W3.1 - Extreme Left

• After the German Revolution (1918-19), the left-wing movement was in a state of confusion
• Moderate socialists of SPD were committed to parliamentary democracy
• Communists, the KPD, pressed for a worker’s revolution
• USPD stood for the creation of a radical socialist society within a democratic framework
• In 1920, the USPD disbanded and members joined either the KPD or SPD
• From 1920 onwards, there were two left-wing alternative parties with fundamental differences
• The KPD believed that the establishment of parliamentary democracy fell short of their real aims
• The KPD wanted the revolution to proceed on Marxist lines, leading to the creation of a one-party Communist state and major restructuring of Germany socially and economically
• As a result of the Russian Revolution (1917), many German Communists believed that international revolution would spread throughout Europe
• Opposition to the Republic was a complete rejection of the Weimar system by the extreme left
• The extreme left was not prepared to be part of the democratic opposition or work within the parliamentary system to bring about desired changes
• There was no chance of political cooperation between the moderate and extreme left, let alone coming together in one Socialist movement
• The extreme left was totally committed to a very different version of German politics and society
• The moderate left was one of the pillars of Weimar democracy
• The KPD was a significant political force in the years 1919-23, enjoying support of 10-15% of the electorate
• There were continuous revolutionary disturbances, protests, strikes, and uprisings by the extreme left
• Despite the actions of the extreme left, many Germans began to have exaggerated fears about the possibility of an impending revolution due to right-wing propaganda
• Looking back, it is clear that the extreme left posed much less of a threat to Weimar than believed at the time
• The revolutionary left was never really likely to seize political power due to their own weaknesses and the effective resistance of Weimar governments
• Even during the chaos and uncertainty of 1923, the extreme left's activities proved incapable of mounting a unified attack on Weimar democracy
• Repression suffered at the hands of Freikorps removed some of the ablest and most spirited leaders of the extreme left, such as Liebknecht and Luxemburg
• Later leadership of the extreme left suffered from internal divisions and disagreements on tactics
• Weimar governments played on the differences within the extreme left by making concessions which split the movement
• Authorities systematically repressed the rebels with considerable brutality
• The extreme left was ultimately not powerful enough to lead a revolution against the Weimar Republic