The Spartacist Revolt
Even before the Weimar BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence had been drawn up there was a serious challenge from the extreme BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence of the political spectrum. Many hoped to see a Russian style revolution in Germany. The left wing BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence movement led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence began a revolt in BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence in January 1919. They seized building throughout the city. The government fled the city.
Many feared the “red plague” and the defence minister Gustav Noske used the army and the BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence to crush the revolt. The Freikorps was a volunteer militia made up of ex army men set up to defend the borders of Germany. It was strongly anti-communist and took BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence steps to restore order with summary BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence becoming common place. Liebknecht and Luxemburg were shot and the BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence was crushed. In BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence another Communist revolt was defeated with Freikorps help in May. Political BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence had marred the foundation of the new state.


Significance of the Spartacist Revolt

1. On the orders of politicians from the Social BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence (SPD) the Communists or Spartacists had been crushed violently by the Freikorps. Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s the major left wing BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence were never to trust each other again. This BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence in the face of the rise of the Nazis was an important factor in Hitler and the Nazis coming to power
2. The Freikorps received a boost from their activities - a year later they were to stage their own BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence
3. Many Germans interpreted the events of the Spartacist revolt as further evidence that the country needed a strong BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence backed by a strong BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence
4. The Spartacists (Communists) were seen to be anti BavariaBerlinbrutalconstitutiondemocraticDemocratsdisunityexecutionsFreikorpsleaderleftLuxemburgmilitarypartiesputschrevoltSpartacistviolence