German+Social+Democracy

 BACK TO SOCIAL DEMOCRACY  = =  **German Social Democracy History**

German Social Democracy was a movement of the people. The Social Democratic Party of Germany or the SPD was formed in 1875. It was formed when the Social Democratic Workers Party and the General German workers Party were combined together by August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht. Bebel and Liebknecht were instrumental in forming the SPD and are two of the main founders of the party. When the SPD was founded in 1875 Germany was under the rule of Bismarck. Bismarck set up a law called the Exceptional Law or Law of Exclusion, this law prohibited Socialist and Communist groups and ideas in Germany. “The law outlawed all Social-Democratic organizations (the name German Socialists used at the time), all working class organizations, all working class or Socialist presses, and ordered the confiscation of all Socialist literature by the state. Social-Democrats and various other pro-working class groups were arrested and deported.”[1] The law was upheld until 1890 when then ruler Bismarck was replaced by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The law was repealed in that year because of the underground movement of the SPD and the overwhelming popular support of the socialist movement. During the period of the Exceptional Law the SPD turned to an underground movement[2] They held regular meetings and held spread the socialist ideals that they possess. During this period of exclusion the party gained a vast majority of the support of the working class and underprivileged, hence the party had such a grand following and was the party of the lower class.[3]

In the period of 1904-1914 the SPD saw a significant growth in the party membership. During this period the party itself became very powerful and very large. The central executive or leadership of the party was enlarged, regional organizations were strengthened and new ones were created. Also during this period of time the SPD saw more of its members appointed to government positions than ever before. This time was when the SPD was at the height of its power, they had a strong following and even created schools to help spread the socialist ideas that they possessed.[4] To show just how popular they had become during this period finally in 1911 they gained the majority of seats in the Reichstag, which was the German Parliament. They now had control of 110 seats there.[5] The party remained in control of Parliament until WWI which marked the end of SPD control.


 * Party Dissent**

Like every political party in the world there was dissent among the membership of the SPD. There was the right wing of the party or the revisionist and the left wing of the party or the Marxist. The revisionist of the party wanted to tweak the party ideals slightly, while the Marxist believed that the gap between society and socialism was natural and desirable. One of the major reviosinst is Edward Bernstein and a major Marxist is Rosa Luxemburg. The party agrees on the common goal of a socialist society but the main dissent is upon how to achieve the society. The revisionist wanted to achieve the society through minor changes. The Marxist or left wing was a little more radical and wanted the change now through any means necessary. One of the major events that put the party at odds with each other was the loss of the 1907 Reichstag elections. With the loss of the elections the party lines began to be drawn even deeper in the sand and there was major quarrel among the party. The man who kept the party on track during this period was Karl Kautsky. Kautsky helped maintain the peace in the party and was one of the main engineers for the party success in the 1911 Reichstag elections.


 * People**

August Bebel is known for starting the Social-Democratic Party of Germany in 1875 with Wilhelm Liebknecht. Before start the SPD Bebel was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Workers Party in Germany. Bebel got his socialist ideals from Marx when he met with him in London in 1850. After the SPD finally became recognize as an official political party in 1890 with the end of the Law of Exclusion Bebel succeed in having a Marxist program adopted as the policy of the SPD with the Erfurt program which he helped design. Also Bebel was editor of the Vorworts which was an influential newspaper of the SPD party used to spread ideas. Bebel’s main ideas also include his denouncement of imperialism and militarism. Bebel also helped found the second international.[6]
 * August Bebel**

Wilhelm Liebknecht is known for help found the Social-Democratic Party of Germany. Before his involvement with the SPD Liebknecht was a labor movement leader in Germany. Liebknecht became an associate of Karl Marx and Engels when he was in London when both were exiled there in 1850. Upon his return to Germany Liebknecht joined Social Democratic Workers party with Bebel. Liebknecht participated in the first and second international. Later in his life Liebknecht like Bebel became one of the editors of the Vorworts.[7]
 * Wilhelm Liebknecht**


 * Rosa Luxemburg** [[image:rosa_luxemburg.jpg width="136" height="166" align="right" caption="Rosa Luxemburg"]] Rosa Luxemburg is one of the greatest Marxist theorists of the age. She was a major leader of the left wing of the SPD party. She wanted radical change in the way the party achieved the socialist society it envisioned. To achieve this radical change Luxemburg was highly critical of party leadership and wrote many papers criticizing the party.[8] Luxemburg was arrested multiple times for her beliefs yet still remained in Germany. Later on she worked with Liebknecht to form the Spartans League which later turned into the Communist Party of Germany.[9]

Karl Kautsky is one of the most influential socialist thinkers of the era. Kautsky is largely known for helping unite the SPD from unrest within in the party. Kautsky was one of the main engineers for the success of the SPD in the 1911 Reichstag elections. Kautsky was so successful because of his middle stance in the party. He started out as a left winger on the more Marxism form of socialism but later fell towards the middle so that he could keep the party united.[10]
 * Karl Kautsky**

[1] Andy Blunden, “Anti-Socialist Law,” Glossary of Marxism, http; //www.marxist.org/glossary [accessed November 1, 2009] //  [2] // Bertrand Russell, //German Social Democracy //(New York: Simon And Schuster INC, 1965) 92 // [3] //Peter Nettl, //“ //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The German Social Democratic Party 1890-1914 as a Political Model” Past & Present No. 30 (April 19650, 65-95 //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> [4] Nettl, 76 [5] Nettl, 71 [6] //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Jozef Wilczunski, //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Marxism, Socialism and Communism //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">(London: The Macmillan Press, 1981), 37, 281, 319, 328. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> [7] Wilczunski, 281. [8] //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Jean H. Quataert, //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reluctant Feminists In German Social Democracy, 1885-1917// (Princeton New Jersery, Princeton University Press, 1979) 152 [9] Wilczunski, 328. [10] Wilczunski 319.

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