo turned to a few revolutionaries ordered them to return fire.
"Take them down!" he shouted as he emptied his revolver in the direction of the Freikorps.
Just then another artillery shell struck his position, this time right at the feet of Leo and his men.
Leo Jogiches had perished
Union boss and RKP leader Fritz Kater who had joined Leo in returning fire was too struck several bullets, first in the arm, and then in the head.
Fritz Kater had perished
Karl Liebknecht saw this and quickly ordered his men back into the parliament, sealing themselves inside upon their re-entry.
At least 40 revolutionaries along with two major party leaders lay dead outside.
“Leo… Fritz…-They didn’t make it.” Karl somberly whispered to Rosa as they sat together in one of the entrance hall side rooms.
Pausing for a moment, Rosa began to tear up.
Just then a CCP party member burst into the room.
“Rosa! The reactionaries are continuing their bombardment.” said a revolutionary as he looked outside.
Five artillery pieces now stood directly in front of the building - each one firing in delayed succession.
For hours the Reichsarmee battered all visible sections of the parliament, demolishing everything insight.
“This may be the end…”, Rosa thought to herself.
Over the sounds of loud explosions crashing against the front of the Reichstag, Rosa and Karl debated fiercely on their potential options.
The life line to both the Locomotive Train Drivers Union and the Berlin Chapter of the Free Workers Union lay dead on the parliament steps, along with Leo Jogiches, a senior member of the CCP’s leadership structure.
“Our command structure has collapsed.” said Karl
“Neither of us have Leo’s gravitas - it’s only a matter of time until they storm in to free Ebert. What hope do either of us have at mounting a legitimate defense let alone maintaining order once they attack?”
Rosa knew Karl was right, but she didn’t have any other option available to her.
“Surrender would only mean execution…,” she thought to herself.
However, a phone rang in one of the entrance hall’s adjacent side rooms.
As Rosa picked up the receiver, she could hear an excited Klara Zetkin on the other line.
“Bavaria stands with us!”
______________
______________
Even thought assistance was on the one, Rosa knew that it still wouldn't be enough to shatter the Reichsarmee lines. More men & women would be needed.
“And we only have 200 fighting fit revolutionaries garrisoned here?” asked Rosa and she slid her pen over a map of the city resting on the table in front of her.
“215 at the most.” Karl answered
At once, Rosa knew that the deficient in manpower must be filled by the lay citizens that had bunkered within the Reichstag along side the RKP.
Quickly marching out of the side room and into the grand entrance hall of the Reichstag, Rosa stepped on top of a large piece of rubble that had fallen to the ground due to the bombardment, and addressed the people.
Tossing him into the sitting group of the other SPD leaders Leo turned to Rosa and asked what was next.
"Ebert represents a power political tool for our cause - but for now we have more pressing business to attend too." she said as she looked out the front windows.
The re-equipped and re-organized Reichsarmee had begun to march in the pavilion, with several artillery batteries in tow.
“We must hold this position - no matter the cost.” she said.
______________
______________
Time Period: January 2nd - January 5th, 1919
Before they began their main assault on the Reichstag, several hundred Reichsarmee troops were diverted to the breaking the occupation of the Berlin Train Terminal.
“Stand your ground men! - Don’t let these reactionaries break our lines!” shouted one of the revolutionary leaders as he saw they charging up the front path.
Over the next two hours the men valiantly defend their positions, returning gunfire until many began to run out of ammunition.
Though their defense of the terminus was initially successful, the arrival of a large armored car forced the front line strikers to retreat deeper in the station.
Inch by inch, the Reichsarmee troop fought the revolutionaries through each barricade hallway taking heavy losses in the process.
“We must hold this position as long as we can," one of the revolutionaries yelled.
Back across the city, the RKP leaders received word of the assault.
“Call off your dogs! - Or I’ll put a bullet in you for every revolutionary killed by your men. ”
Karl Liebknecht swiftly outstretched his hand and grabbed the weapon away from his comrade.
“Don’t be foolish! - Ebert is the only bargaining chip that we have.” he said
Rosa turned to Leo and nodded her head in agreement.
“Now is the time for cunning - Not brash actions that may only serve to make our situation worse.” she said
By 9:30AM, the revolutionaries defending the train terminal could no longer hold their position.
With men dying all around them, the leaders of the strike ordered a retreat to the Reichstag.
Arriving on foot at 10:00AM, they immediately informed the leadership that the bulk of the reactionaries were now on their way.
"They have tanks and artillery batteries - We must all prepare ourselves!” said one of them.
However, just as he finished his debrief, a shell fired from a mortar several hundred feet away crashed directly upon the front of the Reichstag entrance.
Shouts of panic immediately echoed in the hall.
“Men! - Take your positions along the front of the pavilion - return fire when they are in range” shouted Karl Liebknecht.
Just then another shell hit the Reichstag and exploded.
Rosa then went and peered out the front window.
She saw several thousand armed troops rushing toward them; buttressed by several armored cars and artillery pieces.
The main assault had begin.
“Rosa! - What should we do?!” shouted Leo as he ushered his men to take hold of Ebert and the SPD members.
Rosa knew she had to make a decisive decision; the revolution itself hung in the balance.
Reader Vote
______________
“Take shelter deep in the Reichstag!” shouted Rosa.
Immediately a quick succession of shells hit the side of the building.
Immediately the revolutionaries began to fortify themselves deep in the main entrance hall.
Back outside, the Reichsarmee artillery commands received word to fire-at-will upon the parliament building.
“Don’t let them escape while we have them cornered!" a commander yelled.
Seeing this, Leo turned to a few revolutionaries ordered them to return fire.
"Take them down!" he shouted as he emptied his revolver in the direction of the Freikorps.
Just then another artillery shell struck his position, this time right at the feet of Leo and his men.
Leo Jogiches had perished
Union boss and RKP leader Fritz Kater who had joined Leo in returning fire was too struck several bullets, first in the arm, and then in the head.
Fritz Kater had perished
Karl Liebknecht saw this and quickly ordered his men back into the parliament, sealing themselves inside upon their re-entry.
At least 40 revolutionaries along with two major party leaders lay dead outside.
“Leo… Fritz…-They didn’t make it.” Karl somberly whispered to Rosa as they sat together in one of the entrance hall side rooms.
Pausing for a moment, Rosa began to tear up.
Just then a CCP party member burst into the room.
“Rosa! The reactionaries are continuing their bombardment.” said a revolutionary as he looked outside.
Five artillery pieces now stood directly in front of the building - each one firing in delayed succession.
For hours the Reichsarmee battered all visible sections of the parliament, demolishing everything insight.
“This may be the end…”, Rosa thought to herself.
Over the sounds of loud explosions crashing against the front of the Reichstag, Rosa and Karl debated fiercely on their potential options.
The life line to both the Locomotive Train Drivers Union and the Berlin Chapter of the Free Workers Union lay dead on the parliament steps, along with Leo Jogiches, a senior member of the CCP’s leadership structure.
“Our command structure has collapsed.” said Karl
“Neither of us have Leo’s gravitas - it’s only a matter of time until they storm in to free Ebert. What hope do either of us have at mounting a legitimate defense let alone maintaining order once they attack?”
Rosa knew Karl was right, but she didn’t have any other option available to her.
“Surrender would only mean execution…,” she thought to herself.
However, a phone rang in one of the entrance hall’s adjacent side rooms.
As Rosa picked up the receiver, she could hear an excited Klara Zetkin on the other line.
“Bavaria stands with us!”
______________
Over the next several minutes Klara explained that after hours of trying to reach Kurt Eisner and negotiating fiercely with him and the rest of his leadership, he was able to secure a temporary pact of solidarity between the Bavaria Soviet Republic and the RKP.
“And what exactly we’re the terms of this arrangement!?” Karl asked.
“A Relief Force” Klara answered.
Immediately Rosa put the phone down and looked Karl in his eyes.
“With this, we may yet have one more card left to play.” she said.
As the hours passed, during which the Reichsarmee continued their shelling of the parliament entrance, Rosa was able to speak directly with Kurt Eisner and hammer out the details behind the relief force.
"Our coup was bloodless - there is no Bavarian army to speak of," said Eisner on the call.
"Call up volunteers, or send us a force of armed workers - anything to help us break this siege," responded Rosa.
Speaking further, Kurt described how any sort of military aid would in turn require the RKP to publicly lend their support the Bavarian USPD in the coming Landtag Elections in February; an offer which Rosa then agreed too.
After a few more minutes of negotiation, the deal was finalized.
Kurt Eisner, as acting leader of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, would send a militia force of 600 revolutionaries to help break the siege Reichstag siege. In return, Rosa would announce a political alliance between the RKP and the Berlin USPD parties once liberated from the reactionary assault.
In addition the RKP would grant amnesty the Berlin USPD leaders and allow them safe passage to Munich.
“They will be lead by the anarchist Erich Mühsam. So be sure to be ready with orders for him once he arrives.”
“And what exactly we’re the terms of this arrangement!?” Karl asked.
“A Relief Force” Klara answered.
Immediately Rosa put the phone down and looked Karl in his eyes.
“With this, we may yet have one more card left to play.” she said.
As the hours passed, during which the Reichsarmee continued their shelling of the parliament entrance, Rosa was able to speak directly with Kurt Eisner and hammer out the details behind the relief force.
"Our coup was bloodless - there is no Bavarian army to speak of," said Eisner on the call.
"Call up volunteers, or send us a force of armed workers - anything to help us break this siege," responded Rosa.
Speaking further, Kurt described how any sort of military aid would in turn require the RKP to publicly lend their support the Bavarian USPD in the coming Landtag Elections in February; an offer which Rosa then agreed too.
After a few more minutes of negotiation, the deal was finalized.
Kurt Eisner, as acting leader of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, would send a militia force of 600 revolutionaries to help break the siege Reichstag siege. In return, Rosa would announce a political alliance between the RKP and the Berlin USPD parties once liberated from the reactionary assault.
In addition the RKP would grant amnesty the Berlin USPD leaders and allow them safe passage to Munich.
“They will be lead by the anarchist Erich Mühsam. So be sure to be ready with orders for him once he arrives.”
Even thought assistance was on the one, Rosa knew that it still wouldn't be enough to shatter the Reichsarmee lines. More men & women would be needed.
“And we only have 200 fighting fit revolutionaries garrisoned here?” asked Rosa and she slid her pen over a map of the city resting on the table in front of her.
“215 at the most.” Karl answered
At once, Rosa knew that the deficient in manpower must be filled by the lay citizens that had bunkered within the Reichstag along side the RKP.
Quickly marching out of the side room and into the grand entrance hall of the Reichstag, Rosa stepped on top of a large piece of rubble that had fallen to the ground due to the bombardment, and addressed the people.
“People of Berlin! Help - is on the way! - But in order for us all to survive I must ask for you to look deep and bring forth your toughest resolve for the struggle that is to come.
But once they arrive, we cannot rest on our laurels and hope they defeat the murderous forces that surround us outside alone. No – those who can fight, must be willing to fight!
Believe me – this is not call I make to you all lightly, knowing full well that I’m asking you to risk your lives for a cause you may not fully believe in.
