Saturday, January 11, 1930 THE MILITANT ago KARL LIEBKNECHT Murdered January 15, 1919 by the German By KARL Junkers and their Socialist Allies RADEK Continued from Page had the most ardent desire to know how a hundred men, to make it clear to one of told me later of the tormenus be suffered masses of skilled workers more endurable things stood in the brother parties, not them that it was necessary to break with in prison when he thought that all our sacconditions of living, it thereby restrained only in France and Russia but in any small all putrid compromises. It showed how rifices might be futile, that the German them from sharp revolutionary struggle.
Balkan party.
much, in the final analysis, the collapse of working class might not rebel in time so as In appearance, socialism became redHis trips to America and France, his leadership was a moral problem. Lieb to unite with us. He feared that we would cheeked. The party organizations grew, close relations with the Russian comrades knecht remained alone. His features har go too far with our concessione, and sumthe trade unions bloomed. Revolutionary sprang from the consciousness of how imdened, a bitter line was drawn around moned his friends from prison to act so resolutions were adopted at branch meetmeasurably important it is to keep up inhis lips. He determined to proceed that we would be spared the last bitter ings and the party conventions. But in ternational relations. And how thoroughly, by himself, despite the dissuasions of his ter cup.
practise the struggle was carried on only how tirelessly he had himself enlightened friends. In that hour saw how the last Fearful of the impending revolution.
for small improvements in material conon the complicated Russian questions doubt vanished in Liebknecht, the last he was released by the government of Gerditions of the workers, not for the revolu during the trip to the International Consoftness, how the great moral power was man imperialism, which stood on the brink tionary overthrowal. And since deeds are gress in Copenhagen we made together released that did not depart from him un of bankruptcy. His first steps were to the as decisive in the character of a party as with Leon Trotsky from Berlin: We know til death: the iron determination to open Russian embassy. On the night of his rethey are in determining the character of a that for Liebknecht the International is no the road of the reawakening of socalism lease Bucharin let us know by telegraph man, the social democracy became a party formal alliance of various parties, but it even if it were necessary to very that Liebknecht was in full accord with: of reform and not of revolution, no matter is his real fatherland as the principles of spear with his own breast.
us. The joy of the Russian workers at how revolutionary were the words it em tho Spartakusbund later said. The most Workers Stand By Liebknecht Liebknecht liberation cannot be expressed.
ployed.
precious political qualities of Liebknecht, The struggle for the mud trampled banCould he have come to us at that time no Imbued with Rovolutionary Traditions even before the war, had to make him un ner of socialism was taken up entirely in king was ever welcomed as Liebknecht popular among a section of the leaders, the open.
would have been welcomed by the Russian Karl Liebknecht, who grew to his youth The entire press sought to while they created popularity for him in workers.
suppress Liebknecht, in part by calumniin the period of this moderation and petthe working masses and in the Inter ation, in part by making a bagatelle of his When came to Germany towards the rification, who followed political and social national. He sprang too far beyond the deed. He was to be terrorized by threats end of December and could press his hands events with the greatest concern, even if limits of the German party not to be acagain after four years, he said calmly.
he had not yet then put his hand actively and by the suggestion that his sacrifice was cused by the small minds of being am futile. Yet thousands stood up for him.
without the slightest disappointment: We to politics, was in a way already insured bitious. To this are still added his human The declaration on his motive for his separe only at the beginning, the road is still by heredity against this bourgeoisification qualities by which he also diverged from arate vote was copied and mimeographed long. And we agreed with Rosa Luxemand mechanization of the revolutionary the prescribed type of a worthy party lead by thousands of workers; it passed from burg and him that the distance to the end spirit. In the house of Wilhelm Liebknecht er. He loved life; unrestrained and uncon hand to hand, aroused a feeling of responcould only be shortened by tireless agitlived the traditions of 1848, the traditions cerned, he clutched at it wherever it called. sibility and united men and women in ation, propaganda and action. Whoever of the revolution and the struggle for the There was so little philistinism in this struggle. Liebknecht became the storm censaw, how both of them worked from early republic.
youthful Absalom, so little hypocrisy, so ter of the decisive opposition. Towards morning to late at night, how resolutely Ten years ago It had already struck much of the childish joy of life, that be the end of December, 1914, when arrived they cut the last ties that still bound thema me, when had the opportunity to become cause of them many overlooked the deep in Switzerland, It became clear to me to to the world of half heartedness by founding acquainted for the first time with the Gerseriousness, the mildness and graciousness the full extent how fruitfully his deed had the Communist Party of Germany, whoever man party leadership, that Karl Liebknecht of his nature. will never forget how we taken effect internationally. It was the was there to see how they warned their was the only one of the permanent leaders once came to Peer Gynt in a conversation first sign visible from afar that there were own supporters against exaggerations 1: for whom republicanism was no purely during a walk. He knew the drama in the revolutionary forces in Germany. Lenin, the midst of the revolutionary ecstasy.
