Marxist Terror Special Part One
Take Your Compass #9 Special on Antifa & Violent Marxist Groups
Take Your Compass #9 - Marxist Terror Special Part One
This article started out as a short expose on modern Antifa, but the more I dug into it, the more I realized I had to expand my effort. We need to go back in history, closer to the roots of this evil. This is going to take three, possibly four parts to give you a decent overview. If you will stick with me, you will end up with some depth of knowledge on the subject, and you will be able to recognize it when you see it in the present.
Author’s note: This series of articles is focused on Marxist/Communist violence. In no way do I excuse or promote political violence on the right, the left, the middle, or anywhere.
I think it hard for an American in 2023 to conceive the amount of political violence in Germany from the end of the first World War to 1933 and beyond. The groups outlined below did not merely protest against each other. They frequently beat and killed one another, often without any legal repercussions.
The answer to how this all came about is more than I can tackle here. Even if you are not interested in the history, I want to give you some insight as to how political terror shaped history, shapes the present, and will effect the future.
These people were not dumb, and before the war they were no more evil than we are today. When your country is burned, things torn down, and the earth is laid bare, the first thing that grows back is the weeds. The strongest weeds are going to thrive.
People are sinful. Civilization is hard.
Hold on to your britches, this is going to be a wild ride, and you might be shocked by what is lurking in your own backyard.
History
The year is 1932, Germany is in chaos. The political parties fighting for power include the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP, aka the National Socialists, aka the Nazi Party ), the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the German National People's Party (DNVP), the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), the German Center Party (Zentrumspartei), the German People's Party (DVP), and quite a few others.
The Nazis, the SPD, the DNVP, the Center Party, and the KPD are the big players for the coming elections, the escalating violence, and the events that will lead to Adolf Hitler becoming the Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. You know the rest of that story so let’s get back to 1932.
Germany 1932
Almost all of the major political parties had paramilitary wings either officially or otherwise. It was already plain before 1932 that either military or paramilitary power was required to gain or hold control of Germany. Here is where they stood in 1931/32:
DNVP
The Deutschnationale Volkspartei (the German National People's Party) was powerful and had the largest paramilitary wing, known as Der Stahlhelm (the Steel Helmet). While still powerful the DNVP was quickly losing members and status to the Nazis. The Nazis were seen as more populist, less aristocratic, the party of “order,” and the party able to stop Marxism. The DNVP was anti-semitic and able to cooperate with the Nazis especially when it came to Jews, and stopping Marxists.
The leader of the DNVP was Alfred Hugenberg. The leader of Der Stahlhelm was Theodor Duesterberg. Duesterberg ran for President of the Reich in the March 1932 election. Duesterberg was strongly antisemitic, but fell out of favor and dropped out the final runoff when it was revealed, unknown to him, that he had Jewish heritage.
NSDAP
The Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers Party), also known as the National Socialists or simply the Nazi Party, was very strong. The Nazis had been gaining strength and power since 1925 and were on the verge taking over in 1932. Prior to 1930 the Nazis were seen as anti–big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist. After 1930, antisemitism and anti-Marxism were the main focus. The anti-everything, but we’ll get the “bad people” and bring back order theme didn’t fully work until the growing economic depression, high unemployment, and poor living standards made the Nazis more appealing.
The Nazi paramilitary wing was the Sturmabteilung also known as the SA, Storm Division, Storm Troopers, or Brownshirts due to the color of their uniforms. The SA was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. Hitler’s other paramilitary groups were the SS (created in 1925) and the SD (created in 1931). The SS and SD did not become the more significant groups until after 1933.
The leader of the Nazi party was Adolf Hitler. The leader of the SA was Ernst Röhm.
SPD
The Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany), was founded between 1863 and 1875. The SPD was the largest political party at the start of the 1930s until it was surpassed by the Nazis in mid 1932. The SPD was founded on Marxist principles, and while still Marxist in principle in the 1930s they had moderated on keeping a democratic parliamentary type of government. The more radical communists in the SPD split off into the KPD.