“But beyond the cause of revolution – beyond even the ideals of equality and liberation that it represents, outside of that door is tyranny – outside of that door is oppression – outside of that door is a future that seeks to return to us by the tip of the sword the years of war and destruction we have all suffered greatly from.
So I ask you, right here – right now comrades, if you’re willing to stand with us in our fight for survival, to let it be known not only to me and not only the revolutionaries standing beside you tonight, but to your fellow country men and women.”
The room was silent.
“What say you?!” shouted Rosa as she outstretched her arm to the crowd.
A few moments, a single voice cried back.
“I am with you!”
After a few seconds, another did the same.
“I am with you Rosa!”
Over the next several seconds, more and more pledged to fight – bringing the total number of men & women under the CCP’s command to 700.
“Thank you, dear comrades, for your willingness to stand with us in this dire moment,” said Rosa as she ushered the CCP party members to start outfitting the volunteers with all available weapons.
“You courage may indeed save the lives of all us before the next day is out.”
But once they arrive, we cannot rest on our laurels and hope they defeat the murderous forces that surround us outside alone. No – those who can fight, must be willing to fight!
Believe me – this is not call I make to you all lightly, knowing full well that I’m asking you to risk your lives for a cause you may not fully believe in.
“But beyond the cause of revolution – beyond even the ideals of equality and liberation that it represents, outside of that door is tyranny – outside of that door is oppression – outside of that door is a future that seeks to return to us by the tip of the sword the years of war and destruction we have all suffered greatly from.
So I ask you, right here – right now comrades, if you’re willing to stand with us in our fight for survival, to let it be known not only to me and not only the revolutionaries standing beside you tonight, but to your fellow country men and women.”
The room was silent.
“What say you?!” shouted Rosa as she outstretched her arm to the crowd.
A few moments, a single voice cried back.
“I am with you!”
After a few seconds, another did the same.
“I am with you Rosa!”
Over the next several seconds, more and more pledged to fight – bringing the total number of men & women under the CCP’s command to 700.
“Thank you, dear comrades, for your willingness to stand with us in this dire moment,” said Rosa as she ushered the CCP party members to start outfitting the volunteers with all available weapons.
“You courage may indeed save the lives of all us before the next day is out.”
With hundreds of men and women now flocking to her cause, the scales had tipped in favor of the revolution.
The shelling continued for a day and a half - ceasing only once the entire of the building was unrecognizable.
The final battle had begun.
______________
______________
The Battle for the Reichstag
As the sun rose on January 4th, Rosa once again took per place atop some of the fallen debris and addressed the people.
“I don’t know, if all of us should make out of here alive, dear comrades – but I know – whatever the outcome, the sacrifice we make here today will echo throughout history – today is the day we stood up to oppression – today is the day we stood up to reactionism – today is the day…”
Immediately a shell exploded directly on the front door of the Reichstag, blasting away a large section of the entrance wall.
“They’re rushing up the steps!” shouted one of the revolutionaries as he and a few others rushed forward and took defensive positioned behind a downed entrance hall column.
Battle for the Reichstag
______________
______________
As Rosa climbed over the now seized armored vehicle and looked back into the entrance hallway, she saw the entirety of the surrendered Reichsarmee detachment men being rounded up.
“Eisner came through it seems,” she said somberly to herself.
But with her allies Leo Jogiches, Fritz Kater, and Karl Liebknecht all dead, she knew it came at great cost.
After pausing for a moment to regain her composure, she looked back at her CCP comrade.
“We have lost much this day, but the revolution has been saved,” she said with a small triumphant smile across her face.
“It’s time to let the world know."
The Berlin Revolution was over.
______________
The shelling continued for a day and a half - ceasing only once the entire of the building was unrecognizable.
The final battle had begun.
______________
______________
The Battle for the Reichstag
As the sun rose on January 4th, Rosa once again took per place atop some of the fallen debris and addressed the people.
“I don’t know, if all of us should make out of here alive, dear comrades – but I know – whatever the outcome, the sacrifice we make here today will echo throughout history – today is the day we stood up to oppression – today is the day we stood up to reactionism – today is the day…”
Immediately a shell exploded directly on the front door of the Reichstag, blasting away a large section of the entrance wall.
“They’re rushing up the steps!” shouted one of the revolutionaries as he and a few others rushed forward and took defensive positioned behind a downed entrance hall column.
Battle for the Reichstag
______________
"Everyone take cover! Do not strike until I give the order.” shouted Rosa as she and Karl joined them.
The volunteers immediately rushed to take cover behind whatever they could find.
After a minute of silence an Armored Car burst through the demolished entrance way, followed by several Reichsarmee men.
“NOW!” shouted Rosa as she and the revolutionaries that buttressed her position began to return fire.
About 20 volunteers then rushed forward, lunging at the troops that made it inside.
“Push - them - back!” yelled Karl
“Push them…”
The armored car’s machine gun turret rotated in the direction of the commotion and began unloading on the volunteers.
Just then, another group of Reichsarmee rushed into the entrance, with more pouring in by the minute.
“We must take down that armored car!” yelled Karl
Just then a CCP revolutionary tapped Rosa on the shoulder.
“A call came in! - Mühsam is only an hour out of the city!”
After hearing the news, Rosa thought to herself for a few moments.
“We only need to survive for an hour…one hour…”
Turning to Karl she told him the news.
“We must trade space for time; these people clearly wish to kill us all – it's our only hope!”
“Fall back! – Fall back!” shouted Rosa as both her and Karl, along with the revolutionaries scurried towards the back of the hall; dodging machine gun fire along the way.
As Rosa’s forces began to make their way, the engine of the Armored Car roared; turning towards the fleeing revolutionaries and volunteers it began to grind its wheels over the Reichstag debris.
“If we don’t do something about that APC, we won’t make it out of here alive!” yelled on the revolutionaries as he along with Rosa and Karl ducked behind a side wall.
Suddenly the machine gun turret opened fire again, this time spraying indiscriminately toward the back of the hall;
Several more of Rosa’s volunteers were fatally struck down.
“Make them pay for every dead comrade!” yelled one of the volunteers as he saw his brother fall from the hail of reactionary gunfire.
"Attack!"
Out of nowhere, 30 volunteers, who had hidden themselves in a side room adjacent to battle, burst forth with Molotov cocktails, raided from Ebert’s personal office stash, and lobbed them in the direction of the reactionaries.
Immediately several of the reactionary troops, along with the armored car, became engulfed in flame.
“Charge!”, yelled the volunteered as he and the group rushed headlong into the chaos.
Several reactionaries men desperately tried to return fire, but were quickly, and fatally, subsumed by the assault of the volunteers.
Engulfed in flame, and still operational, armored car then turn its turret, and began to return fire.
Back outside of the Reichstag, a reactionary who witnessed from the front entrance the battle that was raging, began to shout down the pavilion steps.
“They’re putting up a major fight in here! We need more men!”
Quickly this message was relayed to the top army officer.
“If this rabble wants a fight, they’ll get one.” he said angrily under his breath after receiving the news.
Remembering his humiliating earlier defeat at the hands of the communist, he turned to his deputy.
“Send in the entire force and give them no quarter! - I want to end this rebellion by sundown!”, he said
The rest of the Reichsarmee that had yet to climb the steps of the Reichstag, were ordered to march;
By the time they all began to pour into the building, the volunteer force that had launched the surprise counter attack had been wiped out.
“Keep falling back! – Take cover on the parliament chamber if you must!” desperately shouted Rosa as the entire surviving force of volunteer’s and revolutionaries fell back.
Suddenly another armored car, burst in the entryway, clearing the way for the rest of the reactionaries to rush in.
After making their way to the main chamber of parliament, Rosa and Karl, along with 600 revolutionaries desperately tried to rush ahead of several streams of gunfire.
Though most made it in, several more volunteers were fatally struck, with Rosa herself taking a bullet to her right arm.
“I’ve been hit,” she said to Karl as she and the entire force took cover among the gallery of ministerial seats.
Immediately several revolutionaries helped her cover the wound.
With the reactionaries storming in, Rosa and Karl, along with the entire revolutionary force were all trapped.
About a mile away, at the now deserted Berlin Train terminal, a single locomotive pulled in the station.
“Make sure your all locked and loaded men - There's work to be done! ” said Erich Mühsam.
They all jumped out of the train cab, and immediately rushed toward the Reichstag.
“Boys! I want you to forget Eisner’s instruction to take prisoners and use restraint when possible! Our goal is to make sure Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are rescued – whatever you need to do to ensure that is fine by me.” he said while taking his pistol out of his pocket.
After 30 minutes, the men arrived just outside of the pavilion.
“I see them, Herr Mühsam!” said one of the men as he readied his rifle.
“There! The encampment looks depleted - Should we advance?”
Erich considered his options. Seeing the unmanned artillery pieces and the 20 reactionaries guarding the camp, he immediately knew that larger bulk of the force must be instead the Reichstag.
“I bet they may even have a few armored vehicles inside as well…”, he muttered to himself.
After a few additional moments of contemplation, he turned to his men and gave them the order to advance.
Pushing forward in unison, Erich and the Bavarians sprinted toward the Reichsarmee encampment.
After 20 seconds, their guns discharged their first rounds, immediately striking several of the reactionaries in the back of their skulls.
The other reactionaries quickly turned around to return fire.
However, by the time they did so, Erich’s men had already set upon with knives and bayonets.
Further up, several reactionaries located on the outside of the parliament entrance also turned around to face the commotion.
“Communists!” yelled one of the terrified reactionaries as he desperately tried to reload him his gun.
“They’re attacking from the –“
Before he could finish his sentence, he along with the rest of his group were all consumed by gunfire.
“Take everything you can find! - We're not out of this yet!” shouted Erich as his men finished wiping out the reactionaries in the encampment.
Back inside the main parliament chamber, Rosa and Karl frantically tried to bolster morale.
“This is not the end comrades! -We can still triumph in this fight!” yelled Karl as he leapt upon one of the ministerial desks.
Just then one of the two armored vehicles crashed directly into one of the sealed entrance ways, followed by the sound of sustained machine gun fire upon it.
Cries of panic among the hiding Berliners echoed across the chamber.
“Courage! – Courage dear comrades! – That is what will lead us to victory!” yelled Karl once more.
Suddenly the sealed doorway, which had begun to creak loudly, gave way.
“Take positions!” Karl yelled as both he, the revolutionaries, and Rosa’s volunteers took cover behind the desks.
“Make then fight for every inch!”
After a few moments, Reichsarmee troops streamed in through the settling dust.
“Death to the communists!” screamed one of them as he fired his weapon into the room.
Back outside, Erich and his men finished equipping themselves with all the available weaponry and munitions left by the reactionaries and quickly made their way up the steps.
After reaching the two blasted entrances, 20 out of the Bavarian detachment, and separated into two groups and each armed with two MG-08 machine guns seized from the encampments, ran ahead into the debris ridden hall.
Rushing in a few moments after them, Enrich leapt forward, along with the rest of his militia.
“Herr Enrich! – Do you see what I see?” yelled one of the Bavarians that was running slightly ahead of him.
The reactionaries operating under the desperate orders of their commander to finish off Rosa and her clique that same night, had bottle-necked themselves in the main hall.
“Time to put an end to this,” said Erich as he signaled to his machine gunners to set up.
