er They led and died in the German revolution Rosa Luxemburg Karl Liebknecht By JACK COHEN Two of the great heroes and martyrs of the international workers’ struggle for Socialism, two of the many who stood by their class and by their So- cialist principles “even unto death” were Kar! Liebknecht and Rosa Luxem- burg. Just 50 years ago—on January 15, 1919 — these two outstanding leaders of the German working class were done to death most horribly and brutally by White Guard officers mobilized by alle- gedly “Socialist” leaders for the pur- pose of drowning the German revolu- tion in blood. Karl Liebknecht, famous son of a famous father — Wilhelm Liebknecht —was one of the founders of the Ger- man Social Democratic Party (SPD), and friend of Marx and Engels, and worked in the closest contact with them PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 24, 1969-——Page® . in the development of the Socialist movement in Germany. Karl Liebknecht’s name is linked in the development of the Socialist youth movement in Germany and in- ternationally, above all, with the early fight against militarism and war. His book, “Militarism and Anti-mili- tarism,” published in 1907, was one of the first class exposures of the twin purposes of war and the military ma- chine under imperialism — namely the pursuit of conquest and imperialist aims abroad, and the suppression of the working-class struggle for Socialism at home. Its publication in the Prussian-domi- nated, militarist Germany of pre-1914, led to his arrest and imprisonment in a fortress for 18 months, Elected to the Prussian Land-tag (Prussian provincial Parliament) in 1909 while still in prison, and to the Reichstag (the national Parliament) in 1912, Liebknecht was the heart and soul of the struggle of the left wing in the German Social Democratic Party against the increasingly right wing policies of the party leadership, and against the drive to war marked by the enormous increase in armaments and of the armed forces in Germany. ° These two struggles were really one. For it was precisely on the question of imperialist ‘Germany's drive to war and the attitude that Socialists should adopt toward it, that the leadership revealed its utter, political degenera- tion, This process was carried to the low- est depths by its betrayal of the Ger- man working class at the outbreak of World War I and later at the time of the German revolution in November 1918, In the early years of the century, the right-wing SPD leaders were already preaching the need for “preparation” and support for arms expansion for the “defence of the Fatherland,” It was in this struggle for a Socialist policy in the German labor movement, and for the rallying of the German working class to fight against the ap- proaching war in the spirit of the nu- merous decisions taken by international Socialist conferences, that the political life and work of Rosa Luxemburg joins that of Karl Liebknecht. Rosa Luxemburg was one of the most remarkable and outstanding women produced by the international working- class movement. Born in Poland, she joined the Socialist movement there, but spent the greater part of her life in the German movement, She was one of the outstanding Marx- ist theoreticians of her time (though Lenin crossed swords with her on a number of important questions), a fiery orator, and a most powerful writer. The SPD supported the war from the outset, and its Deputies in the Reich- sag regularly voted the war credits de- manded by the Government. Lieb- knecht, after voting for them in Aug- ust 1914 in the interests of Party unity, opposed them every time after- wards. Early in 1915 he and Rosa. Luxem- burg took the lead in establishing the “International” or “Spartacist” League. This was the body which led the fight against the war under its slogans, “The Enemy is in Your Own Country,” “Class War Against War.” It’s legal and illegal activities met with stern Government repression. The Spartacist leaders were arrested. Rosa Luxemburg was imprisoned in 1915, first for a year, then, after a few weeks of liberty, she was re-arrested and held in. jail without trial until the end of the war. ° The effort was made to silence Lieb- knecht by calling him up for the army. He served in a pioneer battalion and was sent to different fronts, But as an MP he was entitled to attend the Reich- Stag sessions. In April 1916 he tried to address the Reichstag, but was howled down as usual, He then organized a big May Day demonstration at which he spoke in uniform: he was arrested and im- prisoned until nearly the end of the war. But the fight against the war con- tinued, despite all the persecution, and was given an enormous impetus by the great October Socialist Revolution in Russia in 1917. Active struggle against the war de- veloped in a number of beligerent coun- tries. Mutinies at the Front increased and were repressed with savage fero- city. Then the workers took a hand in January 1918 with strikes, first in Aus- tria, and