The paramilitary wing of the SPD was the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (the Reich banner of black, red and gold). In response to the rising threat of the Nazis and the more radical communists (KPD), the Reichsbanner joined up with several groups to form the Eiserne Front (Iron Front). The Eiserne Front took more offensive actions.
It is important to note that the Iron Front was anti-fascist, and anti-monarch, AND anti-marxist/communist. They fought against the DNVP, NSDAP, and the KPD. Remember the three arrows. You are going to see that symbol again.
KPD
The Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Communist Party of Germany) was led by Ernst Thälmann. These were the more radical or pure Marxists who had split off from the SPD. The KPD party was loyal to the Soviet Union, and funded and controlled by Moscow.
The KPD paramilitary wing was the Roter Frontkämpferbund (Red Front Fighters' League). The Roter Frontkämpferbund was banned in 1929, but it still existed illegally.
Like the SPD, the KPD formed a more offensive action group, the Antifaschistische Aktion, also known as “Antifa.”
Zentrum
The Deutsche Zentrumspartei (Center Party) was a Christian democratic political party. It was one of the oldest parties in Germany having been formed around 1870. Taking the middle position, or playing both sides, allowed the Zentrum party to play a key role in the formation of parliamentary majorities.
As far as I can discover they had no paramilitary wing. That strikes me as very unusual for the period, but possibly makes sense in the light that they would prefer others to do the dirty work.
They were anti-Nazi. They worked against Hitler throughout 1932. It is too complicated a story to relay here, but a combination of internal strife and the inability to build a working coalition caused the Zentrum, foolishly, to vote for the Enabling Act in March of 1933. They were the swing votes that gave Hitler his autocratic powers. Part of Zentrum’s desire in their vote was to somehow stay in existence and have some influence. Hitler quickly did away with opposing parties by banning them or making sure they were dissolved. Zentrum was dissolved by July of 1933.
Other Parties
There were other parties involved at the time, quite a few in fact, but none as influential as the five above. For our purpose here, we do not need to delve into that.
Key Points
The German Revolution of 1918–1919 ended with the formation of the Weimar Republic, but the reality is, it never really ended. The Republic never found solid footing and worsening economic conditions at the end of the 1920s brought more political violence, leading Germany down the road to Hitler.
There was a bloody multi-direction battle for power in Germany between the Nazis, the Socialists, the Communists, and the Monarchists. Only the Socialist SPD tried to keep a democratic parliamentary type of government. Zentrum perhaps was trying, but their misstep in Hitler’s favor brought their demise as well as the end of the Republic.
Hitler was not inevitable. Political violence and division helped him to power.
Notice that the Iron Front and Antifa opposed each other, vehemently. There was no love between them even though both were Marxist! SPD’s moderation had made them traitors to the KPD. Marxists have a way of eating their own. Study the images above for the SPD and KPD. You are going to see them again.
What about modern Antifa and Marxist Terror?
I laid out the historical foundation of these groups so you would have a better understanding of the roots of Antifa and Marxist terror. There are claims that modern Antifa and other Marxist groups have no connection to this history. Yes, they do, and I am going to connect the dots. Anyone explaining Antifa and similar groups that does not mention their Marxist/Communist roots, and connection to them, is not giving you the full story. I think ignorance is involved, and in some cases willful deceit.
Next
In part two, we are going to see what happened to these violent groups after World War Two, where they went, and what their goals were. The Worldview series is still in progress, but delayed until this special series is concluded.
Links:
The Roots of Left-Wing Violence
Marx’s philosophy and the necessity of violent politics
German National People’s Party DNVP
The Nazi Party: Background & Overview
Oxford quick reference: SPD
I typically stay away from Wikipedia, but the sections there on the German Parties are good, if not excellent. I can recommend them:
DNVP
NSDAP
SPD
KPD
Zentrum
If you have the right library access/subscription, you can find many scholarly articles on the German Parties by searching Google Scholar. This is an example of one:
Struggle for the DNVP, 1928–30, Cambridge University Press
Thank you for reading, and may God Bless!
JW
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis