The German Left and the Weimar Republic Historical Materialism Book Series Editorial Board Sébastien Budgen (Paris) Steve Edwards (London) Marcel van der Linden (Amsterdam) Peter Thomas (London) VOLUME 75 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/hm The German Left and the Weimar Republic A Selection of Documents Translated and Introduced by Ben Fowkes LEIDEN | BOSTON Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The German left and the Weimar Republic : a selection of documents translated and introduced by Ben Fowkes. pages cm. — (Historical materialism book series, ISSN 1570-1522 ; volume 75) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-21029-5 (hardback : alkaline paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-27108-1 (e-book) 1. Socialism— Germany—History—20th century—Sources. 2. Communism—Germany—History—20th century— Sources. 3. Radicalism—Germany—History—20th century—Sources. 4. Right and left (Political science)— Germany—History—20th century—Sources. 5. Germany—Politics and government—1918–1933— Sources. 6. Political parties—Germany. I. Fowkes, Ben, translator. HX279.G27 2014 320.530943’09042—dc23 2014012712 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual ‘Brill’ typeface. With over 5,100 characters covering Latin, ipa, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see brill.com/brill-typeface. issn 1570-1522 isbn 978 90 04 21029 5 (hardback) isbn 978 90 04 27108 1 (e-book) Copyright 2014 by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill nv incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Global Oriental and Hotei Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. 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Contents Preface xvi Acknowledgements xvii Abbreviations xviii General Introduction 1 1 Social Democracy in Government: Measures of Reform in Theory and Practice 13 Introduction 13 Documents 17 1.1 Proclamation of the Council of People’s Representatives, 12 November 1918 17 1.2 The Agreement for Co-Operation Made on 15 November 1918 Between 21 Employers’ Associations and 7 Trade Unions 18 1.3 Demobilisation Office Ordinance Establishing a Maximum Working Day of Eight Hours for Industrial Workers, 23 November 1918 (extract) 21 1.4 ‘Up with Social Democracy!’ The Editorial of 8 December 1918 in the Social Democratic Newspaper Vorwärts (extract) 22 1.5 Rudolf Hilferding’s Speech at the First Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils Arguing against the Immediate Socialisation of Industry, 18 December 1918 (extracts) 24 1.6 Friedrich Ebert’s Address to the Opening Session of the Constituent National Assembly, 6 February 1919 25 1.7 The Government Programme of 13 February 1919, Presented to the National Assembly by the SPD Reich Chancellor, Philipp Scheidemann 28 1.8 ‘Socialisation is Here!’. Proclamation of 4 March 1919 by the Scheidemann Government 30 1.9 The ‘Socialisation Law’ of 23 March 1919 31 1.10 Karl Kautsky’s Speech on ‘The Socialisation of Economic Life’ at the Second Congress of Councils, April 1919 33 1.11 Rudolf Wissell’s Speech of June 1919 to the SPD Party Congress Criticising the Record of the Government of Which He Was a Member 34 1.12 Eduard David (SPD) Praises the Weimar Constitution, July 1919 36 vi contents 1.13 Rudolf Wissell Argues in Favour of a Planned Economy, October 1919 38 1.14 The SPD Leadership Calls its Cabinet Ministers to Order in November 1919 39 1.15 Wilhelm Keil, SPD Minister of Labour, Recalls his Difficulties with the Eight-Hour Day 39 1.16 The Unreality of Power, 1928–1930: Rudolf Wissell Explains why the SPD Government of 1928–30, of Which he Was a Member, was Unable to Implement the 1927 Measures of Social Legislation 40 2 The Council Idea: Workers’ Councils and Factory Councils 43 Introduction 43 Documents 48 2.1 Ernst Däumig Advocates the Council System and Argues Against Summoning a Constituent Assembly, 16 November 1918 48 2.2 Georg Ledebour Defends the Authority of the Berlin Executive Council at a Joint Session with the Council of People’s Representatives, 18 November 1918 49 2.3 Agreement between the Council of People’s Representatives and the Berlin Executive Council, 22 November 1918 50 2.4 Heinrich Cunow (SPD) opposes the Council System, 22 November 1918 51 2.5 Discussion in the Council of People’s Representatives about Relations with the Berlin Executive Council, Afternoon Session, 13 December 1918 52 2.6 People’s Representative Friedrich Ebert Calls on the Central Council of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils to