Karl Liebknecht was one of the founders and leaders of the German Communist Party. From high tribunes and among ordinary people, he has always steadfastly spoke out with his anti-war and anti-government stance. Above all, Liebknecht put the ideas of social justice and peace between peoples.
From the biography of Karl Liebknecht
The future prominent politician of Germany was born in the German city of Leipzig on August 13, 1871. His father was the famous Wilhelm Liebknecht, who at one time, together with August Bebel, created the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Liebknecht's mother came from the family of a famous German lawyer.
Karl's father was very friendly with Marx and Engels. He named his son after the leader of the communist movement. Wilhelm often took Karl to workers' meetings. From a young age, the boy became interested in Marxism.
Karl Liebknecht received an excellent education. He studied law at the universities of Leipzig and Berlin. Over time, Karl began to appear in the courts on the side of the working class, defending the position of workers as a lawyer.
Karl Liebknecht was married twice. His first wife, Julia Paradise, died during surgery. From this marriage, Karl left two sons and a daughter. The second wife of Liebknecht was the Russian woman Sofya Ryss. She was an art critic and taught at the University of Heidelberg.
Karl Liebknecht: the path of a revolutionary
In 1900, Liebknecht joined the Social Democratic Party of his country. Several years later, he successfully defended the rights of party comrades in court hearings. They were accused of smuggling literature prohibited by law into the country. He stigmatized the government of the country, which in every possible way oppressed the unwanted.
Liebknecht actively opposed the conciliatory and reformist tactics followed by the right wing of the German Social Democracy. He devoted a lot of time to campaigning and explanatory work among young people and anti-war propaganda. In 1904, Liebknecht delivered a rousing speech at the Social Democratic Congress in Bremen. He called militarism the foundation of the world capitalist system. The politician suggested creating a propaganda program against the war.
Liebknecht embraced the revolution of 1905-1907 in Russia with great enthusiasm. He convinced his comrades-in-arms that a political strike should become the most popular method of struggle of the working class in the struggle for its fundamental interests.
The revolutionary fire in Russia divided the German Social Democracy into two irreconcilable camps. The left wing of the party was represented by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. The vigorous activity of the proletarian leader irritated the authorities. Ultimately, he was accused of high treason and imprisoned in a fortress for a year and a half. While still in prison, Karl became a member of the Prussian Chamber, and four years later he was elected a member of the Reichstag.
In December 1914, Liebknecht voted against war credits at a meeting of the Reichstag. He was the only one among the deputies who did not approve of the policy of his government. The authorities acted simply: the politician, who was rapidly gaining popularity, was drafted into the army and sent to the trenches. But even here he did not stop anti-war agitation and the struggle for peace.
last years of life
Returning from the front, Liebknecht, in collaboration with Rosa Luxemburg, created a left-wing group, calling it "Spartacus". The anti-government activities of the association led to a new arrest and another prison term.
In the fall of 1918, after the military defeat of Germany, Karl Liebknecht is released from prison and actively joins the revolutionary struggle. In the winter of 1918, at the founding congress in Berlin, Liebknecht and Luxembourg form the German Communist Party. A year later, the politician and revolutionary actively participates in the uprising, the purpose of which was to establish Soviet power in the country. The communists were persecuted by their former allies, the Social Democrats, who took up reactionary positions and feared a civil war.
In January 1919, Luxembourg and Liebknecht were arrested. On January 15 of the same year, both politicians were shot and killed while escorting. The enemies of the communists tried to arrange everything as if those arrested had attempted to escape. However, in reality it was the actual murder of two unarmed and defenseless people.
