On January 15th 1919 a small middle-aged woman was taken from a hotel by soldiers. Later, her lead broken open by rifle butts.
shot and her body thrown into a canal. Though the German revolution had failed, Rosa Luxembourg was such a powerful symbol of revolution that she had to be murdered - with the connivance Social-democratic Party she had member of for 20 years.
Rosa Luxembourg's life the age of 18, and fo Social Democratic led for the rest of her life. to join the huge German Social-Democratic Party (SPD), the hub of the 2nd International In Germany she immediately had to do battle with the 'giants" of Marxism, on behalf of a genuine revolutionary Marxism.
Unlike the Ist International in the 1860 whose central International dominated the national soctions, the 2nd International (1889-1914) was a talking-shop of national parties dominated by the German party, SPD. Without any overriding discipline, a move away from revolutionary socialism by the SPD would therefore be a disaster. Yet it was only to be expected that with such a weak International in a period of Imperiabst expansion and struggles for universal franchise, reformism would begin to appear. In the 1890s, with the Trade Unions gaining in strength and the parliamentary (Reichstag) fractionacting increasingly independently of the party, it was in Germany that Reformism. and its theoretical justification, Revisionism. began to fight for control of the SPD. It was in this fight that Ross Luxembourg developed the ideas she would use through the next 20 years to fight for socialism against capitalism, and would finally use to split the SPD and to to loree a successful resolution in Germany in 1919 to go to the help of the victorious Russian Revolution. The parliamentary fraction and the trade unions, whilst accepting Marxist analyss o otiety, argued fora peaceful, gradualist roac Socialism Via reforms. Bernslein fand Schrdt) provided the theoretical justification for this position. Arguing from the simple fact that there hadn't been a crisis in twenty odd YOaD, tney found that the breasdown of capitalism was no longer inevitable, and that trade unions would overcome the exploitation of the worker and parliament would vote socislism into bring.
Luxemburg countered in 1900 with Social Reform or Revolution. In it she destroys Bemstein's economic argements by showing Now his analysis applies only to the individual capitalist and aot to the whole opialist system. She shows that the Trade Unions are purely defensive organisations and attacks the view tac the extension of the State in seciery is the extension of a noutral influence. Sic Ата РЕНС themselves in favour uf the metined legislatise legitadistinction to the aguest polit reform. pince power sod soci? revolution do not really choose a more tranquil colner and slower brilla dacks on the captoet cos mat road to the same goa • but a different goal. Instead of taking a stand for the establishment 02 EW SONCE TO Take a Sa TOE Suran modifications of the old society".
After the revolutionary strikes of 1905-6 in the revolutionary left moved on the offensive against The Mass Strike, The Political Party and the Trade Unions", Rosa Luxemburg brillantly analysed the working classes self-developed weapon, the mass strike saw self-education.
and yet already a political movement, in need of an organisation but no organisation being able to will it or call it into existence. For Ros, Luxemburg, believing in sacialism from below, socialism throuch control of society by a class-conscious working class, the mass strike was a crucial self-educative stage in the revolutionary movement.
The mass strike is the first natural impulsive form of every great revolutionary struggle of the proletariat and the more highly developed the antagonism is between capital and labour. the more effective and decisive must mass strikes become."
60 years later thousands of young Frenchmen are going back to some of Rosa's writings for insights into their own struggles of May-June 1968, as workers. students, teachers.
In The Accumulation of Capital", her mojor work written in 1912, she tackled a problem which was fundamental to Marxists: Why wasn't CHOLINE TO.1 struck contradictions? She discovered the answer in the effects of imperialism on the process of assumpoon of perfect started from the reality of capitalist countries unloading both their surplus capital and their products onto non capilalist countries, and showed the role of imperialism as the major stabiliser of capitalisma - countering the contradiction of overproduction. Because of this, she argued. the total profit of the capitalist class could expand to the detriment of the wages of the workers without an actual fall in the living standard of the individual worker in a capitalist country. The arguments on this issue are still going on, vet there is no that.
made the finest contribulion to Marxist having coonomics since Marx.
