Spartacist Revolt I am Spartacus Political ideas n

Spartacist Revolt “I am Spartacus…”

Political ideas n n This section starts to look at different political ideas that existed in Germany in late 1918, early 1919. Remember this is all happens in the months straight after WWI ends. With the Kaiser gone many different groups competed to control the new Germany. This led to an attempted revolution by a group called the Spartacists.

What do I need to know? You need to know: n Who the main political groups were in Germany at this time n What Communism means n Who the Social Democrats were n Why the Spartacists failed and the role the Freikorps played in this n The long term effects of the revolt.

The Provisional Government- Social Democrats Key Player 1

Socialism-Social Democrats A less extreme form of Communism was socialism. n Although these socialist and communist parties had a lot in common, they actually spent a lot of time fighting among themselves. n The main socialist party in Germany was the Social Democrat Party. n

Social Democrats n On the 9 th November 1918 (2 days before the armistice was signed), Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party took control of Germany.

Social Democrats Ebert took charge of a temporary government, known as the provisional government. n They were to control Germany until elections could be held. n Ebert’s government first met in the capital city Berlin, but moved to the quieter town of Weimar when Berlin became too unstable. n

What did Ebert want? Ebert was against violent revolution. n He wanted a democratic Germany where people would elect representatives who would work in the German parliament (the Reichstag) to pass laws to improve the lives of the German people. n He wanted all different groups to be represented and to have their say. n

The Spartacists Key Player 2

The Communists n n The Communists are often called the LEFT wing. This means they wanted major, radical change, as had happened in Russia in 1917. The Communists were the party of the working class. They believed the rich factory and land owners took advantage of the poor by making them work long hours in terrible conditions. While the workers were paid poor wages, the land factory owners took all the profits.

The Communists (KPD) n n n The Communists wanted to take all Germany’s resources (land, manufacturing etc), and divide them among the people. This would mean everyone would be equal- there would be no rich or poor. They did not trust any non. Communist government, whether it was the Kaiser’s or a new democracy. “Join the Communist Party!”

The Spartacists (Communists) In Germany the Communist Party was called the KPD. An offshoot of the party was the ‘Spartacists’. n The Spartacists were named after Spartacus who led a slave revolt against the might of the Romans in 73 BC. n The Spartacists believed they too could bring down a mighty opponent… n

Spartacists leadership n n n The two key Spartacists leaders were Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. They had joined forces during WWI when they had encouraged soldiers to shoot their officers and then the government in order to overthrow it! They were arrested for this and spent most of the war in prison until they were released in November 1918.

The Freikorps? Key Player 3

The Freikorps n n The Freikorps (pronounced free-corps) are often called the RIGHT wing. This means they believed in strong leadership (ie: the Kaiser and eventually the Nazis), and were very nationalistic (ie: very proud of Germany and its traditions).

The Freikorps n n The Freikorps were make up of soldiers who had returned from the war fronts. They didn’t really trust the government and absolutely hated the Communists. These were battle-hardened, well trained men who were used to military discipline. They were also well armed as they still held the weapons they had used during the war.

The Freikorps They believed Germany had lost the war because it had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by communists and revolutionaries. n They wanted revenge! n

Provisional Government/ Social Democrats This group’s leaders What this group wanted What this group did not want Spartacists Freikorps x

Look at the statements below. Your task is to sort out the statements so they clearly show what each group wanted. One is repeated- it’s not a mistake! n n n n A communist revolution Revenge on the communists for stabbing the army in the back. The needs of workers and soldiers to be ignored Laws to be made by the Reichstag (parliament) To use violence to overthrow the Reichstag and start a communist revolution. A communist revolution. Friedrich Ebert Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht

Extend your learning n n n Collate a collage with images of today’s topic. Create a tweet describing what communism is. Write out 10 multiple choice questions about the Social Democrats, Communists and Freikorps.

This group’s leaders What this group wanted What this group did not want Provisional Government/ Social Democrats Spartacists Friedrich Ebert Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht A communist revolution Laws to be made by the Reichstag (parliament) A communist revolution The needs of workers and soldiers to be ignored Freikorps x Revenge on the communists for stabbing the army in the back. A communist revolution

Spartacist Revolt

Task: The events of the Spartacist Revolt Take notes (mind map/ bullet pointed list) on the following: n How many people had gathered in Berlin? n When did they gather? n Why did the revolt begin to break up? n What did Ebert do? n What role did the Freikorps play? n How many people were arrested? n What happened to Luxemburg and Liebknecht?

n Now read Read textbook Pg 15 of your

Describe the events of the Spartacist Revolt (4 marks) n n In January 1919, 50, 000 Spartacists took place in an armed uprising in Berlin. They were led by the Communists Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Leibknecht. They aimed to seize power from Ebert, the leader of the new Provisional Government. Over the course of a week, known as ‘Bloody Week’ they occupied government buildings and attempted to take control of the city. Ebert could not rely on the army to put down the revolt because it had been broken up after the Armistice was signed. Instead, he used the Freikorps. The Freikorps crushed the Spartacist revolt. Luxemburg and Leibknecht were brutally murdered

Consequences of Spartacist Revolt n n n It was Ebert of the Social Democrats who was responsible for putting down the Communist revolt. Consequently the Communist KPD and the Socialist Social Democrats never trusted each other again. This later had disastrous consequences when they were unable to unite against Hitler.

Consequences of Spartacist Revolt Ebert moves his provisional government away from the chaos of Berlin to the peaceful town of Weimar. n As this becomes the home of the new democratic government the period between 1919 -1933 is known as Weimar Germany. n