Rosa's Reich - Red Germany
- Thread starter GlobalHumanism
- Start date
But it is just reactionaries that haven't yet come into the Spartacist fold? I don't know if the outcome of this convention is as certain or simplistic as it might appear to be.
I don't think it's inevitable, but it's hard to build a stable and effective system and have an operator willing to not abuse the power they are given. Rosa can do both given that she genuinely believes that the workers are the ones who should have power in the system. She just needs to give up her powers when the KPD is triumphant and guarantee an effective form of worker's democracy.
It would seem to me that the referendums in Schleswig would end up with the Danish vote doing significant better, outside Flensburg and Stadt Schleswig, I can't see Rosa's regime having much support.
I believe that the black army is still around at this time, Will they be making an appearance at some point?
Chapter VI (1919) | (Polish Expedition)
Chapter VI: National Convention
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Time Period: July 1st - July 2nd, 1919
On morning of July 1st, and after a succession of light skirmishes along the eastern territory of the provincial capital of Posen, the German Red Army began a full assault on the second detachment of the German White Army. In the days prior, the better equipped reactionaries had successfully pushed the Polish KRPR militia from their light defensive encampments scattered throughout eastern portions of the province, and forced them all into a pocket within the capital. In addition, after news of Ludendorff’s defeat had reached their primary Junker financiers, a small additional militia levy was raised from the reactionary German peasant class throughout eastern Prussia. Under the new leadership of German solider Waldemar Pabst, they, alongside the main White Army force, had hoped to crush the KRPR before the arrival of any interdiction from Berlin.
Unfortunately delays in both the march and the levy caused them to miss that opportunity.
“According to our scouts, the enemy currently outnumbers us by small margin,” said one of the Bavarian expeditionary soldiers to Thalmann and Musham. “However, their positions are extremely defensible; we will still sustain heavy losses if we try to expel them outright.”
After hearing this, and already understanding that per Rosa’s orders the primary objective was the rescue of the KRPR forces, both of the commanders instead decided to launch a strong frontal assault into the center column of White Army forces in order to create a path of retreat.
Opening up the pitched battle with a short artillery barrage, Thalmann ordered his armored vehicles to thrust forward, as the main army followed behind. This shock maneuver caused Pabst’s forces to collapse in the center.
“Reform the lines!” he shouted to his soldiers.
Effectively split in two, but still retaining their overall battlefield composure, the Whites began to interdict the Red Army column from both the northern and the southern flanks. At the same time, with a bridge to retreat west now established, the KRPR leadership ordered a mass evacuation of from the capital.
By midday, 60% of the militia forces, along with the primary leadership and Luxemburgist diplomat Julian Marchlewski, had done so successfully. However, with the southern flank of the Red Army column close to cracking, Thalmann ordered a retreat of all forces back to Brandenburg.
By the morning of July 2nd, the German White Army had fully regained control of Posen, crushing what remained of the Polish communists in the province and ending the Worker's Republic.
However, with majority of the KRPR forces still alive and now joined with the overarching German Red Army and Kommuniste Populare, Thalmann and Musahm encamped themselves several miles east of the Oder River to await orders from Berlin.
______________
______________
______________
Time Period: July 1st - July 2nd, 1919
On morning of July 1st, and after a succession of light skirmishes along the eastern territory of the provincial capital of Posen, the German Red Army began a full assault on the second detachment of the German White Army. In the days prior, the better equipped reactionaries had successfully pushed the Polish KRPR militia from their light defensive encampments scattered throughout eastern portions of the province, and forced them all into a pocket within the capital. In addition, after news of Ludendorff’s defeat had reached their primary Junker financiers, a small additional militia levy was raised from the reactionary German peasant class throughout eastern Prussia. Under the new leadership of German solider Waldemar Pabst, they, alongside the main White Army force, had hoped to crush the KRPR before the arrival of any interdiction from Berlin.
Unfortunately delays in both the march and the levy caused them to miss that opportunity.
“According to our scouts, the enemy currently outnumbers us by small margin,” said one of the Bavarian expeditionary soldiers to Thalmann and Musham. “However, their positions are extremely defensible; we will still sustain heavy losses if we try to expel them outright.”
After hearing this, and already understanding that per Rosa’s orders the primary objective was the rescue of the KRPR forces, both of the commanders instead decided to launch a strong frontal assault into the center column of White Army forces in order to create a path of retreat.
Opening up the pitched battle with a short artillery barrage, Thalmann ordered his armored vehicles to thrust forward, as the main army followed behind. This shock maneuver caused Pabst’s forces to collapse in the center.
“Reform the lines!” he shouted to his soldiers.
Effectively split in two, but still retaining their overall battlefield composure, the Whites began to interdict the Red Army column from both the northern and the southern flanks. At the same time, with a bridge to retreat west now established, the KRPR leadership ordered a mass evacuation of from the capital.