Inside the chamber, Karl and the revolutionaries continue to hold the reactionaries back.
“Save every bullet!” he yelled as his revolver fired into the chest of an advancing reactionary.
“Make them regret they decided to fight this day!”
On the other side of the chamber room, a mass charge by some melee weapon wielding revolutionaries ran forward.
“You’ll never take us alive!” one of them yelled as they struck at large group of reactionaries that came in to meet them.
Then Rosa, who had taken the cover of the chaos to suture her arm wound, rose up.
“Never give in!” she said as she pointed toward the incoming reactionaries.
“To surrender is to die!”
Suddenly Karl, who had turned around to look at her speak, was struck in the back.
“Blasted – Reactionaries!” he cried out falling to his knees.
Still clutching his revolver, he struggled back to his feet and returned fire.
Several more bullets then struck him the chest, forcing him back down. Coughing up blood, and immense pain - his eyes went dark.
Karl Liebknecht had perished.
“Ready!” yelled Erich as he and his two machine gunners took position back in the entrance hallway.
“Aim! – Fire!"
The machine gunners began to unload their clips directly into the rear flank of the Reichsarmee.
Loud cries, as hundreds were cut down, began to echo throughout the hall.
“Were being attacked from the rear! - Get those tanks turned around and return fire! – return fire!” ” shouted one them as he was struck with a stream of bullets.
Back inside the parliament chamber room, Rosa, who had seen her comrade Karl Liebknecht fall only moments before, rushed over to his body..
“Comrade, your sacrifice will not be in vain.” she whispered to him.
Incensed by his sacrifice, and taking his revolver in his hands, she immediately stood up and pointed it in the direction of the advancing reactionaries..
“Attack! - “Drive them back at any cost! ” she yelled as he began to indiscriminately unload the several remaining rounds left in Karl's pistol.
After a few moments, all the remaining revolutionaries and volunteers, who en-masse had too seen Karl’s sacrifice rose up and cried in near unison.
“For Karl! – Death to the reactionaries!”
Together with Rosa, the remaining men and women under her charge dashed forward – doing so just as the armored vehicles had began to turn around toward the Bavarian troop's gunfire.
“They’re charging at us from the front!” cried one of the army officers as he saw revolutionaries quickly wiping out several troops only meters in from of them.
“Turn the turret back - !”
Before he could finish, a stray pistol shot from a terrified reactionary struck him in the head – just as Erich from the rear ordered his own troops to advance down the hall.
“They've been softened up men! - Take those armored vehicles before they get into position!” he shouted.
Just then Rosa’s revolutionaries crashed into the embanked armored vehicle blocking the demolished parliament chamber entrance.
Startled but unshaken, a reactionary officer pulled out his side arm and ordered his surrounding troops to turn and fire on them as they tried to climb over.
A few meters away, the other armored car had maneuvered its way back toward the direction of the entrance hall and readied itself to fire on the advancing Bavarian troops.
Just as it’s turret began to heat up, several of Erich’s men reached the chassis and jump up on top. Prying it open with the muzzle from one the rifles, the men pointed their barrels inside and fired indiscriminately.
“One car down!” shouted one of the troops from up top.
“Everyone! Charge!” yelled Erich in response.
As the communists and anarchists advance from both sides the reactionary morale completely shattered. “It’s hopeless! - Every man for himself!” yelled one of them as he saw several of his co-combatants fall
The reactionaries, now being shot at from both sides as several of Rosa’s revolutionaries successfully made it over the blocking armored car, threw away their weapons and attempted to flee.
“Hold you positions!” shouted a Reichsarmee officer as he desperately tried to keep command.
With his force now in complete disarray and encircled by revolutionaries, he began to accept his fate.
Gripping his side pistol, he placed the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
“We’ve shattered their formation – take all of them prisoner!” yelled one the revolutionaries to Rosa as she advanced from the rear.
The volunteers immediately rushed to take cover behind whatever they could find.
After a minute of silence an Armored Car burst through the demolished entrance way, followed by several Reichsarmee men.
“NOW!” shouted Rosa as she and the revolutionaries that buttressed her position began to return fire.
About 20 volunteers then rushed forward, lunging at the troops that made it inside.
“Push - them - back!” yelled Karl
“Push them…”
The armored car’s machine gun turret rotated in the direction of the commotion and began unloading on the volunteers.
Just then, another group of Reichsarmee rushed into the entrance, with more pouring in by the minute.
“We must take down that armored car!” yelled Karl
Just then a CCP revolutionary tapped Rosa on the shoulder.
“A call came in! - Mühsam is only an hour out of the city!”
After hearing the news, Rosa thought to herself for a few moments.
“We only need to survive for an hour…one hour…”
Turning to Karl she told him the news.
“We must trade space for time; these people clearly wish to kill us all – it's our only hope!”
“Fall back! – Fall back!” shouted Rosa as both her and Karl, along with the revolutionaries scurried towards the back of the hall; dodging machine gun fire along the way.
As Rosa’s forces began to make their way, the engine of the Armored Car roared; turning towards the fleeing revolutionaries and volunteers it began to grind its wheels over the Reichstag debris.
“If we don’t do something about that APC, we won’t make it out of here alive!” yelled on the revolutionaries as he along with Rosa and Karl ducked behind a side wall.
Suddenly the machine gun turret opened fire again, this time spraying indiscriminately toward the back of the hall;
Several more of Rosa’s volunteers were fatally struck down.
“Make them pay for every dead comrade!” yelled one of the volunteers as he saw his brother fall from the hail of reactionary gunfire.
"Attack!"
Out of nowhere, 30 volunteers, who had hidden themselves in a side room adjacent to battle, burst forth with Molotov cocktails, raided from Ebert’s personal office stash, and lobbed them in the direction of the reactionaries.
Immediately several of the reactionary troops, along with the armored car, became engulfed in flame.
“Charge!”, yelled the volunteered as he and the group rushed headlong into the chaos.
Several reactionaries men desperately tried to return fire, but were quickly, and fatally, subsumed by the assault of the volunteers.
Engulfed in flame, and still operational, armored car then turn its turret, and began to return fire.
Back outside of the Reichstag, a reactionary who witnessed from the front entrance the battle that was raging, began to shout down the pavilion steps.
“They’re putting up a major fight in here! We need more men!”
Quickly this message was relayed to the top army officer.
“If this rabble wants a fight, they’ll get one.” he said angrily under his breath after receiving the news.
Remembering his humiliating earlier defeat at the hands of the communist, he turned to his deputy.
“Send in the entire force and give them no quarter! - I want to end this rebellion by sundown!”, he said
The rest of the Reichsarmee that had yet to climb the steps of the Reichstag, were ordered to march;
By the time they all began to pour into the building, the volunteer force that had launched the surprise counter attack had been wiped out.
“Keep falling back! – Take cover on the parliament chamber if you must!” desperately shouted Rosa as the entire surviving force of volunteer’s and revolutionaries fell back.
Suddenly another armored car, burst in the entryway, clearing the way for the rest of the reactionaries to rush in.
After making their way to the main chamber of parliament, Rosa and Karl, along with 600 revolutionaries desperately tried to rush ahead of several streams of gunfire.
Though most made it in, several more volunteers were fatally struck, with Rosa herself taking a bullet to her right arm.
“I’ve been hit,” she said to Karl as she and the entire force took cover among the gallery of ministerial seats.
Immediately several revolutionaries helped her cover the wound.
With the reactionaries storming in, Rosa and Karl, along with the entire revolutionary force were all trapped.
About a mile away, at the now deserted Berlin Train terminal, a single locomotive pulled in the station.
“Make sure your all locked and loaded men - There's work to be done! ” said Erich Mühsam.
They all jumped out of the train cab, and immediately rushed toward the Reichstag.
“Boys! I want you to forget Eisner’s instruction to take prisoners and use restraint when possible! Our goal is to make sure Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are rescued – whatever you need to do to ensure that is fine by me.” he said while taking his pistol out of his pocket.
After 30 minutes, the men arrived just outside of the pavilion.
“I see them, Herr Mühsam!” said one of the men as he readied his rifle.
“There! The encampment looks depleted - Should we advance?”
Erich considered his options. Seeing the unmanned artillery pieces and the 20 reactionaries guarding the camp, he immediately knew that larger bulk of the force must be instead the Reichstag.
“I bet they may even have a few armored vehicles inside as well…”, he muttered to himself.
After a few additional moments of contemplation, he turned to his men and gave them the order to advance.
Pushing forward in unison, Erich and the Bavarians sprinted toward the Reichsarmee encampment.
After 20 seconds, their guns discharged their first rounds, immediately striking several of the reactionaries in the back of their skulls.
The other reactionaries quickly turned around to return fire.
However, by the time they did so, Erich’s men had already set upon with knives and bayonets.
Further up, several reactionaries located on the outside of the parliament entrance also turned around to face the commotion.
“Communists!” yelled one of the terrified reactionaries as he desperately tried to reload him his gun.
“They’re attacking from the –“
Before he could finish his sentence, he along with the rest of his group were all consumed by gunfire.
“Take everything you can find! - We're not out of this yet!” shouted Erich as his men finished wiping out the reactionaries in the encampment.
Back inside the main parliament chamber, Rosa and Karl frantically tried to bolster morale.
“This is not the end comrades! -We can still triumph in this fight!” yelled Karl as he leapt upon one of the ministerial desks.
Just then one of the two armored vehicles crashed directly into one of the sealed entrance ways, followed by the sound of sustained machine gun fire upon it.
Cries of panic among the hiding Berliners echoed across the chamber.
“Courage! – Courage dear comrades! – That is what will lead us to victory!” yelled Karl once more.
Suddenly the sealed doorway, which had begun to creak loudly, gave way.
“Take positions!” Karl yelled as both he, the revolutionaries, and Rosa’s volunteers took cover behind the desks.
“Make then fight for every inch!”
After a few moments, Reichsarmee troops streamed in through the settling dust.
“Death to the communists!” screamed one of them as he fired his weapon into the room.
Back outside, Erich and his men finished equipping themselves with all the available weaponry and munitions left by the reactionaries and quickly made their way up the steps.
After reaching the two blasted entrances, 20 out of the Bavarian detachment, and separated into two groups and each armed with two MG-08 machine guns seized from the encampments, ran ahead into the debris ridden hall.
Rushing in a few moments after them, Enrich leapt forward, along with the rest of his militia.
“Herr Enrich! – Do you see what I see?” yelled one of the Bavarians that was running slightly ahead of him.
The reactionaries operating under the desperate orders of their commander to finish off Rosa and her clique that same night, had bottle-necked themselves in the main hall.
“Time to put an end to this,” said Erich as he signaled to his machine gunners to set up.
Inside the chamber, Karl and the revolutionaries continue to hold the reactionaries back.
“Save every bullet!” he yelled as his revolver fired into the chest of an advancing reactionary.
“Make them regret they decided to fight this day!”
On the other side of the chamber room, a mass charge by some melee weapon wielding revolutionaries ran forward.
“You’ll never take us alive!” one of them yelled as they struck at large group of reactionaries that came in to meet them.
Then Rosa, who had taken the cover of the chaos to suture her arm wound, rose up.
“Never give in!” she said as she pointed toward the incoming reactionaries.
“To surrender is to die!”
