- McSpotlight -

a very poor knowledge of history

Posted by: Andrew ( WSM, Ireland ) on February 01, 1999 at 18:43:10:

In Reply to: Revolution in Germany posted by Mike C on November 04, 1997 at 11:12:40:

To say the German revolution "chiefly failed due to the lack of a revolutionary party" shows a very poor knowledge of history and a
serious underestimation of the need for self activity of the
working class. One could claim this perhaps for the 1919
rebellion in Berlin (but this was flawed in several
other major ways also) but it is not true of the later
risings, particularly those of 1921 and the farce of 1923.

In these events it was the 'revolutionary party' (KPD -
Germany Communist Party) and its authoratarian methods
of organisation that was the problem, particularly in 1923
but also in 1921. It not only existed but had 500,000
members. At the same time the Soviet Union from 1920
was secretly re-arming the German army, causing the
opposition CP, the KPAD to publish an open letter after
the defeat of 1921 demanding to know how many German workers
had been killed with Russian guns.

The connection with Trotsky BTW is that he was one of
the designers of the 1923 farce, insisting at one point
that the KPD stage a rising on the exact anniversary of
the Russian revolution. As to the 1921 march rising
there was a serios suspicion that it had been ordered
by Moscow to distract attnetion from the Bolsheviks bloody
massacre of the revolutionary sailors of Kronsdadt.

Andrew

--
McSpotlight: This really belongs in the Capitalism room; it might be a good idea to take it there...


Follow Ups:

None.

The Debating Room Post a Followup