The Spartacist Uprising

The Spartacist Uprising

1. Leaders

   • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.

2. Objectives

   • Establishment of a communist style government - no national parliament.
   • Overthrow of Ebert's government.

3. Methods

   • Seizure of some newspaper offices in Berlin.
   • Organisation of a general strike.
   • Armed street fighting against opponents.
   • Formation of a Revolutionary Committee.

4. Government Response

   • Force by the army and Freikorps (ex-soldiers, right wing) who seized the Spartacist hqs and crushed the uprising.
   • Liebknecht and Luxemburg were murdered.

5. Reasons for failure

   • Spartacists were divided as to which tactic should be used- delay or immediate violent seizure of power.
   • Death of leaders.
   • Loyalty of army & ruthless Freikorps methods.

6. Significance

   • Showed weakness of new government.
   • Led to a number of further communist rebellions.
   • Communism remained a significant influence in German politics through out the 1920s and early 1930s.