By midday, 60% of the militia forces, along with the primary leadership and Luxemburgist diplomat Julian Marchlewski, had done so successfully. However, with the southern flank of the Red Army column close to cracking, Thalmann ordered a retreat of all forces back to Brandenburg.
By the morning of July 2nd, the German White Army had fully regained control of Posen, crushing what remained of the Polish communists in the province and ending the Worker's Republic.
However, with majority of the KRPR forces still alive and now joined with the overarching German Red Army and Kommuniste Populare, Thalmann and Musahm encamped themselves several miles east of the Oder River to await orders from Berlin.
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I'm guessing this will be treated like a Polish Long March. An impressive retreat that preserved vital forces for an eventual comeback.
Agreed. The nationalist consciousness of Danes in the province, at least in my eyes, would make that outcome to most realistic one. But stay tuned.
Indeed.
That means I'm doing my job as writer
Y'know I didn't think about it like that until you mentioned it, but the allusion is uncanny. Though, one could argue that the real Polish "Long March" started way back in 1792
Different ITTL. I'll touch on it in the next chapter, but some of the voter choices created some unintended splits between IOTL's allies (Rosa and Frolich, for instance)
Now this is what I call a diverse bunch... Religious and Secularist, Statist and Libertarian, Reformist and Revolutionary, Nationalist and Internationalist... This assembly got them all united under a single goal: CRUSH CAPITALISM AND DEFEAT THE IMPERIALISTS!!!
I'm expecting a third thread that retreads this thread and the first one myself given the last time.
It's not dead. Just taking a break to work on other projects
Chapter IV (1919) | Part I ( National Convention )
Chapter IV: National Convention
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Time Period: July 2nd - July 8th, 1919
______________
Time Period: July 2nd - July 8th, 1919
“I call this meeting to order!” announced one of the Council Communist speakers during the opening ceremony of the Berlin National Convention. “Esteemed delegates, please take you seats!”
Rosa’s call for the creation of a national consensus with which to stay the growing divisions caused by the crumbling imperial state, Allied occupation, and the German Civil War had been met with significant support from the unaligned provinces of northern and central Germany.
Between the assumption of power by the Luxemburgists in Berlin, and the quick expansion of its republic throughout Brandenburg and Bamberg, the status of the Council Communists among the disparate political groups was extremely high, with Rosa specifically holding sway over many of the respective leaderships. Thus, as Rosa took to the podium in the center of the chamber, each of the delegates listened intently to her word.
“Welcome, dear comrades. As you well know, we stand on the precipice of crisis. Over the next several weeks, both I and my esteemed party member’s hope, with your assistance, to establish a national unity consensus on the political future of the German people. This forum will therefore be one of open and robust debate as I truly believe that it is through this medium alone, that the best path forward will emerge, especially as we deal with the myriad of challenges ahead.”
After finishing her speech several minutes later, another Council Communist staffer then took the podium to announce the self-nominated leaderships of each delegation in attendance.
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German Christian Communists: Ernst Bloch
German Anarchists: Gustav Landauer & Silvio Gesell
Left Wing Nationalists: Otto Strasser & Gregor Strasser
Social Democrats: Friedrich Kellner
Left-wing Radicals: Paul Frolich
______________
After the roll call was completed, the first delegate to speak was Gustav Landauer of the anarchist faction. Taking to the podium with a written greeting in hand, he read aloud an outline of his intentions for the meeting. “Though I represent one of the smaller factions in this divisive political milieu, I nevertheless contend that the voice that both I and Silvio represent will remain resolute in its ideological imperatives, no matter the arrangement we agree to over the next days and weeks,” he said.
And as each leader likewise took their turns at the podium, each echoed similar sentiments.Much like Rosa and the Council Communists, they each found their ideologies under immense pressure from by enemies both foreign and domestic. Some grand accord had to be reached if they were to weather through it.
Thus with the official ceremonies concluded, the delegates and their parties broke out into to several committee level groups; each specializing in a specific facet of the German revolutionary economy.
While the group debated the potential coalescence of their various economic ideologies, another feverously debated the merits of a governmental structure.
However, with the Council Communists, along with their Bavarian allies entrenched as de-facto leaders of the armed struggle, their ruling ideologies often won out.
While the negotiations and debates continued, between July 3rd and July 6th the German Red Army moved from their encamped positions along the central banks, west of the Oder River toward the northern province of Pomerania. With leftist naval mutineers already occupying the seaports, and the German citizenry starving, the people welcomed the Luxemburgist soldiers with cheers.
Simultaneously, the Essen government was expanding their influence in the provinces directly east of Bavaria. With material and economic support pouring in from the Allies, the SPD lead government freely offered food and security to those that would pledge it allegiance.
On July 7th, the political impasse in Berlin was broken, albeit at a significant cost.
Headed by Ernst Bloch, a multi-party faction made up of the Christian communists, left wing radicals, and anarchists made an offer to Rosa and the CCP leadership.