Suddenly Karl, who had turned around to look at her speak, was struck in the back.
“Blasted – Reactionaries!” he cried out falling to his knees.
Still clutching his revolver, he struggled back to his feet and returned fire.
Several more bullets then struck him the chest, forcing him back down. Coughing up blood, and immense pain - his eyes went dark.
Karl Liebknecht had perished.
“Ready!” yelled Erich as he and his two machine gunners took position back in the entrance hallway.
“Aim! – Fire!"
The machine gunners began to unload their clips directly into the rear flank of the Reichsarmee.
Loud cries, as hundreds were cut down, began to echo throughout the hall.
“Were being attacked from the rear! - Get those tanks turned around and return fire! – return fire!” ” shouted one them as he was struck with a stream of bullets.
Back inside the parliament chamber room, Rosa, who had seen her comrade Karl Liebknecht fall only moments before, rushed over to his body..
“Comrade, your sacrifice will not be in vain.” she whispered to him.
Incensed by his sacrifice, and taking his revolver in his hands, she immediately stood up and pointed it in the direction of the advancing reactionaries..
“Attack! - “Drive them back at any cost! ” she yelled as he began to indiscriminately unload the several remaining rounds left in Karl's pistol.
After a few moments, all the remaining revolutionaries and volunteers, who en-masse had too seen Karl’s sacrifice rose up and cried in near unison.
“For Karl! – Death to the reactionaries!”
Together with Rosa, the remaining men and women under her charge dashed forward – doing so just as the armored vehicles had began to turn around toward the Bavarian troop's gunfire.
“They’re charging at us from the front!” cried one of the army officers as he saw revolutionaries quickly wiping out several troops only meters in from of them.
“Turn the turret back - !”
Before he could finish, a stray pistol shot from a terrified reactionary struck him in the head – just as Erich from the rear ordered his own troops to advance down the hall.
“They've been softened up men! - Take those armored vehicles before they get into position!” he shouted.
Just then Rosa’s revolutionaries crashed into the embanked armored vehicle blocking the demolished parliament chamber entrance.
Startled but unshaken, a reactionary officer pulled out his side arm and ordered his surrounding troops to turn and fire on them as they tried to climb over.
A few meters away, the other armored car had maneuvered its way back toward the direction of the entrance hall and readied itself to fire on the advancing Bavarian troops.
Just as it’s turret began to heat up, several of Erich’s men reached the chassis and jump up on top. Prying it open with the muzzle from one the rifles, the men pointed their barrels inside and fired indiscriminately.
“One car down!” shouted one of the troops from up top.
“Everyone! Charge!” yelled Erich in response.
As the communists and anarchists advance from both sides the reactionary morale completely shattered. “It’s hopeless! - Every man for himself!” yelled one of them as he saw several of his co-combatants fall
The reactionaries, now being shot at from both sides as several of Rosa’s revolutionaries successfully made it over the blocking armored car, threw away their weapons and attempted to flee.
“Hold you positions!” shouted a Reichsarmee officer as he desperately tried to keep command.
With his force now in complete disarray and encircled by revolutionaries, he began to accept his fate.
Gripping his side pistol, he placed the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
“We’ve shattered their formation – take all of them prisoner!” yelled one the revolutionaries to Rosa as she advanced from the rear.
As Rosa climbed over the now seized armored vehicle and looked back into the entrance hallway, she saw the entirety of the surrendered Reichsarmee detachment men being rounded up.
“Eisner came through it seems,” she said somberly to herself.
But with her allies Leo Jogiches, Fritz Kater, and Karl Liebknecht all dead, she knew it came at great cost.
After pausing for a moment to regain her composure, she looked back at her CCP comrade.
“We have lost much this day, but the revolution has been saved,” she said with a small triumphant smile across her face.
“It’s time to let the world know."
The Berlin Revolution was over.
______________
Last edited:
Interlude | Europe
Interlude: Europe
______________
Time Period: January 5th - January 30th, 1919
The German Revolution
Ebert's reactionaries had been defeated.
The Luxemburgists, with help from the Bavarian Soviet Republic, had effectively taken control of the German capital.
As Frederich Ebert sat in a jail cell along with the several members of the SPD leadership, Rosa and the RKP leadership began work on re-building the shattered central government.
On January 6th, Rosa, in conjunction with the two RKP newspapers, officially declared the SPD-Republic defunct with a new Worker's Republic of Germany taking it's place; sending political shock waves throughout the rest of Germany and Europe at large...
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The French Republic
The fall of yet another major capital to Marxist revolutionaries sent shock waves throughout Western Europe. So much so that scheduled Paris Peace Conference set to take place on January 18th, was immediately called off.
Instead, several top-level meeting were held between the leaders of the Entente powers to decide on whether a different course of action should be taken.
“We need a neutral and legitimate successor government with which to conclude peace with,” said Clemenceau during a meeting with British PM Lloyd George, US President Woodrow Wilson and staff. “I’ll be dammed if I extend defacto recognition to an upstart Marxist clique just to end this war!”
The other leaders agreed, but differed on what the next course of action should be instead.
Though the naval blockade of German ports, along with vast quantities of French, British, and American troops, gave them complete military leverage over the battlefield, war weariness among the European armies and the home front gave both Clemenceau and Lloyd George pause. “We also have this bloody flu outbreak to contend with,” said one of Lloyd’s staff members.
“No matter our situation, it seems our number one priority, which was ending this awful conflict, has now split into two,” interjected Wilson.
“While the specter of German authoritarianism has been wiped away, yet another has cropped up; one I believe wishes to once again threaten all of Central Europe if we are unwilling to stop it.”
As he continued, Wilson offered a plan that would both create a de-facto successor state with which to include in the peace process out of the German-Rhineland territories currently occupied by the allied military.
“We must gather what remains of the SPD party in western Germany and grant them assistance in forming and defend a legitimate, sovereign, republican government. The Berlin Marxists cannot be allowed the spread,” he said as he concluded his speech. It was decided.
On January 10th a small enclave within occupied Germany was formed for a new SPD-lead Republic. Based out of the French occupied city of Koblenz, the Republic of Germany (colloquially as the Koblenz Republic) was declared by several SPD members on January 12th with Gustav Bauer, who had escaped Berlin during the Luxemburgist revolution, taking over as acting Reichspresident.
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Time Period: January 5th - January 30th, 1919
The German Revolution
Ebert's reactionaries had been defeated.
The Luxemburgists, with help from the Bavarian Soviet Republic, had effectively taken control of the German capital.
As Frederich Ebert sat in a jail cell along with the several members of the SPD leadership, Rosa and the RKP leadership began work on re-building the shattered central government.
On January 6th, Rosa, in conjunction with the two RKP newspapers, officially declared the SPD-Republic defunct with a new Worker's Republic of Germany taking it's place; sending political shock waves throughout the rest of Germany and Europe at large...
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The French Republic
The fall of yet another major capital to Marxist revolutionaries sent shock waves throughout Western Europe. So much so that scheduled Paris Peace Conference set to take place on January 18th, was immediately called off.
Instead, several top-level meeting were held between the leaders of the Entente powers to decide on whether a different course of action should be taken.
“We need a neutral and legitimate successor government with which to conclude peace with,” said Clemenceau during a meeting with British PM Lloyd George, US President Woodrow Wilson and staff. “I’ll be dammed if I extend defacto recognition to an upstart Marxist clique just to end this war!”
The other leaders agreed, but differed on what the next course of action should be instead.
Though the naval blockade of German ports, along with vast quantities of French, British, and American troops, gave them complete military leverage over the battlefield, war weariness among the European armies and the home front gave both Clemenceau and Lloyd George pause. “We also have this bloody flu outbreak to contend with,” said one of Lloyd’s staff members.
“No matter our situation, it seems our number one priority, which was ending this awful conflict, has now split into two,” interjected Wilson.
“While the specter of German authoritarianism has been wiped away, yet another has cropped up; one I believe wishes to once again threaten all of Central Europe if we are unwilling to stop it.”
As he continued, Wilson offered a plan that would both create a de-facto successor state with which to include in the peace process out of the German-Rhineland territories currently occupied by the allied military.
“We must gather what remains of the SPD party in western Germany and grant them assistance in forming and defend a legitimate, sovereign, republican government. The Berlin Marxists cannot be allowed the spread,” he said as he concluded his speech. It was decided.
On January 10th a small enclave within occupied Germany was formed for a new SPD-lead Republic. Based out of the French occupied city of Koblenz, the Republic of Germany (colloquially as the Koblenz Republic) was declared by several SPD members on January 12th with Gustav Bauer, who had escaped Berlin during the Luxemburgist revolution, taking over as acting Reichspresident.
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The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom
News of the delayed peace conference sparked anti-war riots and strikes among industrial workers of London and Manchester.
British troops were called in to quell the riots, leading to several violent clashes between January 14th and January 18th.
As PM Lloyd George returned home for a brief cabinet meeting, this, along with growing dissatisfaction among the active servicemen station abroad were his top concern.
“Until the peace process if concluded, Clemenceau and Wilson have asked me to ensure that the blockade of German ports continue indefinitely,” he said during the meeting.
“Therefore, given the war weariness of the public at large, we must take care of how we handle the announcement of the incoming service extensions.”
On January 20th, the Press Office issued the declaration, leading to further riots in several other British cities.
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Bolshevik Russia
The Soviet Red Army, already reeling from a series of defeats in Estonia, faced yet another loss in the Northern Russia as a joint American- British operation to seize and occupy Murmansk was near completion.
However, news of Berlin falling decisively into the hands of a Marxist revolution,lifted the spirits of the entire Soviet Central Committee, no more so than Lenin.
“World Revolution is indeed upon us!” he declared during a private party dinner. “We must do what we can to aid in its expansion.”
However, while Lenin’s boasts of a diplomatic union between himself and Luxemburg were being planned, the primary focus of the fledgling Soviet Red Army lay on a counteroffensive toward seizing Kiev. On the eve of its launch, Lenin telegraphed the commander Antonov-Ovseenko to instead divert his forces northward in prep for an advance into Poland.
“The political situation in Berlin requires and immediate change in our strategic focus. Warsaw must fall by the summer.” the telegraph read.
On the other side of the Dnieper River, Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR) General Denkin was massing his forces in preparation for a spring season assault from White-controlled Kiev.
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The Kingdom of Italy
The abrupt postponement of the Versailles Peace Conference rallied a large portion of the Italian populace against Vittorio Orlando's administration. Though they were calmed by several address's made by a few members of his political party during the waning weeks of January, the public's demand for irredentismo italiano in the territory of Fiume and Dalmatia was of serious concern, as was the growing insurrectionist sentiments in industrial cities of northern Italy. Throughout the Great War, industrial workers within cities such as Turin and Milan had fiercely protested against Italy's participation in the conflict. This dissatisfaction had reached a fever pitch in early 1919 as membership in the Italian Socialist Party, as well as membership in a number of anarcho-sydicalist groups including the Italian Syndicalist Union, swelled into the hundreds of thousands.
Rosa's assumption of power only added more fuel to the fire.
"Workers have seized the means of production within the heart of central Europe! We only have to follow their lead!" announced Italian Syndicalist Union leader Alberto Meschi outside a Turin automobile factory on January 10th.
