spartacist uprising

• When did the Spartacist Revolt occur?

  January 1919
• When was Germany's Communist Party (KPD) first set up?

  December 1918
• Who backed the KPD?

  The Soviet Union
• How many daily newspapers did the KPD have?

  33 daily newspapers
• How many members did the KPD have?

  400,000 members
• What was the Spartacist League?

  A group of extreme socialists from the USPD
• Who were the leaders of the Spartacist League?

  Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
• What was the significance of the name "Spartacist League"?

  Named after the leader of a slave revolt
• What action did Chancellor Ebert take that led to protests?

  He sacked Emil Eichhorn
• What was the workers' reaction to Eichhorn's sacking?

  Thousands protested in the streets
• How did the Spartacists respond to the protests?

  They called for an uprising and general strike
• How many workers protested on the 6th of January?


  100,000 workers
• What did the workers manage to take over during the protests?

  The government's newspaper and telegraph offices
• What did Ebert order to counter the revolt?

  To organize soldiers into Freikorps units
• How many men were in the Freikorps by March 1919?

  Around 250,000 men
• What was the outcome of the revolt by the 13th of January?


  The rebels were driven off the streets
• What happened to Luxemburg and Liebknecht on the 16th of January?

  They were caught and arrested by Freikorps
• How did Liebknecht meet his end?

  He was arrested and shot
• What happened to Luxemburg after her arrest?

  She was struck and shot, then dumped
• What was the immediate result of the Spartacist Revolt?

  The communist rebellion was suppressed
• What were the key events of the Spartacist Revolt?

  • Ebert sacks Emil Eichhorn
  • Workers protest in the streets
  • Spartacists call for uprising and strike
  • 100,000 workers take to the streets
  • Government offices taken over
  • Freikorps organized to suppress revolt
  • Rebels driven off the streets by January 13
  • Luxemburg and Liebknecht arrested and killed
• What were the implications of the Spartacist Revolt for the Weimar Republic?

  • Highlighted political instability
  • Strengthened right-wing paramilitary groups
  • Weakened moderate parties' power
  • Set a precedent for future uprisings