Transcript
Page 1: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

KEY QUESTIONKEY QUESTION:

•Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

Page 2: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

•The Spartacists were a group of GERMAN GERMAN COMMUNISTSCOMMUNISTS who disagreed with Weimar Germany’s new democracy. •They attempted to seize power in a RevolutionRevolution in 1919 and make Germany Communist. In Germany an uprising or revolution is called a PUTSCHPUTSCH •They had many supporters BUT were also deeply feared  

Page 3: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

•Following the German surrender in November 1918, extreme left wing groups in Germany advocated REVOLUTION and were completely against any form of Parliamentary democracy

•Two key figures Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht decided the time was right for action.  They broke away from their political party, the USPD, and formed the SPARTACUS LEAGUE.  

•They attempted to foment revolutionary support among the working class, with demonstrations and speeches.  

•However. it was soon clear that this was not succeeding.  The Spartacists only had a weak level of support, even among the working class. They were even banned from speaking at a major left wing event in Berlin, the Congress of workers and soldiers councils.  

Page 4: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

SPARTACISTS

This is a POLITICAL IDEAPOLITICAL IDEA about how best to run a country.

• Under Communism everyone would be EQUALEQUAL and everything is shared.

• There is NONO Private property

• There would be NONO class differences (between rich and poor.)

• The Government runs the big industries, farms and factories for the people.

• This idea appealed in particular to the poor poor BUT it really scared the richreally scared the rich people and middle classmiddle class.

Page 5: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

•The Spartacists were supported by some of the poor and working class who wanted the more equal conditions promised in Communism

However, many Germans deeply feared Communism – especially the Rich, business owners, Middle Class and religious communities•They feared for their wealth, properties and freedom to worship

Page 6: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

The new Government had to end the Spartacist uprising quickly!

It did this by asking a group called the FREE CORPSFREE CORPS, for help.

They were a group of blood thirsty.blood thirsty. violentviolent and nationalistnationalist, ex soldiersex soldiers who HATED HATED Communism.

Page 7: KEY QUESTION KEY QUESTION: Who were the Spartacists? How did their Putsch fail?

The Spartacist were badly organised and poorly equippedbadly organised and poorly equipped. They had limited (small) support and were outnumberedlimited (small) support and were outnumbered

The Free Corps, encouraged by the new Democratic Government, brutally endedbrutally ended the Revolution by the Spartacists. Many Spartacists were taken prisoner and shot. taken prisoner and shot.

The Spartacist leaders – Karl Liebnecht and Rosa LuxemburgSpartacist leaders – Karl Liebnecht and Rosa Luxemburg were later found executed executed and floating in a canal.


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