On January 12th, the group's leadership declared their public support for the Luxemburgists and at the same time announced a solidarity strike to take place in the center of Turin on February 1st.
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Southern Europe
The utter collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, coupled with the Emperor's tacit abdication of his political powers towards the end of 1918 was the defining moment for the various nationalist groups within the empire.
With the disintegration of the imperial bureaucracy, Czechs, Slovaks, Austrians and Hungarians each vied to fill the power vacuum left over within their respective territories.
Bela Kun's rise in Hungary, along with Western interference with the socio-political situation among the Czechs and Slovaks, left the remnants of Austria (Republic of German-Austria) to seek unification with German in order to help stave off the red tide.
Though negotiations began in late 1918, the collapse of Ebert's government via the Luxemburgist Revolution immediately put a halt to the negotiations.
The Austrian government of Karl Renner, though not openly hostile to the Council Communist's in Berlin, was cautious of the effect their actions may have on the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections in February.
British troops were called in to quell the riots, leading to several violent clashes between January 14th and January 18th.
As PM Lloyd George returned home for a brief cabinet meeting, this, along with growing dissatisfaction among the active servicemen station abroad were his top concern.
“Until the peace process if concluded, Clemenceau and Wilson have asked me to ensure that the blockade of German ports continue indefinitely,” he said during the meeting.
“Therefore, given the war weariness of the public at large, we must take care of how we handle the announcement of the incoming service extensions.”
On January 20th, the Press Office issued the declaration, leading to further riots in several other British cities.
______________
Bolshevik Russia
The Soviet Red Army, already reeling from a series of defeats in Estonia, faced yet another loss in the Northern Russia as a joint American- British operation to seize and occupy Murmansk was near completion.
However, news of Berlin falling decisively into the hands of a Marxist revolution,lifted the spirits of the entire Soviet Central Committee, no more so than Lenin.
“World Revolution is indeed upon us!” he declared during a private party dinner. “We must do what we can to aid in its expansion.”
However, while Lenin’s boasts of a diplomatic union between himself and Luxemburg were being planned, the primary focus of the fledgling Soviet Red Army lay on a counteroffensive toward seizing Kiev. On the eve of its launch, Lenin telegraphed the commander Antonov-Ovseenko to instead divert his forces northward in prep for an advance into Poland.
“The political situation in Berlin requires and immediate change in our strategic focus. Warsaw must fall by the summer.” the telegraph read.
On the other side of the Dnieper River, Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR) General Denkin was massing his forces in preparation for a spring season assault from White-controlled Kiev.
______________
The Kingdom of Italy
The abrupt postponement of the Versailles Peace Conference rallied a large portion of the Italian populace against Vittorio Orlando's administration. Though they were calmed by several address's made by a few members of his political party during the waning weeks of January, the public's demand for irredentismo italiano in the territory of Fiume and Dalmatia was of serious concern, as was the growing insurrectionist sentiments in industrial cities of northern Italy. Throughout the Great War, industrial workers within cities such as Turin and Milan had fiercely protested against Italy's participation in the conflict. This dissatisfaction had reached a fever pitch in early 1919 as membership in the Italian Socialist Party, as well as membership in a number of anarcho-sydicalist groups including the Italian Syndicalist Union, swelled into the hundreds of thousands.
Rosa's assumption of power only added more fuel to the fire.
"Workers have seized the means of production within the heart of central Europe! We only have to follow their lead!" announced Italian Syndicalist Union leader Alberto Meschi outside a Turin automobile factory on January 10th.
On January 12th, the group's leadership declared their public support for the Luxemburgists and at the same time announced a solidarity strike to take place in the center of Turin on February 1st.
______________
Southern Europe
The utter collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, coupled with the Emperor's tacit abdication of his political powers towards the end of 1918 was the defining moment for the various nationalist groups within the empire.
With the disintegration of the imperial bureaucracy, Czechs, Slovaks, Austrians and Hungarians each vied to fill the power vacuum left over within their respective territories.
Bela Kun's rise in Hungary, along with Western interference with the socio-political situation among the Czechs and Slovaks, left the remnants of Austria (Republic of German-Austria) to seek unification with German in order to help stave off the red tide.
Though negotiations began in late 1918, the collapse of Ebert's government via the Luxemburgist Revolution immediately put a halt to the negotiations.
The Austrian government of Karl Renner, though not openly hostile to the Council Communist's in Berlin, was cautious of the effect their actions may have on the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections in February.
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Chapter III (1919) | Part I (National Government)
Chapter III: National Government
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Time Period: January 5th - May 4th, 1919
With the SPD Government in Berlin declared defunct, Rosa and the RKP set to work on rebuilding the shattered state bureaucracy while at same time converting the local economy to her socialist model.
"The path we set forth here will serve as the first step toward a communist future. Let's do our best to design the most applicable model." she said during a party leadership meeting.
Over the next several days, the party, acting unilaterally as the sole power in Berlin enacted several initiatives
Governmental Re-Structuring of Berlin, German Capital
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Honoring the Fallen
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Party Expansion
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New Government
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Council Economy
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Time Period: January 5th - May 4th, 1919
With the SPD Government in Berlin declared defunct, Rosa and the RKP set to work on rebuilding the shattered state bureaucracy while at same time converting the local economy to her socialist model.
"The path we set forth here will serve as the first step toward a communist future. Let's do our best to design the most applicable model." she said during a party leadership meeting.
Over the next several days, the party, acting unilaterally as the sole power in Berlin enacted several initiatives
Governmental Re-Structuring of Berlin, German Capital
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Honoring the Fallen
Karl Leibknecht, Leo Jouchies, and Fritz Kater, lost their lives during the Berlin Revolution. Thus, upon the declaration of the Worker's Republic post the Reichstag Siege, Rosa unilaterally declared January 5th to a be a national holiday.
Comrade's Day
In addition, a mass state funeral was held on January 10th, the honor all those who lost their lives in the insurrection.
Comrade's Day
In addition, a mass state funeral was held on January 10th, the honor all those who lost their lives in the insurrection.
Party Expansion
From the beginning, Rosa had engineered the Council Communist Party to be a faction geared toward the mobilization of the masses. Thus in the days following the defeat of the SPD, she immediately declared the creation of a populist wing of the party: Kommunistische Populäre
Wishing to use the wing as a revolutionary front for agitation against the bourgeois state, she then opened up membership to the local populace of Berlin.
"You will serve as a mass bulwark against any reactionism that seeks to dismantle the worker's republic. Indeed, you are the future of the revolution!" said Erich Musham at the group's first recruitment rally.
In addition, as per the agreement with the Independent Socialist Party of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, the Berlin Chapter of the USPD that been in concert with Eisner's SPD-Government was given immediate amnesty.
However, seeking to capitalize on their expertise before they departed for Munich, Rosa then offered Hugo Hasse and several other USPD leaders an opportunity to join the leadership structure of the RKP to which Hugo and several others agreed.
In order to exploit both the new Popular Front wing as well as the new members of the leadership, a 4th Party Congress was held on January 12th to vote on a new structure for RKP.
Wishing to use the wing as a revolutionary front for agitation against the bourgeois state, she then opened up membership to the local populace of Berlin.
"You will serve as a mass bulwark against any reactionism that seeks to dismantle the worker's republic. Indeed, you are the future of the revolution!" said Erich Musham at the group's first recruitment rally.
In addition, as per the agreement with the Independent Socialist Party of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, the Berlin Chapter of the USPD that been in concert with Eisner's SPD-Government was given immediate amnesty.
However, seeking to capitalize on their expertise before they departed for Munich, Rosa then offered Hugo Hasse and several other USPD leaders an opportunity to join the leadership structure of the RKP to which Hugo and several others agreed.
In order to exploit both the new Popular Front wing as well as the new members of the leadership, a 4th Party Congress was held on January 12th to vote on a new structure for RKP.
New Government
"Since the German Republic of Ebert and his SPD was based upon the status-quo relationships of the capitalist hegemony, moving forward our regime must instead be based upon the principles of socialism, to point where the working class of Berlin has achieved true representation in the annals of the government that rules them." declared Rosa during the first day of the Congress.
Thus, in concert with the rest of the new leadership of the RKP, the Luxemburgists devised a new political structure for the communist regime.
With the vangardism of the Russian-Bolshevik regime serving as the antithesis of what they hoped Berlin would be, the members authored a three-tiered system of representative government that would at once grant the working poor a direct voice in the executive and legislative processes of the regime. Alongside this, the leadership also devised the framework through which the economic imperatives of socialism would remain inexorably linked to any and all government policy.
Codifying it all into a constitution, on the final day of the Party Congress the planned "new government" successfully passed a majority vote.
On February 1st, Rosa announced its ratification.
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Preamble
The Social Republic of Germany is defunct - Long Live the Worker's Republic of Germany
The Council Communist Party of Germany (RKP)
Rosa Luxemburg
Chariman
Klara Zetkin
Vice Chairman
Fritz Mehring
Coalition Director
Wilhelm Peck
Industry & Transport Director
Ernst Meyer
Finance Director
Paul Levi
Director of Foreign Affairs
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Union of Berlin Council Republics (UBR)
The We Resolve to...
Proclaim the creation of a Union of Berlin Worker Councils in all industrial and agricultural sectors with power vested centrally in the Socialist Congress of Berlin and locally via industrial councils and provincial councils.
To protect the legitimacy of free association limited forms private ownership of land shall be protected, so long as it does not infringe upon the protraction of governance outlined in the first clause.
To ensure of the sovereignty of the both the state and the working people, the creation of Red Army of industrial and agricultural workers is decreed with non-compulsory enlistment.
The Berlin Congress regards the Congress law hereby denies the continuance of the loans contracted by the government of the SPD, but not the landowners and the bourgeoisie, as a blow struck at international banking and finance capital.
To ensure a cohesive system of government, the following congressional hierarchy will be established to ensure the protection of direct worker democracy.
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Structure
Berlin Congress [Monthly Sessions]
Inner Chamber [Proposes Legislature | Votes on Legislature]
Council of People’s Directors [10]
a. General Director (GC) – Elected by Direct Popular Vote [Men & Women | 16+ Age | Every 2 Years]
b. Director of Industry & Transport – Appointed by General Director
c. Director of Agriculture
d. Director of Foreign Relations
e. Director of Internal Affairs
f. Director of City Security
g. Director of Finance
h. Director of Justice
i. Director of Culture & Press
j. Director of Education
Outer Chamber [Proposes Legislature | Votes on Legislature]
1. Council of People’s Delegates [+/-]
a. One delegate per factory set to serve as the representative of factory in congress.
2. Council of Provincial Delegates [+/-]
a. One delegate per province sent to serve as the representative of district in congress.
Industry Council [Functions Daily]
Industrial Delegate
1. Serves in the Monthly Berlin Congress
2. Directly elected by Employees [1 Vote Per]
Finance Commissary
1. Appointed representative from Central Dept of Finance
2. Aligns financial/capital distribution, investment, and profit sharing with central gov. policy
Industry Commissary
1. Appointed representative from Central Dept of Industry
2. Aligns production goals & incentives with central gov. policy
Provincial Council [Functions Daily]
Provincial Delegate
1. Serves in the Monthly Berlin Congress
2. Directly elected by district Residents [1 Vote Per]
Thus, in concert with the rest of the new leadership of the RKP, the Luxemburgists devised a new political structure for the communist regime.
