LEFT-WING SPLINTER PARTIES IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC by FREDERICK ALFRED MILLER B. A., University of British Columbis, 1970 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of History WE ACCEPT THIS THESIS AS CONFORMING TO THE REQUIRED STANDARD THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA January, 197^ In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Depa rtment The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada ABSTRACT This study deals with left-wing splinter parties -> whi'ch were in existence in Germany between jtg&8 and 1933. In 1918 the Second Empire collapsed, the Kaiser abdicated, and the imperial government resigned. Only the socialists were relatively strong enough and, in the eyes of the public and the victorious Allies, unblemished enough to take com• mand of the state. At this historical moment, however, the socialists were divided. The chance to ih's$»3Q,Isocialism in Germany was lost due to the bitter fighting among the three principal left-wing parties. The divisions in the socialist camp, which had started earlier, but which broke into open warfare at the end of the Great War, were intensified by the crises the Weimar Republic faced and led to a great number of splinter parties. Chapter One provides the background. It concentrates on some of the problems that the SPD and the KPD faced be• fore HitELer's take-over. Chapter Two discusses the emergence of splinter groups. It traces each splinter group from its origin inside a larger party, its evolution,aand its decline. The Third Chapter examines the programs, platforms, and ideologies of the splinter parties. It concentrates on their political and economic demands. It also deals with _ their views on fascism and the^" methods they adopted to cppe with the menace presented by the rise of Hitler's NSDAP. |i iii The Fourth Chapter is devoted to structure and orga• nization. The parliamentary as well as the non parliamentary activities of the splinter parties are discussed. It examines their involvement in organizations like the trade unions and affiliated youth groups. Some of the major publications of the splinter parties are listed here. The Conclusion assesses the reasons for the failure of the splinter parties. Splinter parties were both, symp• toms and victims of the turbulent times of the Weimar Republic. They were not the cause of Hitler's victory. Their importance lies not in the Impact they had on Weimar, but in what they shoxtf about Weimar Germany. They reflected in a microscopic way the insecurity, the mistrust, the social decay, the social and political mobility and unrest, the countless crises, and the blind and desperate search for something better. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS "liv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF MAPS viii ABBREVIATIONS i* INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL SETTING 4 2. THE HISTORY OF THE LEFT-WING SPLINTER PARTIES IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 16 EARLY HISTORY OF THE KPD l6 THE KAPD 20 THE REVOLUTIONARY SHOP STEWARDS 26 THE LEVITES 30 FROM THE MARCH ACTION TO THE OCTOBER DISTURBANCES 34 THE SECOND WAVE OF LEFT-WING COMMUNISM 39 THE KPO 43 RECONCILIATION OF THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS 46 THE ASPS-ASPD 49 LEFT GROUPS WITHIN THE SPD DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC . 50 THE SAP 57 CONCLUSION 60 iv V Chapter PaSe 3. PROGRAMS AND POLICIES .. 6l INTRODUCTION 6l THE USPD .63 THE KAPD AND ITS AFFILIATES 65 THE LEVITES 70 THE LEFT OPPOSITION 73 THE KPO 76 THE ROTE K&MPFER .. 81 THE SAP 82 STRUGGLE AGAINST FASCISM 8k k. STRUCTURES AND ORGANIZATION 92 BASIC STRUCTURES 92 MEMBERSHIP . 95 ELECTION RESULTS, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL 107 EXTRA-PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITIES 118 INVOLVEMENT IN TRADE UNIONS 123 YOUTH 126 PUBLICATIONS 127 CONCLUSION 132 FOOTNOTES 151 A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 169 Appendix 1. AGE AND OCCUPATION OF k2 SAP MEMBERS ARRESTED BY THE NAZIS 17^ 2. HAP 1, ELECTORIAL DISTRICTS IN GERMANY ... 175 3. MAP 2, GERMAN STATES AND PRUSSIAN PROVINCES 176 4. MAP 3. INDUSTRIAL AND RELIGIOUS DISTRIBUTION IT? OF THE POPULATION 1 *" vi Appendix Page 5. SOCIALIST VOTES IN PROTESTANT FARMING AREAS 1?8 6. LEFT-WING ELECTION RESULTS IN SELECTED PRUSSIAN DISTRICTS IN 1919 AND IN 1921 . 179 7. LEFT-WING VOTES AT THE REICHSTAG AND LANDTAG ELECTIONS OF 1924/25 180 8. LEFT-WING VOTES AT THE REICHSTAG ELECTION OF MAY 20, 1928 181 9. MAP 4, LEFT-WING STRONGHOLDS IN THE MID- TWENTIES ?182 10. MAP 5, STRONGHOLDS, OF THE KPO, SAP, AND . THE RK 183 11. MAP 6, PATTERNS OF SOCIALIST VOTES IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 184 4 12. NUMBER OF ELECTED DEPUTIES TO THE REICHS• TAG BY PARTY AFFILIATION 7. 185 13. