Rosa Luxemburg

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Rosa Luxemburg (5 March 1871 – 15 January 1919) was a Polish Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist, anti-war activist, and revolutionary socialist. She was a pivotal figure in the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and a founding member of the Spartacus League, which later became the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Due to her pointed criticism of both the Leninist and the more moderate Social Democratic approaches, Luxemburg has had a lasting influence on the leftist movements worldwide, particularly in Third World socialism and Left communism.

Early Life and Education

Born in Zamość, Congress Poland, then part of the Russian Empire, Luxemburg was the fifth child of a Jewish family. She became involved in radical political activism at an early age. Fleeing to Switzerland in 1889 to escape imprisonment for her activities, she attended the University of Zurich, where she studied philosophy, economics, and law, and was active in the left-wing student movements.

Political Career

After completing her education, Luxemburg moved to Germany in 1898, where she became a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Her involvement escalated with her opposition to World War I, which she vehemently protested against, leading to her imprisonment.

Luxemburg was a passionate advocate for socialism, arguing that it could only be achieved through revolutionary means. She critiqued the Russian Revolution for its authoritarian tendencies under Lenin and was an outspoken critic of the Bolsheviks' suppression of democratic processes.

The Spartacus League and German Revolution

In 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, Luxemburg, along with Karl Liebknecht and other radicals, founded the Spartacus League, which later became the KPD. She wrote the Spartacus Letters, which called for a mass uprising against the German government and the war. Her activism made her a primary target of the government, leading to multiple arrests.

During the German Revolution, Luxemburg and Liebknecht proclaimed the Free Socialist Republic of Germany in 1918. However, their efforts were brutally suppressed, and both Luxemburg and Liebknecht were murdered by members of the Freikorps in 1919.

Legacy

Rosa Luxemburg's legacy as a revolutionary and thinker remains influential in socialist theory and practice. Her writings on the Mass strike, the accumulation of capital, and the necessity of democratic underpinnings in socialist movements are considered crucial texts for Marxist theorists. Luxemburg's emphasis on democracy and her critique of authoritarianism have made her a significant figure in Marxist thought, revered by both reformist and revolutionary socialists.

Selected Works

• The Accumulation of Capital
• The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions
• Reform or Revolution

See Also

• Marxism
• Communist Party of Germany
• German Revolution
• Karl Liebknecht