With the vangardism of the Russian-Bolshevik regime serving as the antithesis of what they hoped Berlin would be, the members authored a three-tiered system of representative government that would at once grant the working poor a direct voice in the executive and legislative processes of the regime. Alongside this, the leadership also devised the framework through which the economic imperatives of socialism would remain inexorably linked to any and all government policy.
Codifying it all into a constitution, on the final day of the Party Congress the planned "new government" successfully passed a majority vote.
On February 1st, Rosa announced its ratification.
______________
Preamble
The Social Republic of Germany is defunct - Long Live the Worker's Republic of Germany
The Council Communist Party of Germany (RKP)
Rosa Luxemburg
Chariman
Klara Zetkin
Vice Chairman
Fritz Mehring
Coalition Director
Wilhelm Peck
Industry & Transport Director
Ernst Meyer
Finance Director
Paul Levi
Director of Foreign Affairs
______________
Union of Berlin Council Republics (UBR)
The We Resolve to...
Proclaim the creation of a Union of Berlin Worker Councils in all industrial and agricultural sectors with power vested centrally in the Socialist Congress of Berlin and locally via industrial councils and provincial councils.
To protect the legitimacy of free association limited forms private ownership of land shall be protected, so long as it does not infringe upon the protraction of governance outlined in the first clause.
To ensure of the sovereignty of the both the state and the working people, the creation of Red Army of industrial and agricultural workers is decreed with non-compulsory enlistment.
The Berlin Congress regards the Congress law hereby denies the continuance of the loans contracted by the government of the SPD, but not the landowners and the bourgeoisie, as a blow struck at international banking and finance capital.
To ensure a cohesive system of government, the following congressional hierarchy will be established to ensure the protection of direct worker democracy.
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Structure
Berlin Congress [Monthly Sessions]
Inner Chamber [Proposes Legislature | Votes on Legislature]
Council of People’s Directors [10]
a. General Director (GC) – Elected by Direct Popular Vote [Men & Women | 16+ Age | Every 2 Years]
b. Director of Industry & Transport – Appointed by General Director
c. Director of Agriculture
d. Director of Foreign Relations
e. Director of Internal Affairs
f. Director of City Security
g. Director of Finance
h. Director of Justice
i. Director of Culture & Press
j. Director of Education
Outer Chamber [Proposes Legislature | Votes on Legislature]
1. Council of People’s Delegates [+/-]
a. One delegate per factory set to serve as the representative of factory in congress.
2. Council of Provincial Delegates [+/-]
a. One delegate per province sent to serve as the representative of district in congress.
Industry Council [Functions Daily]
Industrial Delegate
1. Serves in the Monthly Berlin Congress
2. Directly elected by Employees [1 Vote Per]
Finance Commissary
1. Appointed representative from Central Dept of Finance
2. Aligns financial/capital distribution, investment, and profit sharing with central gov. policy
Industry Commissary
1. Appointed representative from Central Dept of Industry
2. Aligns production goals & incentives with central gov. policy
Provincial Council [Functions Daily]
Provincial Delegate
1. Serves in the Monthly Berlin Congress
2. Directly elected by district Residents [1 Vote Per]
Council Economy
With the Berlin HQ of the Reichsbank seized during the Berlin Revolution, the RKP was in possession several million dollars worth of gold reichsmarks, along with several hundred pounds worth of valuable bullion.
However, with the state economy in free-fall due to the loss of the Great War , the value of currency declined by the day; and sometime by the hour.
Thus Rosa first ordered her party's finance department to take revolutionary control over the seized assets and second set to work on stabilizing the fiscal situation for the new republic.
As the department's appointed director, Ernst Meyer took personal control over the process.
On February 3rd, he set up a revolutionary council made up both formerly employed and newly appointed economists willing to help rebuild the local economy.
And on February 7th, after several days of planning, they moved forward with their first act by ordering the charter of the first People's Bank of Germany.
Coinciding with Rosa's impending implementation of a Councilization Programme, the Bank would serve as the state's lending body for local factory councils.
In addition, with the gold reichsmark's value influx, Ernst Meyer quickly liquidated the seized currency stocks through buying necessary foodstuffs from any nations willing to sell.
Hungary, operating under the regime of Bela Kun, agreed and gain soon began to arrive in Berlin
On February 15th, Rosa then declared the implementation of her Councilization Programme
This signaled to Directors Wilhelm Peck and Ernst Meyer, to start the process of dismantling the local chapters of the National German trade unions as well as re-organizing the Berlin factories into Rosa's councils. Because this was given top priority, both men were also given emergency funds with which they could spend on staffing their burgeoning departments.
However, with the state economy in free-fall due to the loss of the Great War , the value of currency declined by the day; and sometime by the hour.
Thus Rosa first ordered her party's finance department to take revolutionary control over the seized assets and second set to work on stabilizing the fiscal situation for the new republic.
As the department's appointed director, Ernst Meyer took personal control over the process.
On February 3rd, he set up a revolutionary council made up both formerly employed and newly appointed economists willing to help rebuild the local economy.
And on February 7th, after several days of planning, they moved forward with their first act by ordering the charter of the first People's Bank of Germany.
Coinciding with Rosa's impending implementation of a Councilization Programme, the Bank would serve as the state's lending body for local factory councils.
In addition, with the gold reichsmark's value influx, Ernst Meyer quickly liquidated the seized currency stocks through buying necessary foodstuffs from any nations willing to sell.
Hungary, operating under the regime of Bela Kun, agreed and gain soon began to arrive in Berlin
On February 15th, Rosa then declared the implementation of her Councilization Programme
This signaled to Directors Wilhelm Peck and Ernst Meyer, to start the process of dismantling the local chapters of the National German trade unions as well as re-organizing the Berlin factories into Rosa's councils. Because this was given top priority, both men were also given emergency funds with which they could spend on staffing their burgeoning departments.
City Security
Outside of repairing the shattered economy, building up a trained defense force for the young republic was of top concern for the RKP leadership.
The Reichsarmee had stepped into the revolutionary fray upon the order of the SPD; it was a near certainty that outside chapters of the party would attempt to do the same to dislodge the communists.
Thus, once the economic situation had started to improve during the first few weeks of March, Rosa called upon Eric Musahm to organize the newly created Kommunistische Populäre (KPP), along with the remaining revolutionaries who fought in the Battle of the Reichstag, into conherent fighting force for the UBR.
As he was unable to handle this massive task alone, Eric reached out to several local communists that had expressed interest in joining the new government; and after a few weeks he was able to cajole Rosa into extending deputy RKP leadership positions to several that could assist in the task.
Thus, on the eve of the task's execution, the following men comprised the leadership of the new Department of City Security.
Chief Liaison | Strategist (Bavarian)
Erich Musahm
City Security Director
Ernst Thalmann
Vice City Security Director
Karl Radek
As its first act, on March 20th, 1919, the new department announced the creation of the German Red Army (DRA), a professional force to partner directly with with the militia-based KPP,
and immediately called on all able bodied men and women Berliners between ages 16-30 to register for service should a call of conscription be issued.
In addition, the Red Army were given jurisdiction over all of the seized armaments during the city revolution.
The Reichsarmee had stepped into the revolutionary fray upon the order of the SPD; it was a near certainty that outside chapters of the party would attempt to do the same to dislodge the communists.
Thus, once the economic situation had started to improve during the first few weeks of March, Rosa called upon Eric Musahm to organize the newly created Kommunistische Populäre (KPP), along with the remaining revolutionaries who fought in the Battle of the Reichstag, into conherent fighting force for the UBR.
As he was unable to handle this massive task alone, Eric reached out to several local communists that had expressed interest in joining the new government; and after a few weeks he was able to cajole Rosa into extending deputy RKP leadership positions to several that could assist in the task.
Thus, on the eve of the task's execution, the following men comprised the leadership of the new Department of City Security.
Chief Liaison | Strategist (Bavarian)
Erich Musahm
City Security Director
Ernst Thalmann
Vice City Security Director
Karl Radek
As its first act, on March 20th, 1919, the new department announced the creation of the German Red Army (DRA), a professional force to partner directly with with the militia-based KPP,
and immediately called on all able bodied men and women Berliners between ages 16-30 to register for service should a call of conscription be issued.
In addition, the Red Army were given jurisdiction over all of the seized armaments during the city revolution.
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Diplomacy
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Time Period: April 5th - June 15th, 1919
The sweeping victory by the USPD, the growing implementation of the Councilization Programme, as well as the creating of the German Red Army marked a major shift in the balance of power among all German socialist movements. Not only did the Berlin-Munich alliance place the communists firmly in control of key parts of industrial Germany, but it also placed the political moderates and fanatical reactionaries on the fringe of political power.
This reality came to a head after several Berlin factories had successfully been re-organized into decentralized worker collections with elections being held quickly after.
Several prominent bourgeois families, alarmed by the unilateral seizure of the Berlin Reichsbank and the subsequent restructuring of their factories began to flee the city.
Those that remained soon became vocal in their resistance to the Luxemburgist Regime, so much so that
several newspapers ranging from conservative to anti-left in tone, had begun circulate throughout the city.
Railing against what was perceived as a growing worker-kleptocracy, those behind the scheme hoped to prompt a counter-coup against Worker's Republic.
Moreover, pressure by an expansionist faction within the newly inducted members of the Council Communist Party had begun to prompt Rosa into launching a national campaign for revolution.
The most vocal of which Ernst Thalmann
With the economic reorganization still underway, Rosa did not want to risk the small collection of forces she had in a premature expansion campaign, but she was unable to dissuade the credible arguments for it.
"The German Red Army grows by the day, Rosa. And with the Reichswehr distracted by this war, we must take advantage if this lack of resistance." said Thalmann during a senior RKP meeting.
“Agreed. And the very least we need at the very least, more strategic depth - standing on the defensive here in Berlin only increases the odds of an encirclement.” said Erich Muhsam.
After a few hours of debate, both men presented a 2 stage plan to achieve a improved defensive position for the republic; focusing on the capture of the rest of Brandenburg province.
"The farmland seized alone would help alleviate our food shortage issue; in addition it place us firmly at the head of this national revolution."
After considering the plan, Rosa decided that rather than act unilaterally, such a gambit should rather be presented to Berlin Congress and ratified via a vote.
"This is a democracy after-all; lets have the people decide this matter." she said to the leadership.
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1st Berlin Congress
On May 1st, 1919 the 1st Berlin Congress was held in one of the large, least damaged chambers of the Reichstag Parliament.
With the Council Communist Flag flying high above, the first elected representatives from the city's newly created Worker's Councils arrived in earnest.
Though the opening of the Congress was celebrated by Rosa's opening address to the delegates, several critical topics quickly became the focus of each day's long session.
On May 2nd, the topic of the republic's expansion into the rest of Brandenburg was debated, with some delegates vocally stating their opinions both for and against it. With Ernst Thalmann arguing for the expediency of a decision, the matter was put to a vote that afternoon.
Expansion into Brandenburg
______________
______________
With the motion passing that night and entire hall erupting in applause given the historic first congressional vote, Thalmann quickly departed to plan the campaign's execution with strategists at the City Security Department.
