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Primary sourceNewspaper articleDecember 1918

Was will der Spartakusbund?

Rosa Luxemburg · December 1918

The December 1918 Spartacus League programme written by Luxemburg, setting out the goals of the German Revolution and rejecting terror.

This is Luxemburg's main statement of the Spartacus League's goals during the German Revolution, shortly before her death.

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About this source

What it is

This is a newspaper article/programme written by Rosa Luxemburg in December 1918, officially declared on behalf of the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund) during the German Revolution. It was translated and circulated abroad, including in a 1919 English pamphlet describing the Spartacists' aims.

Why it matters

Written as the old German monarchy collapsed, the text sets out what the revolutionary left hoped to achieve next. It rejects terror as a method, distinguishing Luxemburg's vision from other revolutionary currents of the time. It is one of her clearest statements of political goals near the end of her life, shortly before her death in the Revolution's aftermath.

Look closer

  • Why might a revolutionary movement choose to publicly reject terror as a tactic?
  • What does the publication of this programme abroad, in English, tell you about international interest in the German Revolution?
  • What questions would you ask about what actually happened after this programme was issued?

This newspaper article is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rosa Luxemburg on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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