I can't wait to see how this will affect the leftist movements across the world, starting with Spain and then across the Atlantic into the American continent.
(TL) Rosa’s Reich (Re-Write in Progress)
- Thread starter GlobalHumanism
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Detractor on or detractor of? Because detractor on doesn't make so much sense to me, if Lenin doesn't concoct Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder at all or excludes altogether German council communism from it, deeming them a politically correct line (or even critiquing them of being too rightist for making their revolution vulnerable with class collobration)...then Rosa isn't on the ultra-left.
Now, detractor of is interesting, this would mean her staring her pre-revolution inclinations straight in face and bombarding them with revisions brought to her by the practicality of harsh revolutionary realities. And with the bourgeois and petit-bourgeois not letting up at all, and Freikorps assembling...Radek's hushed words ring out the most to me. Good update by the way!
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You've captured the rising internal tension occurring within Rosa's mind perfectly!
Both historically in OTL and in this ATL, one of the main purposes of her revolutionary actives within the Sparticists was establish a communist movement that competed with the likes of late-1918 era Russian civil era Bolsehvism. (check out any of her writtings after the first few months of the October Revolution)
In reading her essays pertaining to the depravities of the Red Terror and War Communism, it's clear to see her disgust with the results of Bolshevik ideology on a foundationally Marxist movement. (Party Vangardism vs mass worker mobilization)
Unfortunately for her, she may soon realize (if she hasn't already) in TTL that achieving, but more importantly keeping alive a success revolution may mean mirroring a terror of her own.
And if you can see, as a result of the voting in past junctures, her unilateral actions are starting to shape how she perceives party power in her own revolution.
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Seems like Rosa's a budding bolshie of her own kind :')
Especially if constituent assembly elections don't go the CCP's way. (I don't even know there are any scheduled or if so if they'll happen considering the ferocious reaction from the bourgeois-aligned blocs). She isn't going to let two of her closest comrades die in vain and let the revolution whither because of a bourgeois-liberal state appartatus allows class enemies to say "oops sorry no."
After all: "A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is." – Frederick Engels
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That may be the case. But such excesses must be remembered and condemned by their successors.
Just wanna throw this out there: Today is the 99th Anniversary of the October Revolution.
Oh is it?
In that case... IT'S GEORGY SVIRIDOV MUSIC TIME:
Wanted to pause here and provide you guys with a diagram I threw together illustrating the current structure of the city governement of the Union of Berlin Council Republic
Feel free to use this as a reference guide going forward
Feel free to use this as a reference guide going forward
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Here's another detailing the current light-structure of the city's Industry Councils.
So, I'm a little confused regarding the city's political structure. Does the Industry Council only focus on the economy? What's their relationship with the provincial council and the Berlin Congress? And what about between the Inner Council and the Outer Council?
This is what I get for not studying enough syndicalism.
This is what I get for not studying enough syndicalism.
Ahh..sorry I've taken so long to answer this! I took a much needed break to work on some other things but im back
1. The Industry Council functions as both a political representation entity and an economic entity (like States within the US). It's this quasi-relationship that inexorably links economic imperatives of the working class with the political decision making of the government.
2. Thus there relationship to the Berlin Congress is like a US Senator's relationship to US Congress. The provincial council is just a like-entity that has equal representation to the Industry Council, only instead of the workers, it represents the people outside of the city.
3. (within the Berlin Congress) The Outer Council is made up of the elected representatives from each industry Council and provincial council while the Inner Council is made up of the ministers appointed by the General Director
Hope this helps.
Also it's Turtledove Nomination season! Hopefully if you've enjoyed this Timeline - I'd love your consideration in its nomination
Chapter V (1919) | Part III
Chapter V: The March • Part IX
Time Period: March 30th, 1919
It was all over the reconnaissance reports.
Two massive Freikorps forces were marching on the city and the revolutionary government did not have the military nor militia numbers to contend with them.
Erich Musham and the recently appointed Deputy Director of City Security Karl Radek met with Rosa on March 30th to advise her on the situation.
“I’ve already recalled the 1st Battalion from our provincial campaign back to the city,” Musham said as he pointed to a map of the city resting on Rosa’s work desk.
“They’ll do the best they can in preparing for a defense of the city, but we must call up the reserves if we hope to survive.”
