The Spartacist Rising- January 1919 Flashcards
What happened in January 1919?
In January 1919, the German communist party (the Spartacists) decided that they wanted to take over Germany from Ebert.
- They started a revolution attempt on 6th January. It was not successful. In a week, Ebert with the help of his Freikorps (ex-WWI soldiers paid to help the government keep order) had stopped the rebellion and killed many communists. The Spartacist leaders, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebnecht, were murdered.
How did this benefit the social democrats?
It was helpful for Ebert that the Spartacists were no longer a threat.
What were the consequence of using the Freikorps for the social democrats?
However, he had to rely on the Freikorps to keep
order – that made him look weak to the public, and it was risky as the Freikorps could turn on him at any point.
Did this stop the left wing revolutionaries from opposing the social democrats?
No as the German communists continued to create riots around Germany, even after the Spartacist Revolution failed. Freikorps had to be sent round to fight them and
stop them.