theoretical creed, but a practical burning translation by Passarge and told him of that man devoid of all phrase, who prob.
could grasp their profound conftdence: question. And, secondly, what caught one the gracefulness of Morgenstern transla ably measured most deeply the collapse of the Communist movement of Germany.
eye was the fact of how little potrified he tion. He came to me and for three hours the International immediately understood Fallen in Battio was in the conception that the evolution it was already long past midnight read that the decision to raise the banner of Liebknecht was not alive to see the would be slow, that neither the state nor Morgenstern translation, When he came rebellion against the whole fraction was a new times. The first wave of the prole social relations would be set into motion to the scene in which Peer Gynt hears the decision that gave the signal for imper arian revolution bore him further than 11: before long. In this connection, it was for song he did not sing, the tears he did not ishable deeds. Liebknecht namo became wanted, tore him with it. In the storm h: him no question at all of the theoretical weep, the battle he did not fight, lament in one of the best beloved in the growing van did not see the distance far enough. Whe weighing of forces, that would soon bring the rustling of the leaves, lament a life that guard of the Russian proletariat, and it the January uprising was suppressed an quiet, peaceful Europe into rebellion. was not whole, the features in Liebknecht was no different in France, in Italy. In the social patriotic government pursued hi: The situation was not yet revolutionary, it face tightenend and he said: That con his Le Feu, Barbusse erected a monument no one dared urge upon him the thong was necessary to go to the masses in order founded hall time, and in spite of it we to him as the only German, who tllumin of flight, even though it was clear th: to arouse them. And here another characcan, and must lead a full life. Thus he ated the last point of French socialism like his imprisonment contained the danger teristic foxture of Liebknecht comes to was before the war, a fiery agitator, an en a star in the dark night. In October 1915, death. He wanted to fling himself agair: light. Before the war he was frequently ergetic politician, a hothead, animated and when the dispersed parts of the militant the pogrom incitement. On the day reproached because he was very broad jovial, a favorite of the women, a man good remnants of the old international gathered assassin bullet struck him, he brouc in his conceptions, that every form of ac. as the Poles say for fighting and drink in Zimmerwald, and Ledebour, answering up the idea of calling public meetings: tivity was dear to him, even if it were not ing. In every gesture he was the son of attacks from the Left, declared in the name the next few days. Then he fell into of much importan in principle. The his father, of the great leader of the people, of his partisans (later the Independents) hands of the executioners who wanted!
basis of this accusation was formed by the of the great, lively man who could laugh that there was no Liebknecht fraction, strike in him and Rosa Luxemburg tho for Cermany, unusual animation of Lieb like a child.
Trotsky shouted out to him, amid the lively man, the International revolution. He knecht which did not allow him to give up There camo the war and its fire forged acclaim of the French and Italians: For in the first phase of the struggle, full e any method of influenceing the workers on out of all these elements of the Liebknecht us there is only the fraction of Liebknecht. confidence and the consciousness of victory the ground of some doctrinaire considertemperament the hero of the German work When the report arrived of his arrest He fell as he lived: captured at the battle ations. This also explains his intervention ing class, on Potzdamerplatz, many friends outside position. And we, we who know him intinin the movement for withdrawal from the of Germany asked why one in his exposed ately with his merits and weaknesses, we church. He had a good eye for new reThe Imperialist War Comes position participated in the damonstration. who understand the immeasurable loss the quirements, for new movements opening a The war came.
revolution suffered when this iron warrior With the first Many saw in it a sign of great internal road.
reagitation that musi be capable of domin was torn from its ranks, we say at his When he entered politics, the first signs ports the rumor reached the outside that Liebknecht together with Rosa Luxemburs, ating a leader. What drove him to the grave: For us he will be a model of loyof the imperialism that was growing had been shot. The report over anticipated streets was however, also consciousness of alty to socialism, of devotion and courage stronger in Germany also, began to be duty. Confidence in the social democratic without which the revolution cannot trithe reality, but it showed that outside of marked, the strides of capital beyond the Germany friend and foe knew from whom phrase had, thanks to the betrayal of the fatherland frontiers for new sources social democracy, sunk so low that who Liebknecht was not only inspired by the struggle against the powers of war of profit. The party divined the dangers might be expected. Liebknecht was stirred ever wanted to form a new revolutionary deep insight into the objective necessity of war arising from it, but only Liebknecht by these precipitate events. On the threshpower could not limit himself to intellec of Communism but the still deeper personsaw it in real life as the Moloch that hold of the heric period of his life he paid tual general staff service behind the battle al yearning for the completely harmonious stretched out its arm for millions of profront.