On May 3rd, the issue of the internal resistance against the Luxemburgist regime was discussed with a wide variety of opinions being announced by the delegates. That too was quickly put to a vote as all in attendance agreed that the legitimacy of the new Council must be protected against local bourgeois resistance.
Resistance by the Bourgeoisie
______________
______________
“It has been decided!” she said as the applause died down.
“It’s clear that the people demand that we need to be harsher with the bourgeois resisters. Therefore, as per the just approved proposal, all resisting factories ownership groups, and their affiliated transportation networks, currently operating within the city limits will be nationalized hence forth as will future owners that seek to not comply!”
Immediately the entire outer council of factory delegates rose up and cheered.
On May 4th, the final day of the congress, a collection of international topics were discussed with the top issue being the conclusion of a peace agreement with the Entente Powers.
Though Rosa, and a majority of the RKP leadership and congressional delegates agreed that peace and international recognition should be the number one priority for the Republic, several members, lead by recent inductee Heinrich Brandler, sought instead the creation of an international bloc of socialists first, while the state of war remained.
Unable to come to an agreement before the end of the congress, Rosa took the podium to announce that the RKP would unilaterally take control over the diplomatic mission to the Entente while the revolutionary situation remained in flux.
The Congress then drew to a close and the Luxemburgists busied themselves with the next stage of the revolution. Expansion of the Republic
______________
Diplomacy
Following the amnesty order extended to the Berlin USPD, many of it's party members made their way to the Bavarian Soviet Republic. Paul Levi, representing the RKP on its first diplomatic mission, accompanied them. After arriving to a celebratory crowd in Munich on January 8th he quickly met Eisner and his cabinet began to help foster the economic relationship between the two socialist republics.
During one of the initial discussion, Eisner intimated that Levi and Berlin RKP could do much to help his USPD party in the upcoming Landtag elections.
Understand that the continuation of their partnership would rest on the USPD remaining in control, Levi unilaterally agreed to assist in any way that he could.
And after conferring with Rosa via telephone on January 10th, the RKP leadership agreed.
Between January 10th - 11th, a massive propaganda drive was launched by the new republic, championing both the alliance between the two socialist movements as well as the viability that both governments offered to working class.
This drive, coupled with the surge in popularity over Eisner's daring decision to assist fellow working class hero Rosa Luxemburg in her deposing of the Ebert as well as the massive fallout suffered by the Munich chapter of the SPD following the party’s dissolution in Berlin, lead to massive surge in support for Eisner and the USPD.
Thus on January 12th, a landslide victory for the Bavarian USPD was declared.
Kurt Eisner and the Bavarian Soviet Republic remained intact.
______________
The German-Austrian Republic
Though the Austrian Constituent Assembly Elections of February 16th saw a landslide victory for the Social Democratic Worker's Party, a split within the party had begun to grow during the weeks leading up to the election. The incumbent Karl Renner had yet to state publicly his his opinion of Rosa's assumption of power, and it was this lack of a defined position that to a growing rift between those that supported her and those that didn't.
Rosa knew of this, and immediately tasked Paul Levi and staff to establish a diplomatic mission to the republic.
"See if we can come to some sort of agreement with Renner. We know his party represents the working class; Go get an agreement of recognition in place."
On February 24th, several diplomats from Berlin arrived in Vienna and tried to begin negotiations. However, communiques from the the governments of Clemenceau and Lloyd George had already reached Renner asking him to refuse any mission.
Knowing which ever side he listened too may also split his party, he called a leadership meeting on March 1st to determine the most advantageous course of action.
During one of the initial discussion, Eisner intimated that Levi and Berlin RKP could do much to help his USPD party in the upcoming Landtag elections.
Understand that the continuation of their partnership would rest on the USPD remaining in control, Levi unilaterally agreed to assist in any way that he could.
And after conferring with Rosa via telephone on January 10th, the RKP leadership agreed.
Between January 10th - 11th, a massive propaganda drive was launched by the new republic, championing both the alliance between the two socialist movements as well as the viability that both governments offered to working class.
This drive, coupled with the surge in popularity over Eisner's daring decision to assist fellow working class hero Rosa Luxemburg in her deposing of the Ebert as well as the massive fallout suffered by the Munich chapter of the SPD following the party’s dissolution in Berlin, lead to massive surge in support for Eisner and the USPD.
Thus on January 12th, a landslide victory for the Bavarian USPD was declared.
Kurt Eisner and the Bavarian Soviet Republic remained intact.
______________
The German-Austrian Republic
Though the Austrian Constituent Assembly Elections of February 16th saw a landslide victory for the Social Democratic Worker's Party, a split within the party had begun to grow during the weeks leading up to the election. The incumbent Karl Renner had yet to state publicly his his opinion of Rosa's assumption of power, and it was this lack of a defined position that to a growing rift between those that supported her and those that didn't.
Rosa knew of this, and immediately tasked Paul Levi and staff to establish a diplomatic mission to the republic.
"See if we can come to some sort of agreement with Renner. We know his party represents the working class; Go get an agreement of recognition in place."
On February 24th, several diplomats from Berlin arrived in Vienna and tried to begin negotiations. However, communiques from the the governments of Clemenceau and Lloyd George had already reached Renner asking him to refuse any mission.
Knowing which ever side he listened too may also split his party, he called a leadership meeting on March 1st to determine the most advantageous course of action.
Time Period: April 5th - June 15th, 1919
The sweeping victory by the USPD, the growing implementation of the Councilization Programme, as well as the creating of the German Red Army marked a major shift in the balance of power among all German socialist movements. Not only did the Berlin-Munich alliance place the communists firmly in control of key parts of industrial Germany, but it also placed the political moderates and fanatical reactionaries on the fringe of political power.
This reality came to a head after several Berlin factories had successfully been re-organized into decentralized worker collections with elections being held quickly after.
Several prominent bourgeois families, alarmed by the unilateral seizure of the Berlin Reichsbank and the subsequent restructuring of their factories began to flee the city.
Those that remained soon became vocal in their resistance to the Luxemburgist Regime, so much so that
several newspapers ranging from conservative to anti-left in tone, had begun circulate throughout the city.
Railing against what was perceived as a growing worker-kleptocracy, those behind the scheme hoped to prompt a counter-coup against Worker's Republic.
Moreover, pressure by an expansionist faction within the newly inducted members of the Council Communist Party had begun to prompt Rosa into launching a national campaign for revolution.
The most vocal of which Ernst Thalmann
With the economic reorganization still underway, Rosa did not want to risk the small collection of forces she had in a premature expansion campaign, but she was unable to dissuade the credible arguments for it.
"The German Red Army grows by the day, Rosa. And with the Reichswehr distracted by this war, we must take advantage if this lack of resistance." said Thalmann during a senior RKP meeting.
“Agreed. And the very least we need at the very least, more strategic depth - standing on the defensive here in Berlin only increases the odds of an encirclement.” said Erich Muhsam.
After a few hours of debate, both men presented a 2 stage plan to achieve a improved defensive position for the republic; focusing on the capture of the rest of Brandenburg province.
"The farmland seized alone would help alleviate our food shortage issue; in addition it place us firmly at the head of this national revolution."
After considering the plan, Rosa decided that rather than act unilaterally, such a gambit should rather be presented to Berlin Congress and ratified via a vote.
"This is a democracy after-all; lets have the people decide this matter." she said to the leadership.
______________
1st Berlin Congress
On May 1st, 1919 the 1st Berlin Congress was held in one of the large, least damaged chambers of the Reichstag Parliament.
With the Council Communist Flag flying high above, the first elected representatives from the city's newly created Worker's Councils arrived in earnest.
Though the opening of the Congress was celebrated by Rosa's opening address to the delegates, several critical topics quickly became the focus of each day's long session.
On May 2nd, the topic of the republic's expansion into the rest of Brandenburg was debated, with some delegates vocally stating their opinions both for and against it. With Ernst Thalmann arguing for the expediency of a decision, the matter was put to a vote that afternoon.
Expansion into Brandenburg
______________
83% - In Favor of Expansion into Province
With the motion passing that night and entire hall erupting in applause given the historic first congressional vote, Thalmann quickly departed to plan the campaign's execution with strategists at the City Security Department.
On May 3rd, the issue of the internal resistance against the Luxemburgist regime was discussed with a wide variety of opinions being announced by the delegates. That too was quickly put to a vote as all in attendance agreed that the legitimacy of the new Council must be protected against local bourgeois resistance.
Resistance by the Bourgeoisie
______________
73% - In Favor of Expropriating Resisting Bourgeoisie
“It has been decided!” she said as the applause died down.
“It’s clear that the people demand that we need to be harsher with the bourgeois resisters. Therefore, as per the just approved proposal, all resisting factories ownership groups, and their affiliated transportation networks, currently operating within the city limits will be nationalized hence forth as will future owners that seek to not comply!”
Immediately the entire outer council of factory delegates rose up and cheered.
On May 4th, the final day of the congress, a collection of international topics were discussed with the top issue being the conclusion of a peace agreement with the Entente Powers.
Though Rosa, and a majority of the RKP leadership and congressional delegates agreed that peace and international recognition should be the number one priority for the Republic, several members, lead by recent inductee Heinrich Brandler, sought instead the creation of an international bloc of socialists first, while the state of war remained.
Unable to come to an agreement before the end of the congress, Rosa took the podium to announce that the RKP would unilaterally take control over the diplomatic mission to the Entente while the revolutionary situation remained in flux.
The Congress then drew to a close and the Luxemburgists busied themselves with the next stage of the revolution. Expansion of the Republic
______________
Last edited:
Chapter III (1919) | Part II (Expansion)
Chapter III: Expansion
______________
Time Period: May 4th - June 6th, 1919
Several days after the end of the Berlin Congress, the armed forces of the Republic, boosted by an impromptu paramilitary levy of able-body citizens, made preparations for the campaign.
As per the congressional approval, and planned extensively by the leadership of the Committee for City Security, the campaign was to be enacted in three stages.
______________
Defense Directive I
Stage 1:
Secure all outstanding territory within the provincial district of Brandenburg
Stage 2:
Obtain through peaceful co-option, the surrender orders of all outstanding local leaders within the Brandenburg
Stage 3:
Launch a southern axis of advance to link the territories between held by the Luxemburgist Republic and the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
______________
Most important to Rosa, once the directive reached her desk to sign, was that it be protract as purely a defensive measure to better secure the position of the RKP regime.
"The people demand an end to chauvinism and years of war. Let's take care to make the inevitable detractors understand that these movements are in the defense of our revolution." she said during a leadership meeting.
On May 10th, the German Red Army launched their advance.
Success was immediate as the defeat of the Freikorps had emptied most of the local Reicharmee barracks surrounding the capital.
By May 12th, a vast majority of the towns had risen the flag of the Worker's Republic.
News of the initial success of the Brandenburg campaign was met with adulation within Berlin. Even as ownership groups still resisted against the nationalization, and councilization process of their industrial centers, most of the attention was focused solely on the men and women fighting on the front lines.
And by May 15th, Brandenburg province was fully in the hands of the Republic.
Surrender terms were quickly sent to each of the acting provincial leaders and after negotiation they all have way to the revolution.