“I agree,” Karl Radek said curtly.
“So far we’ve had 17,000 Berlin citizens enlist in the militia corps. Issue a call to arms so we may begin basic training as soon as possible.”
Rosa sat back in her chair and nervously clasped her hand to her mouth.
Though she appreciated the optimism of her officers, she knew that the simultaneous assault by both the Junker-backed Freikorps from the east and the military-backed Freikorps from the west would bring about the collapse of her still fragile government, regardless of the military defense of the city.
“And what if they simply surround the city?” she asked her officers in a frustrated tone.
“They merely have to block off the main rail link along with a few road to completely strangle our supplies of food and raw materials from Bavaria. With no food, and no raw materials to keep our few factories running, coupled with all this middle class resistance…our republic would collapse regardless if a single reactionary made it past the city limits. ”
Rosa then stood up and began pacing back in forth.
“Gentlemen, right now we need allies more than bullets,” she said as she paused to stare out her window.
“As well as an expansion in our entire diplomatic operation. It seems our isolation has made us vulnerable to such an attack, but it is not too late to reverse our fortunes.”
Rushing back to her desk, Rosa immediately called Paul Levi and requested his presence at the meeting.
After about hour, he and a team of staff members showed up.
“Christ, how many days do we have before these reactionaries arrive?” he asked as he said down at the meeting table in her office.
“Reports place them two weeks out,” Radek replied.
“This is why you’re here Paul,” said Rosa.
“The forces we’re facing are too great to assail with brawn alone. Truthfully I’ve been putting this off for the past few months as we desperately tried to build our republic here in Berlin, but we need to build a coalition.”
After pausing for a moment, Rosa rose back up from her chair and addressed the entire room.
“This revolution, our revolution, can never be contained to Berlin alone. As was our intention with Herr Musham’s campaign to secure our hinterlands, the march for final liberation means all of Germany; no...Europe, must throw off the yoke of capitalism. However, to accomplish this we cannot act alone. We are not Bolsheviks after all – we’re Communists!”
As her staff all applauded, Rosa and Paul immediately got to work.
Time Period: March 30th, 1919 - April 4th, 1919
Over the next several days, Rosa had several phone conversations with the USPD in Bavaria while Paul was tasked with establishing contact with the worker councils, and Kreigsmarine councils in the northwest of Germany. Picking up where their deceased comrade Karl Liebknecht had left off after addressing them the previous year, Paul cajoled each leader of the city republics of Hamburg and Kiel to align with the Berlin Congress.
“We are the future of people’s democracy in Germany!” Levi said to naval officer leading the Kiel Council.
“Join with us in liberating the working class from reactionary chauvinism.”
By April 1st, both had publically declared their alignment with the Council Communist Party, flying the CCP standard over their revolutionary headquarters by April 3rd.
In Bavaria, with the political situation stabilized for the USPD in Munich, Rosa successfully cajoled her full-time ally Eisner to call up a large reservist force of armed workers with the intention of marching on right flank of the advancing Freikorps from the west. Numbering at 9,000, the Bavarian force were likewise charged with securing the major city of Bamberg for the Free State along the way to Berlin.
Time Period: April 5th, 1919
Bolshevik Russia
With Berlin announcing on April 5th its incorporation of both Kiel and Hamburg into the Union of Berlin Council Republics, and after meeting with Cheka agents and being informed of the advancing Freikorps troops in the ongoing German Civil War, Lenin, desperate for allies himself, knew that a unique situation had arisen.
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It's happening! It's really happening!
Chapter V: The March • Part IX
Time Period: March 30th, 1919
It was all over the reconnaissance reports.
Two massive Freikorps forces were marching on the city and the revolutionary government did not have the military nor militia numbers to contend with them.
Erich Musham and the recently appointed Deputy Director of City Security Karl Radek met with Rosa on March 30th to advise her on the situation.
“I’ve already recalled the 1st Battalion from our provincial campaign back to the city,” Musham said as he pointed to a map of the city resting on Rosa’s work desk.
“They’ll do the best they can in preparing for a defense of the city, but we must call up the reserves if we hope to survive.”
“I agree,” Karl Radek said curtly.
“So far we’ve had 17,000 Berlin citizens enlist in the militia corps. Issue a call to arms so we may begin basic training as soon as possible.”