Detailed in a private correspondence, and signed by the leaders of each delegation, an offer of a full alliance was made.
“Due to the ideological successes of your factions in the mileu of the German Revolution, we fervently agree to join the CCP in their crusade to liberate the working class from reactionary tyranny. However, we cannot do so while the either the bourgeois Social Democrats or Left-wing Nationalists have a place within this coalition,” the letter read.
Immediately Rosa was unsure.
Prior to receiving the note, she had personally witnessed the growing tide of factionalization taking place during the various committee debates, resulting in the leftist camp which had made the offer and a competing rightist camp led by Otto Strasser’s and Friedrich Kellner’s delegations.
She knew that Ernst Bloch’s faction would be able to immediately cajole several un-aligned provinces to joining the German Council Republic, as well as give her party a legitimizing voice among the various religious institutions throughout the country. But would also certainly pull her party’s ideology inexorably toward the radical left on the political spectrum.
At the same time, siding with Strasser’s faction would undoubtedly play well with any unaligned Reichsarmee soldiers unwilling to join the Entente-backed Essen government nor the Junker-backed Freikorps. Moreover, adding some Social Democrats into a political coalition would help legitimize the CCP to foreign powers and likewise diminish the legitimacy extolled by the Essen government. Though it would surely push her party’s platform toward the right.
With the convention scheduled to close by July 8th, she had to make a decision.
______________
Voting Time
Would should Rosa form a coalition with?
Results
______________
______________
After the roll call was completed, the first delegate to speak was Gustav Landauer of the anarchist faction. Taking to the podium with a written greeting in hand, he read aloud an outline of his intentions for the meeting. “Though I represent one of the smaller factions in this divisive political milieu, I nevertheless contend that the voice that both I and Silvio represent will remain resolute in its ideological imperatives, no matter the arrangement we agree to over the next days and weeks,” he said.
And as each leader likewise took their turns at the podium, each echoed similar sentiments.Much like Rosa and the Council Communists, they each found their ideologies under immense pressure from by enemies both foreign and domestic. Some grand accord had to be reached if they were to weather through it.
Thus with the official ceremonies concluded, the delegates and their parties broke out into to several committee level groups; each specializing in a specific facet of the German revolutionary economy.
While the group debated the potential coalescence of their various economic ideologies, another feverously debated the merits of a governmental structure.
However, with the Council Communists, along with their Bavarian allies entrenched as de-facto leaders of the armed struggle, their ruling ideologies often won out.
While the negotiations and debates continued, between July 3rd and July 6th the German Red Army moved from their encamped positions along the central banks, west of the Oder River toward the northern province of Pomerania. With leftist naval mutineers already occupying the seaports, and the German citizenry starving, the people welcomed the Luxemburgist soldiers with cheers.
Simultaneously, the Essen government was expanding their influence in the provinces directly east of Bavaria. With material and economic support pouring in from the Allies, the SPD lead government freely offered food and security to those that would pledge it allegiance.
On July 7th, the political impasse in Berlin was broken, albeit at a significant cost.
Headed by Ernst Bloch, a multi-party faction made up of the Christian communists, left wing radicals, and anarchists made an offer to Rosa and the CCP leadership.
Detailed in a private correspondence, and signed by the leaders of each delegation, an offer of a full alliance was made.
“Due to the ideological successes of your factions in the mileu of the German Revolution, we fervently agree to join the CCP in their crusade to liberate the working class from reactionary tyranny. However, we cannot do so while the either the bourgeois Social Democrats or Left-wing Nationalists have a place within this coalition,” the letter read.
Immediately Rosa was unsure.
Prior to receiving the note, she had personally witnessed the growing tide of factionalization taking place during the various committee debates, resulting in the leftist camp which had made the offer and a competing rightist camp led by Otto Strasser’s and Friedrich Kellner’s delegations.
She knew that Ernst Bloch’s faction would be able to immediately cajole several un-aligned provinces to joining the German Council Republic, as well as give her party a legitimizing voice among the various religious institutions throughout the country. But would also certainly pull her party’s ideology inexorably toward the radical left on the political spectrum.
At the same time, siding with Strasser’s faction would undoubtedly play well with any unaligned Reichsarmee soldiers unwilling to join the Entente-backed Essen government nor the Junker-backed Freikorps. Moreover, adding some Social Democrats into a political coalition would help legitimize the CCP to foreign powers and likewise diminish the legitimacy extolled by the Essen government. Though it would surely push her party’s platform toward the right.
With the convention scheduled to close by July 8th, she had to make a decision.
______________
Voting Time
Would should Rosa form a coalition with?
Results
______________
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Just imagine my surprise that the second I checked my alerts my other favourite leftist timeline updated.
Its a shame that its not possible for the anarchist-religious faction to coopt the strasserists, and therefore declawing the nationalist elements, but i see no other way to keep the CCP going in the right direction.