As the troops returned to Berlin, a rally was held to commemorate the speed and bloodlessness of the campaign.
Between May 20th to June 1st, the German Red Army refitted itself with any all seized armaments from the initial thrust while economic advisors and political officers were dispatched to the provincial countryside. As per the ratified constitution, agricultural councils begin to form, from which elected delegates could join the Congress.
However, several Junker landowners fiercely resisted all initial attempts at reorganizing their land into labor council and quickly joined with the dissenting industrialists from the capital.
As the final stage of the Red Army campaign was launched on June 2nd, the cabal of the displaced German elite agreed to fund a massive attempt to crush the Luxemburgist regime.
Taking inspiration from the reactionaries in the Russian Civil War, while also distancing themselves from the failure of SPD's Freikorps, they clandestinely formed the first unit of the White German Army began to entice troops and officers from Prussian lands to the east to join.
On June 4th, on which the Red Army had seen some early success with the capturing several towns within Bamberg Province,
Eric Ludendorf and several junior officers publicly declared the creation of the German White Army from the Junker-controlled city of Konigsberg.
The German Civil War Had begun
June 5th, 1919, saw the last stronghold of resistance in Bamberg fall to Rosa's Red Army. Now, with a second province in the hands of the Berlin-Bavarian alliance, and one which secured a land border between them, the revolution was primed for defensive action against Ludendorff's German White Army.
"Already the industrial workers within the recently liberated areas are flocking to our banner," said Karl Radek during a security briefing with the party leadership.
"And with funds expropriated from the succession of captured banks, the councilization of our factories here in Berlin, and the farm communes throughout the provinces can be increased with haste."
Though this was great news to the leaders, Rosa's primary concern was the growing threat from both the east and west.
During the campaign, the Entente powers used the pretext of their security actions as a justification to publicly rally against the Luxemburgists, as well as the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
This culminated in the creation of the competing SPD "government-in-exile" based out of the Rhineland city of Essen on June 1st, 1919.
"The Essen government has already received financial and material support from the French occupiers in the west; not to mention a swath of eager recruits from the disintegrating Reichswehr," said Rosa as she began to discuss her concerns.
"We only have to look at the situation in Soviet Russia to determine what may come next."
Though the impending reaction from the Entente-backed Essen government was important, defeating the German White Army was the most pressing concern.
Ludendorff not only commanded a larger, more experienced collection of troops, when compared with the Berlin-Bavarian joint forces, but the terrain that comprised his axis of advance favored and attacking army.
"At least 45,000 Prussian-backed troops march on Brandenburg as we speak. Though we have greater strategic depth, our supply situation is still critical and our troops need time to rest and re-equip. We need additional help." said Karl Radek.
Bolshevik Russia
Rosa and the senior leadership agreed, though were unsure of where to place the majority of their efforts.
Intelligence from Russia Civil War had informed them of Lenin's gambit to liberate Poland with an all out offensive by the Red Army by the end of the summer, but they were unsure of how successful that might be.
Hungarian Soviet Republic
They also knew a potential ally may be found in Bela Kun of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, but his brazen skirmishes with Romania also made them realize a pact with him might draw further ire from the bourgeois powers, as well as a potential larger conflict with Romania.
Communist Party of Poland
Then of course, the disenfranchised, yet still powerful Communist Party of Poland presented a potential ally as they could launch a soft rebellion in Polish-occupied Poznan & Danzig, possibly tying down Ludendorff in the process.
German-Austrian Republic
Lastly, Karl Renner of the German-Austrian Republic could be pushed in proving assistance, provided that enough economic concessions could be given to them. Though this would also mean the softening of the Luxemburgist leftist ideology in lieu of closer diplomatic ties between the two groups. Though of course it could also not work entirely.
A decision had to be made.
______________
Voting Time!
Results
48% - In favor of the Polish Communists
______________
______________
Time Period: May 4th - June 6th, 1919
Several days after the end of the Berlin Congress, the armed forces of the Republic, boosted by an impromptu paramilitary levy of able-body citizens, made preparations for the campaign.
As per the congressional approval, and planned extensively by the leadership of the Committee for City Security, the campaign was to be enacted in three stages.
______________
Defense Directive I
Stage 1:
Secure all outstanding territory within the provincial district of Brandenburg
Stage 2:
Obtain through peaceful co-option, the surrender orders of all outstanding local leaders within the Brandenburg
Stage 3:
Launch a southern axis of advance to link the territories between held by the Luxemburgist Republic and the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
______________
Most important to Rosa, once the directive reached her desk to sign, was that it be protract as purely a defensive measure to better secure the position of the RKP regime.
"The people demand an end to chauvinism and years of war. Let's take care to make the inevitable detractors understand that these movements are in the defense of our revolution." she said during a leadership meeting.
On May 10th, the German Red Army launched their advance.
Success was immediate as the defeat of the Freikorps had emptied most of the local Reicharmee barracks surrounding the capital.
By May 12th, a vast majority of the towns had risen the flag of the Worker's Republic.
News of the initial success of the Brandenburg campaign was met with adulation within Berlin. Even as ownership groups still resisted against the nationalization, and councilization process of their industrial centers, most of the attention was focused solely on the men and women fighting on the front lines.
And by May 15th, Brandenburg province was fully in the hands of the Republic.
Surrender terms were quickly sent to each of the acting provincial leaders and after negotiation they all have way to the revolution.
As the troops returned to Berlin, a rally was held to commemorate the speed and bloodlessness of the campaign.
Between May 20th to June 1st, the German Red Army refitted itself with any all seized armaments from the initial thrust while economic advisors and political officers were dispatched to the provincial countryside. As per the ratified constitution, agricultural councils begin to form, from which elected delegates could join the Congress.
However, several Junker landowners fiercely resisted all initial attempts at reorganizing their land into labor council and quickly joined with the dissenting industrialists from the capital.
As the final stage of the Red Army campaign was launched on June 2nd, the cabal of the displaced German elite agreed to fund a massive attempt to crush the Luxemburgist regime.
Taking inspiration from the reactionaries in the Russian Civil War, while also distancing themselves from the failure of SPD's Freikorps, they clandestinely formed the first unit of the White German Army began to entice troops and officers from Prussian lands to the east to join.
On June 4th, on which the Red Army had seen some early success with the capturing several towns within Bamberg Province,
Eric Ludendorf and several junior officers publicly declared the creation of the German White Army from the Junker-controlled city of Konigsberg.
The German Civil War Had begun
June 5th, 1919, saw the last stronghold of resistance in Bamberg fall to Rosa's Red Army. Now, with a second province in the hands of the Berlin-Bavarian alliance, and one which secured a land border between them, the revolution was primed for defensive action against Ludendorff's German White Army.
"Already the industrial workers within the recently liberated areas are flocking to our banner," said Karl Radek during a security briefing with the party leadership.
"And with funds expropriated from the succession of captured banks, the councilization of our factories here in Berlin, and the farm communes throughout the provinces can be increased with haste."
Though this was great news to the leaders, Rosa's primary concern was the growing threat from both the east and west.
During the campaign, the Entente powers used the pretext of their security actions as a justification to publicly rally against the Luxemburgists, as well as the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
This culminated in the creation of the competing SPD "government-in-exile" based out of the Rhineland city of Essen on June 1st, 1919.
"The Essen government has already received financial and material support from the French occupiers in the west; not to mention a swath of eager recruits from the disintegrating Reichswehr," said Rosa as she began to discuss her concerns.
"We only have to look at the situation in Soviet Russia to determine what may come next."
Though the impending reaction from the Entente-backed Essen government was important, defeating the German White Army was the most pressing concern.
Ludendorff not only commanded a larger, more experienced collection of troops, when compared with the Berlin-Bavarian joint forces, but the terrain that comprised his axis of advance favored and attacking army.
"At least 45,000 Prussian-backed troops march on Brandenburg as we speak. Though we have greater strategic depth, our supply situation is still critical and our troops need time to rest and re-equip. We need additional help." said Karl Radek.
Bolshevik Russia
Rosa and the senior leadership agreed, though were unsure of where to place the majority of their efforts.
Intelligence from Russia Civil War had informed them of Lenin's gambit to liberate Poland with an all out offensive by the Red Army by the end of the summer, but they were unsure of how successful that might be.
Hungarian Soviet Republic
They also knew a potential ally may be found in Bela Kun of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, but his brazen skirmishes with Romania also made them realize a pact with him might draw further ire from the bourgeois powers, as well as a potential larger conflict with Romania.
Communist Party of Poland
Then of course, the disenfranchised, yet still powerful Communist Party of Poland presented a potential ally as they could launch a soft rebellion in Polish-occupied Poznan & Danzig, possibly tying down Ludendorff in the process.
German-Austrian Republic
Lastly, Karl Renner of the German-Austrian Republic could be pushed in proving assistance, provided that enough economic concessions could be given to them. Though this would also mean the softening of the Luxemburgist leftist ideology in lieu of closer diplomatic ties between the two groups. Though of course it could also not work entirely.
A decision had to be made.
______________
Voting Time!
Results
48% - In favor of the Polish Communists
______________
Last edited:
Ok folks!
Just a quick check-in to make sure everyone is enjoying the TL so far.
I realize it's a ton of content
, so if poor editing has made me miss somethings or lead to any confusion over the course of events so far, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts. Let's make this a community project as much as possible!
Just a quick check-in to make sure everyone is enjoying the TL so far.
I realize it's a ton of content
, so if poor editing has made me miss somethings or lead to any confusion over the course of events so far, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts. Let's make this a community project as much as possible!
Redshank Galloglass
Banned
Excellent. I'm excited to see where this goes.
Have any questions for German weapons manufacturing in the future? I know quite a bit about this kind of stuff and id be glad to help.
Have any questions for German weapons manufacturing in the future? I know quite a bit about this kind of stuff and id be glad to help.
Now that you mention it, do you have a shortlist of weapons that you think could've been manufactured enmass and on the cheap, circa 1918 - 1921?
I'm considering going in a mass armed working class direction for Red Militia and having an idea of which weapons to produce would be awesome.
Redshank Galloglass
Banned
Well, for a militia, it's hard to say. If they can grab the Ruhr, production would increase tenfold. In terms of militia weaponry, I'd say that cheap weaponry would be the Gewehr 98 and the MG08 machine gun. The good thing about this is that there was a lot of weaponry lying around from the First World War at this time, so production doesn't have to be wasted on older militia weaponry if they can capture a number of Reichswehr arsenals.
For the Professional Army, I'd say a mass produced machine gun would do well to have a stamped metal construction plan, as stamped metal requires a lot less resources Pathan other means of production. For rifles, I'd say that the German Red Army could learn well from the Soviets and adopt their own version of the SVT-40, which could be easily mass produced with no invasion.
Redshank Galloglass
Banned
The Poles. The last thing Ludendorff needs is a Polish Communist uprising taking the piss out of his rear. I'd like to see the Hungarians actually succeed, but I'm not too sure if that's possible.
Quick question for you guys. Do you think a Communist Poland would be hostile to Soviet Russia and vis-a-versa?
IIRC, the leaders of the party were virulent nationalists, so that might in turn have meant they were also anti-Russian?
IIRC, the leaders of the party were virulent nationalists, so that might in turn have meant they were also anti-Russian?