Social Reform or Revolution

What it is

This is a pamphlet written by Rosa Luxemburg in 1898–99, first published as articles and collected together in 1899. It answers Eduard Bernstein, a leading German socialist who argued that reforms alone could gradually turn capitalism into socialism.

Why it matters

The pamphlet made Luxemburg the leading voice against revisionism inside the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She argued that capitalism was economically unsustainable and would eventually collapse, so trade unions and reforms were useful tools but not a substitute for revolution. The debate it sparked, with Bernstein and others such as Alexander Parvus, shaped European socialist politics for decades.

Look closer

• Why might reform and revolution have seemed like opposite strategies to socialists at this time?
• What does the title page's plain, text-only design tell you about how political pamphlets were produced and shared?
• What part of this argument might a reformist politician have disagreed with most strongly?