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 186 14. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS, 191 LIST OF TABLES Pagg BACKGROUND OF OPPOSITIONAL FUNCTIONARIES 103 OCCUPATION AND AGE OF 115 RK MEMBERS 10? LEFT-WING ELECTION RESULTS IN 1928 Ill LANDTAG AND BURGERSCHAFT ELECTION RESULTS IN 1932 11^ ELECTION RESULTS IN MORGENTHAL AND BRUNDOBRA IN 1932 116 SELECTIVE COMPARISION OF SPD AND KPD ELECTION RESULTS 167 AGE AND OCCUPATION OF .42 SAP MEMBERS ARRESTED BY T THE NAZIS 17^ SOCIALIST VOTES IN PROTESTANT FARMING AREAS 178 LEFT-WING ELECTION RESULTS IN SELECTED PRUSSIAN DISTRICTS IN 1919 AND IN 1921 179 LEFT-WING VOTES IN THE REICHSTAG AND LANDTAG ELECTIONS OF 192V25 180 LEFT-WING VOTES AT THE REICHSTAG ELECTION ON MAY 20, lg38o 181 NUMBER OF ELECTED DEPUTIES TO THE REICHSTAG BY PARTY AFFILIATION 185 vll viii LIST OP MAPS Map Page 1. ELECTOHIAL DISTRICTS IN GERMANY . 175 2. GERMAN STATES AND PRUSSIAN PROVINCES 176 3. INDUSTRIAL AND RELIGIOUSS DISTRIBUTION OP THE POPULATION 177 0. 4. LEFT-WING STRONGHOLDS IN THE MID-TWENTIES ..... 182 5. STRONGHOLDS OF THE KPO, SAP, AND RK I83 6. PATTERNS OF SOCIALIST VOTES IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 184 ABBREVIATIONS AA, AAU, AAUD Allgemeine Arbeiter-Union Deutschlands AAUE, AAUED Allgemeine Arbeiter Union, Einheltsorgan, Deutschlands ADGB Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund AG Arbe i t s geme ins chaf t AKP, AKPD Alte Kommunistische Partel Deutschlands ASP, ASPD Alte Sozialdemokratische Partei deutschlands ASP, ASPS Alte Sozialdemokratische Partei Sachsens BL Bezlrksleitung BVP Bayerische Volkspartei CI, Comintern Communist International CP Communist Party CPofSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union DDP Deutsche Demokratische Partei DGB Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund DMV Deutscher Metallarbeiter-Verband DNP, DNVP Deutschnationale Volkspartei DVP Deutsche Volkspartei Executive Committee of the Communist EC, ECCI International Extended Executive Committee of the EECCI Communist International Exekutiv-Komltee der Kommunistischen EK, EKKI Internationale Erweitertes Exskutiv-Komitee der Kommuni• EEKKI stischen Internationale ix X FD3B Freler Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund IHA Internationale Arbelter-Hilfe IJB Internationaler Jugend-Bund IKD Internationale Kommunlsten Deutschlands INKOPP Internationale Nachrichten der Kommu- nistischen Opposition INPREKGR, INPREKORR Internationale Presse-Korrespondenz IRH Internationale Rote Hilfe ISK, isk Internationaler Kampf-Bund IVKO, IVKOPP Internationale Vereinigung der Kommunistischen Opposition KAI Kommunistische Arbelter Internationale KAG Kommunistische Arbeits Gemeinschaft KAP, KAPD Kommunistisohe Arbelter Partei Deutsch• lands Kl, Komintern L Kommunistische Internationale KJ, KJV, KJVD Kommunistlscher Jugendverband Deutsch• lands KJI Kommunistische Jugend-Internationale Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutsch• KJG, KJVO, KJVDO lands (Opposition) Kampf Organisation KO Kommunistische Opposition KOPP Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands KP, KPD KPdSU(B;>;} ,18981*", KPDSU Kommunistische Partei der Soviet Union (Bolschewiki) KPO, KPD-O, KPD(O), KPDO Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Opposition) LB Lenin Bund xi LO Linke Opposition or Left Opposition NSDAP National-Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei PV Parteivorstand RGI Rote Gewerkschafts-Internationale RGO Revolutionftre Gewerkschafts-Oppositlon Revolut ionare Gewerkschaf ts-Organisation RH, RHD Rote Hilfe Deutschland RK Reichskonferenz RK Rote Kampfer SA Sturmabteilung SAI Sozialistische Arbeiter-Internationale SAJ Sozialistische Arbeiter-Jugend SAP.SAPD Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei Deutsch£%w< lands SAZ Sozialistische Arbeiter Zeltung SB Sozialistischer Bund SEE Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutsch• lands SJV, SJVD Sozialistischer Jugendverband Deutsch• lands SP, SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands SPW Sozialistische Politik und Wissenschaft SSB Sozialistischer Schutzbund SU Soviet Union SWV Sozlalwissenschaftllche Vereinigung SWZ Soclalistische Wochenzeitung USP, USPD Unabhangige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands USSR, UdSSR Union der Soziallstischen Sowjet Republiken Vereinigte Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands Vereinigte Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands Zentralkomitee INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to examine left-wing splinter parties which existed in the Weimar Republic, Al• though splinter parties were a regular feature of German political life between 1918 and 1933» very little has been written about them and nothing on a comparative base. To deal with all of the various left-wing parties and groups which