Despite all the attempts of the revatationary socialists the Geman Sucial Desperatic Party dowa Reformism. In 1910 it refosed to lead a mass strike (despite warking class support for Rosa Luxemburg and her puliciest and in 1914 the entire SPD parlamentasy fraction exception i Karl Leibnecht vorce for wet them later struegles against HEller credils. With this betrayal by the SP'D the tiny opposition af the 2nd In erstral cell pard. Duly Rosa Luxeachung's Polsh Parly Leria's Russian Party remained firmly opposed to the war Rose Luvemburg was in ga for cast of the Fust Rorld Wir the fist tune) triurophed docust without a trial Af her previous miate lier speeches Inen te dock ad been sacl they wouldn't chance it again. From jail she advice and instructions to Kad Leibnecht, and founded the Sparlacus Leagu from the left-wing of the SPD. They minority support inside the Party in all the industrial areas and organised a demonstration of 10,000 against the war in Berlin!
As the SPD became more rabidly nationalistic the nota Pattok control sent abese fae papers. and began campaign against Rosa Luxemburg which was to culminate in 1918-19 with the formation of a Social Democratic armed vigilante groug whose express purpose was to hound her an the Spartacus members.
Rosa Luxemburg was released by the ENOSC110L1 Revalution This Reviluron overtuew the old politieat sysiem to power to prevent a social They forced to concede the Might Hour Day and Factory Committees to run industry jointly by bosses and workers. They fooded the existing Workers" Councils with loyal" deputies from Soldiers Councils and dissolved the National Workers" Council in favour of a National Assembly which they could control.
Rost Luxemburg and Karl Leibnecht formed the German Communist Party (KPD) December anticipation of tho workers" next struggle for power But the rising in Janwary was premature. Berlin was isolated from the rest of the country and as the rest was beginning to rise the Berlin revol crushed. amuld soon be brought together the Reaction immediately leaders the workurg class had faith in Karl Loibnecht and Rosa Luxemburg.
The battle the SPD won was undeniably that of the bosses. All their concessions would mean nothing in fifteen years time. As Hitler strode to power to protect the tate of profit, he strode on their corpse. The Eight Hour Day was already smashed by the Krupp lock aul of 1936, and the Factory Conmittees lasted only a year The reformists, though they can protect the bosses from revolutionary workers. can never gain real reforms, only the revolutionaries de squeezing them out of the bosses through the bosses" own fear. Nor can they.
helped destroy revolutionary situation, protect the situation or the workers afterwards The Referaasts can never call the workers to bring the system. Having betrayed the working class they have set in molich chain nE events whose bercome i incalculable. In Germany hy destroying the Gerinan Revolution they destroyed the Risson Resolution. and chus lad no help in Ros Lusembong Fought These people at her and lie in her fight for revolutionary socialiste as well as the Marxists of the Ceone whic Brouge the cactivity and belief that things will tupper of chet men aided them. Jancarythe Refommist Fer winch Then wite-ant Belped being about For all thei hypocatic: about essesiente bloody Rosa they were the most viniont In early November, Brent Campgain for Peace in Vietnam applied to the borougie Medical Officer of Health for the use of Kiban Cante Sor a rod doper send for to. 10)
"Glad cancillon complain at rest comicil Tories voting for withdrawal and 10 Labour opposing The BCPV sher hires the Arson Hall Tabo belonging to Bonught Connet). But Tour saps before 25e sesoon is dor to sole place the booking is cancelled by I7ic SOKO CITE SCION TOO SRINE ORL Labour Hall wus made available for the 15th December when the session eventually took place.
Willesden and Camilen branches of V.S.C decided thar action must be taken to show what we thought of these Tory bandits whe within 6 maris of beire cfected fad wade theselves thoraghly later os ther fad imposed enormous rest increases on their senants who are now active engaged in a test strike.
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TRIBUNE The Black Dwarf 27 Jan 1969 The Black Dwarf
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The day the VSC drove the Councillors from the Chamber