Establish Democracy and the Rule of Law in Germany, 16 December 1918 54 2.7 Heinrich Laufenberg’s Resolution Calling on the First Congress of Councils to Take Power, 16 December 1918 55 2.8 Heinrich Laufenberg Defends His Resolution of 16 December 1918 55 2.9 Resolution of the First Congress of Councils on the Respective Areas of Competence of the Central Council and the Government, 18 December 1918 56 2.10 The USPD Members of the Council of People’s Representatives Announce their Resignation in Protest Against the Central Council’s Declaration of 28 December 1918 56 contents vii 2.11 Views of Dr. August Müller on the Economic Disadvantages of the Council System at the Cabinet Session of 21 January 1919 58 2.12 Proclamation by the Central Council of the German Socialist Republic Handing Over its Power to the National Assembly, 4 February 1919. 59 2.13 The USPD Appeals ‘to the Revolutionary Proletariat’ to Defend the Workers’ Councils, 11 February 1919 60 2.14 Demands of the Berlin Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils, 3 March 1919 61 2.15 The Proclamation of the Bavarian Council Republic, 7 April 1919 62 2.16 SPD Resolution on the Question of Councils, Adopted in April 1919 by the Second Congress of Councils 63 2.17 The Communists and Independents (KPD and USPD) Oppose the Passing of the Factory Council Law, 12 January 1920 65 2.18 The Factory Council Law of 4 February 1920 67 2.19 The KPD Puts its View of the Tasks of the Factory Councils 68 3 Communism and Insurrection 71 Introduction 71 Documents 79 3.1 A Call to Revolt by the Spartacists and the Revolutionary Shop Stewards, 9 January 1919 79 3.2 ‘Despite Everything’. Karl Liebknecht’s last article, 15 January 1919 81 3.3 Paul Levi’s Fight against Putschism in June 1919 84 3.4 Declaration of Communist Principles and Tactics drawn up by Paul Levi and adopted by the Second Congress of the KPD (S), October 1919 85 3.5 Theses on Parliamentarism, Laid Before the 2nd.Congress of the KPD (S), 23 October 1919 87 3.6 Theses on Trade Union Questions, Laid Before the 2nd. Congress of the KPD (S), 23 October 1919 88 3.7 The ‘Vorwärts Revelations’. The Reports of Lemke and Bowitzky to the VKPD Zentrale, 8 April 1921 and 12 April 1921 89 3.8 Theses on the March Action, Adopted by the KPD Zentrale on 7 April 1921 91 3.9 The Proceedings of the Chemnitz Conference of 21 October 1923, as Reported by the SPD’s Main Newspaper 94 viii contents 3.10 Resolution Issued by the KPD Zentrale on the Impending Clash of Revolution and Counter-Revolution, [28] October 1923 96 3.11 KPD Resolution on ‘The Victory of Fascism over the November Republic and the Tasks of the KPD’, 3 November 1923 98 3.12 The ECCI’s Resolution on the Lessons of the German Events, 19 January 1924 100 3.13 Military Lessons of the October 1923 Struggles in Hamburg 103 4 In Defence of Democracy 106 Introduction 106 Documents 113 4.1 Joint Call by German Trade Unions for a General Strike against the Kapp Putsch, 13 March 1920 113 4.2 Proclamation by the KPD Zentrale Opposing the General Strike, Issued on 14 March 1920 114 4.3 Paul Levi’s Critique of the Line Taken by the KPD Zentrale Towards the Kapp Putsch 116 4.4 The Nine Point Programme of the ADGB, the AfA and the DBB, 18 March 1920 117 4.5 Open Letter of 8 January 1921 from the VKPD to Other Workers’ Organisations Calling for United Action 119 4.6 The KPD’s Theses on the United Front Tactic and the Workers’ Government, February 1923 123 4.7 Rudolf Hilferding’s 1927 Speech on the Importance of the Defence of Democracy for Socialists 126 4.8 Siegfried Aufhäuser Replies to Hilferding (1927) 127 4.9 Rudolf Breitscheid (SPD) Suggests in May 1929 that the Party may have to Withdraw from the Grand Coalition and Defend Democracy from Outside 129 4.10 Julius Leber Reflects in Prison on the Failure of Social Democracy after 1928 130 4.11 The KPD Analysis of the September 1930 Elections 131 4.12 Gustav Radbruch Looks Back on the ‘Excessive Rationalism’ of the SPD 132 4.13 Discussion between the Leaders of the SPD and the German Chancellor, Heinrich Brüning, on their Conditions for Parliamentary Support, 17 March 1931 134 contents ix 4.14 Otto Braun (SPD) Writes from Berlin to Karl Kautsky in Vienna, 19 February 1932 about his Decision to Support Hindenburg as Presidential Candidate 136 4.15 Otto Wels (SPD) on the Party’s Reaction to Papen’s Coup of 20 July 1932 138 4.16 Rudolf Hilferding (SPD) on the Need to Preserve Parliament and Fight Against Left and Right Simultaneously, November 1932 139 5 The Weimar Left Between Opposition