especially in Germany. Here the January strike spread all over the country and involved more than one million workers. It was a strike against the war and for the speediest conclusion of a demo- cratic peace. It was called off after a week in face of Government repres- sion. ° But no repression could halt the movement for long. The war with its terrible toll of blood, hunger and suf- fering continued, and became ever more hopeless for Germany. In September 1918, Ludendorff, the virtual military dictator, resigned, and called for the establishment of a Par- liamentary government and the open- ing of negotiations for an armistice. A new government was duly formed based on the Social-Democratic Party, the Catholic Centre Party and the Pro- gressive Party, but its head, the Chan- cellor, was a prince, Max von Baden— and the generals, the junkers, Big Busi- ness bosses, still ruled Germany. It was a government to negotiate an armis- tice, not to change the social face of Germany. But the workers, soldiers and sailors, took a hand. The German revolution ex- ploded in the early days of November 1918. It was sparked off by a revolt of the sailors at Kiel on November 4, who were speedily joined by workers led ‘by the revolutionary shop stewrrds in the town. It spread like a prairie fire throughout the whole of Germany within days. Workers and Soldiers’ councils were established, revolutionary shop stew- ards, the Spartacists and the Indepen- dent Socialist Party (USPD — a Left- Centre split from the SPD, formed in 1917), were at. the centre of this move- ment, ° This great uprising speeded up the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. But it did more. On Novem- ber 9, 1918. there was a general strike and a demonstration of armed workers and soldiers in Berlin which resulted in the abdication of the Kaiser taking over of power in Be capital, and in several other « the workers and soldiers, The German Republic was p ed. The way lay open for the | transformation of Germany. | was prevented by the right wi ers of the SPD. First, they had to get the le, of the revolutionary forces un¢ control in order to disintegrat This was done by splitting the the USPD, Spartacists and rey ary shop stewards by getting th ment of the USPD to join wi in the establishment of a pro Government. This was followed by gett SPD represented in the leadey the Berlin Workers and Soldier; cil, the most important one | many, They then managed to get | for the Government from a con of delegates of workers and s councils, While all this was going on, negotiations were undertaker General Groener for the re-es ment of “order” in the army ; dispatch of “reliable” troops to Things began to:move quick! in December. On December 6 a was attempted by counter-revoly officers: 150,000 Berlin worke ponded to the call of the Spa for a protest demonstration. ( cember 14 the government orde weapons to be handed in. On December 24 counter-rey ary troops attacked the People rine Division stationed in the h Palace. This was repulsed. On | ber 29 the USPD representatiy signed from the government an replaced by Noske and anothe leader. Noske started to build up a “ dable” military force and set ups Corps” composed of officers « Kaiser's army. On January 4, 19) SPD Government dismissed Emil - orn, a left-wing Socialist mem the USPD from his position as police president. ° A mass protest demonstration by the newly formed Communist (established on December 30, from a special Spartacist confef the USPD and the revolutionary stewards was attended by tens of sands of workérs and soldiers. A general strike was called } leaders of the USPD and the Cos ists. The government, playing for engaged in negotiations on th hand, while it completed its ni preparations on the other. Negotiations finally broke dot January 8, and a joint call § USPD and the Communists was! for an insurrection. On Janual Noske’s counter-revolutionary of corps struck, and by January J counter-revolution was victoriow The hunt now began for the § cist leaders, now leaders of Communist Party, and especi Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Lux In this, Vorwarts, the official the SPD, led the jackals chorus citement and hatred. On the morning of January very day Liebknecht and Lux were murdered, this so-called Sot paper published a poem which ind called for their murder. “500 corpses in a row, “Liebknecht, Rosa, Radek and! “Are they not there also?” : e Soon the calls were translate deeds. On January 15, 1919, Karl kneckt and Rosa Luxemburg rested by a group of army officers. were taken to the Hotel Eden, occupied by the staff of the Cavalry Division. They were j into two separate cars and wert accompanied by several officers. | Once inside and en route, them was battered on the head butts and Liebknecht had several shots fired into his body. His was handed in to the authorities as that of “an unknown man.” Rosa Luxemburg was simil patched; her body was thrown i Landwehr Canal and not until March.