his last obligation to the party whose revoLiebknecht recklossness was life that is possible only on the basis of letarian youth. That is how he was one lutionary power was his vanishing dream.
profound wisdom and his prison martyrdom Communism, and this yearning sprang from of the few who hurried to the threatened The belief that August would remain only did more for the revolution than all the an infinite love and kindness a sympathy youth to summon them against these dana dismal episode caused him to maintain autious endeavors of a whole party for every suffering creature, a readiness gers.
The party forbade special anti mildiscipline and to abandon an open protest could do. The nucleus of Karl Liebknecht to give assistance without which socialisin itarist agitation, It declared that the edubecame a conter of a radiating moral pow is a delusion. The world knows only cation of the proletarian youth must by days he saw that he had committed a great against the war on August After a few er that no measures of isolation could dam. Liebknecht the heroic warrior. Broad secitself arm them against the militaristic mistake. He drew closer to Rosa LuxemThe dare it! reverberated throughout tions of proletarians, who applied to him spirit and that the whole struggle of the burg, whose strictly laid down theoretical the world, stirring up imitation, as an attorney, received humane assistance proletariat against capitalism was at the line was foreign to his broad, questing na.
The Russian revolution broke out, the from him, loved him as a man. Liebsame time a struggle against militarism.
ture and there arose between them, in spite first army of imperialism mutinted, the knecht courage was the union of his love But Liebknecht felt the falseness of these of all differences in their natures, a life first army of socialism began to be formed. for every man and his discernment that in objections in principle. He saw that the and death alliance.
As we sat in Brest Litovsk around the con the period we live in, individual suffering education of the proletarian youth alone ference table with Count Mirbach and Gen cannot be helped without beginning the life did not suffice, but that the youth must be In the first weeks of the war, they seek eral Hoffmann, we spoke over their heads and death struggle for socialism. He fey stirred up specifically against militarism. to go to the working masses; the govern to the prison convict and his people. The in the raging struggle. And thousands will He knew very well that militarism could ment prohibits public meetings. Liebknecht German proletariat responded to our call. follow him to the martyr death until only be smashed together with capitalism is determined to raise the banner of rebel The January strike broke out. None of us naked, fingering, wound bedecked humanby the proletarian revolution, but he under lion at the second voting of credits. He assumed that this was the victory, that ity will have the leisure to remember its stood how important it is for the rev endeavors to arrive at a concerted, action German imperialism would yield, and in martyrs with love. Soldier of the Revoluolution to make it clear to the young pro by tho fourteen deputies who voted against spite of it Trotsky rejected every comprom tion his father called himself. To Karl letarians forced into a uniform that their the granting of war credits in the Reich ise. It was necessary, despite the greatest Liebknecht fell the honor of earning this liberation from militarism could only be stag fraction. They refuse, Liebknecht, danger, to show the German proletariat title with death in the struggle. The Soviet part of the general political struggle for whom the cravens later accused of acting that we had confidence in it. It was neces republic has created the Insignia of the freedom. The party leaders shook their only out of conceit so as to shine as the sary to show the world proletariat that Red Star for its most valiant son, Lay heads over the special actions of this hot only one, fought to the last moment in orGerman Imperialism might smash us but it on Liebknecht grave, and may all of head but the young Liebknecht stuck ten der to draw with him, out of the troop of that we make no voluntary compromises our friends know no greater honor than, aciously to his cause. His revolutionary hesitant colleagues, at least two, or even with it. Later, when we were nevertheless through the achievement of this Insignia, feelings drove him to it inexorably.
one into the path of the joint struggle. compelled to conclude the peace, to take to approach the spirit of Karl Liebknecht The consciousness of the threatening It was miserable to see how, although he the cross of Brest upon us and to retreat, who went the road that we want to tread to International danger fortified the inherited employed every means of intellectual and we often asked ourselves uneasily: Do the end, even should each of us win the feelings inte onalism in Liebknecht. moral suasion, he was nevertheless unable Liebknecht and his comrades understand Red Star only at the bier.
He was one of the few in Germany who to shake a single one in a fraction of over our position and tactica? And Liebknecht Berlin, JaDry 18, 1919.
umph.