Source question- Assess the value of the source for revealing the beliefs of the spartacists and the reasons for the spartacist uprising of Jan 1919

Question 1

Assess the value of the source for revealing the beliefs of the spartacists and the reasons for the spartacist uprising of Jan 1919

Answer 1

Assess the value of the source for revealing the beliefs of the spartacists and the reasons for the spartacist uprising of Jan 1919

Question 2

Beliefs of the spartacists

Answer 2

Karl Liebknecht wanted to claim Germany as a ‘soviet republic’ following the abdication of the Kaiser on the 9th Nov 1918. They were very radical left wing and had split from the USPD which had split previously from the SPD to for the KPD (communist party), and wanted to provoke a communist style revolution in Germany.

Question 3

Reasons for spartacist uprising

Answer 3

The sailors that were part of the council of peoples commissars (to decide what to do with Germany following the war defeat) were ordered to leave it’s quarters, most of whom were USPD. When they refused to leave, Ebert used military force to attack them, which was seen as betrayal by the USPD leaders who resigned. The most radical of members split away from the USPD to form the KPD under Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. On 1st Jan 1919, after removal of Berlins left wing chief of police, the spartacists had an uprising, occupying buildings in Berlin, which Ebert used further force against (freikorps)