It is known as Spartacist Uprising (German Spartakusaufstand) for a general strike and armed struggles in Berlin from 5 to 12 January 1919, that being suffocated had virtually ended the November Revolution. The name is widespread use, though the Spartacus League, which became the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), and started lifting and directed him but cooperated with lifting once started. Since November 1918 there had been a lot of revolutionary upheaval in Germany, after the overthrow of the monarchy of the Hohenzollern and the proclamation of the Weimar Republic, being that the new regime was facing strong internal stresses caused by mutually opposing political factions: monarchists, military officers, socialist unions and communists, and now the lower ranks who openly questioned his officers. The new government headed by the Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert tried to maintain internal order and present a united front to the victorious powers of World War front. To do this, the government needed to ensure obedience of demobilized troops Reichsheer and prevent newly created soviets of workers and soldiers were an open challenge against the regime. The uprising began to proclaim in December 1918 the First Soviet Congress of Germany in Berlin. Its delegates, members of the Workers and Soldiers Councils, and under heavy influence of the Communist Party of Germany, shortly before Christmas sought the dismissal of Marshal Paul von Hindenburg as Commander in Chief of the Army, the dissolution of the Regular Army and its replacement by a policeman whose officers were to be elected by his men. The Social Democratic government of Friedrich Ebert refused to accede to these requests, it being supported by the Army, represented by Marshal Hindenburg, and maintaining a tense calm in the last days of 1918. However, the January 5th most radical leftists, now supported by the Spartacus League, they sent the call Peoples Marine Division to take the seat of Vorwärts newspaper, spokesman for the SPD and threatened the administrative offices of the government located in the Wilhelmstrasse1 and the Building of the Foreign Ministry, following the scheme of revolt the capital along the lines of the Russian Revolution. However, the first revolutionary movement was started by the masses of the First Soviet Congress proclaimed the general strike in Berlin and designed the overthrow of the government, although without the approval of the Communist Party of Germany, which did not deem it appropriate time for a lifting workers and soldados.2 The communist leader Rosa Luxemburg postulated that the German situation was not equal to that of Russia, and demobilized soldiers with no way to establish a sufficient mass of fighters to overthrow the government. On the other hand, the Russian Bolshevik regime faced still tsarist military reaction sponsored by the French and British governments, manifested in a civil war which was not in a position to provide effective assistance to the German Communists. To make matters worse, the government of Ebert tried to calm the uncertainty of the workers on the payment of wages and improving their living conditions providing the US government, led by Woodrow Wilson, would provide emergency financial assistance to avoid discontent in Germany, which weakened the enthusiasm of a part of the working masses to participate in a revolt. Despite these adverse factors, the head of the Spartacus League, Karl Liebknecht, determined that the League would support the revolt of the strikers and then put in front of it, figuring it would be most appropriate to imitate the example Russian German time of the October Revolution and overthrow the regime Ebert. The socialist Gustav Noske was appointed Minister of National Defence on January 6 and said: Someone has to be the hunting dog, giving orders to launch an armed reaction against strikers and their allies, though still Ebert tried to gain time requiring Spartacus negotiations with rebels. However, knowing the First Congress of Soviet delegates that Ebert and the SPD claimed to participate in that Congress, all negotiations broke down on January 8. The rebels then demanded the immediate resignation of the government and due to this the Chancellor Friedrich Ebert immediately requested the help of the regular army, taking advantage of the People Division of partisan Navy rebels retreated to their barracks before it reached the garrison of Potsdam which remained faithful to the Regular Army. Meanwhile, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg came to the forefront of the revolt, trying to win the support of the soldiers of the Soviets, so that auxiliasen with their arms to the workers sublevados.3 The Army counterattack began on January 9, 1919, under General Walther von Lüttwitz, with the support of loyal troops the government and the anti Freikorps. Struggles with the rebels workers started the Bloody Week causing urban fighting in the German capital for several days and transforming public streets and squares in battlefields. The Spartacist workers, entrenched in their factories, did not enjoy the massive support of soldiers and other workers, so could hardly resist the onslaught of the regular troops and the Freikorps. Lacking a massive adhesion between workers and soldiers, the Spartakists were evicted from their positions slowly being killed or captured in combat by government forces better armed and organized. For the January 15 had been crushed the Communist uprising in Berlin and government troops had recovered all points of the city taken by Spartacus. The two main leaders of the Spartacus League, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, were captured by regular troops on the morning of that day and immediately killed while being transported to jail, being uncertain fate of their bodies. The killings sparked throughout Germany numerous disturbances and riots that left 5,000 dead, thousands of reprisals and murder of many leaders of the left.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:05:01 +0000
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