Rosa sat back in her chair and nervously clasped her hand to her mouth.
Though she appreciated the optimism of her officers, she knew that the simultaneous assault by both the Junker-backed Freikorps from the east and the military-backed Freikorps from the west would bring about the collapse of her still fragile government, regardless of the military defense of the city.
“And what if they simply surround the city?” she asked her officers in a frustrated tone.
“They merely have to block off the main rail link along with a few road to completely strangle our supplies of food and raw materials from Bavaria. With no food, and no raw materials to keep our few factories running, coupled with all this middle class resistance…our republic would collapse regardless if a single reactionary made it past the city limits. ”
Rosa then stood up and began pacing back in forth.
“Gentlemen, right now we need allies more than bullets,” she said as she paused to stare out her window.
“As well as an expansion in our entire diplomatic operation. It seems our isolation has made us vulnerable to such an attack, but it is not too late to reverse our fortunes.”
Rushing back to her desk, Rosa immediately called Paul Levi and requested his presence at the meeting.
After about hour, he and a team of staff members showed up.
“Christ, how many days do we have before these reactionaries arrive?” he asked as he said down at the meeting table in her office.
“Reports place them two weeks out,” Radek replied.
“This is why you’re here Paul,” said Rosa.
“The forces we’re facing are too great to assail with brawn alone. Truthfully I’ve been putting this off for the past few months as we desperately tried to build our republic here in Berlin, but we need to build a coalition.”
After pausing for a moment, Rosa rose back up from her chair and addressed the entire room.
“This revolution, our revolution, can never be contained to Berlin alone. As was our intention with Herr Musham’s campaign to secure our hinterlands, the march for final liberation means all of Germany; no...Europe, must throw off the yoke of capitalism. However, to accomplish this we cannot act alone. We are not Bolsheviks after all – we’re Communists!”
As her staff all applauded, Rosa and Paul immediately got to work.
Time Period: March 30th, 1919 - May 4th, 1919
Over the next several days, Rosa had several phone conversations with the USPD in Bavaria while Paul was tasked with establishing contact with the worker councils, and Kreigsmarine councils in the northwest of Germany. Picking up where their deceased comrade Karl Liebknecht had left off after addressing them the previous year, Paul cajoled each leader of the city republics of Hamburg and Kiel to align with the Berlin Congress.
“We are the future of people’s democracy in Germany!” Levi said to naval officer leading the Kiel Council.
“Join with us in liberating the working class from reactionary chauvinism.”
By May 1st, both had publically declared their alignment with the Council Communist Party, flying the CCP standard over their revolutionary headquarters by May 3rd.
In Bavaria, with the political situation stabilized for the USPD in Munich, Rosa successfully cajoled her full-time ally Eisner to call up a large reservist force of armed workers with the intention of marching on right flank of the advancing Freikorps from the west. Numbering at 9,000, the Bavarian force were likewise charged with securing the major city of Bamberg for the Free State along the way to Berlin.
Time Period: May 5th, 1919
Bolshevik Russia
With Berlin announcing on May 5th its incorporation of both Kiel and Hamburg into the Union of Berlin Council Republics, and after meeting with Cheka agents and being informed of the advancing Freikorps troops in the ongoing German Civil War, Lenin, desperate for allies himself, knew that a unique situation had arisen.
Glad to see another update!
It'll be interesting to see how relations between the Bolsheviks and the Spartacists play out; perhaps the two will influence each other or perhaps they'll eventually split.
It'll be interesting to see how relations between the Bolsheviks and the Spartacists play out; perhaps the two will influence each other or perhaps they'll eventually split.
At this point, we may be getting a whole revolutionary wave as Rosa gathers Socialists of all stripes and from all ends of the spectrum, from her Spartacist/Council Communist base, to Bolsheviks, to Ultra-Leftists, to Anarchists, to Christian Socialists, to even coopting the goddamn Strasserites.
The Revolution must spread!
Thuringia or Saxony would be useful as a corridor.
Thuringia or Saxony would be useful as a corridor.
At the very least there'll be some cross pollination of ideals.
That could mean a softer-Lenin but it could also mean a harder-Rosa
It could be a synthesis between the two.
Who knows?
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