Graham R (Ed.) - Anarchism - A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas Volume One - From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939)

The Interwar Years
111. Gustav Landauer: Revolution of the Spirit (1919)
ThrougllOut the First World War, Gustav Landauer had taken a consistently anti-war stand.
In early 1918, mass strikes against the war began in Germany. Landauer's writings quickly
rose ill popularity, especially his 1911 publicatioll, For Socialism (Selectioll 79). III late October
1918, naval mutinies broke out ill Kiel, alld i1l November workers' and soldiers' councils
were formed. Tile majority Social Democrats proclaimed a republic, pre-empting the radical
socialists, led by Karl Liebknecilt and Rosa Luxembourg. Landauer went to Bavaria, w/lere the
independent socialist, Kurt Eisner, had already proclaimed a social republic. Landauer joined
with the anarchist Erich Miihsam (1868-1934) in supporting a Revolutionary Workers' COUlIci!
that advocated a direct democracy of broadly based workers' councils in opposition to parliamentmy
democracy. Unlike the radical Marxists involved in the councillllovement, who
called for the "dictatorship of the proletariat," Landauer argued that the councils should include
aI/members of tile community and called for "the 'abolition of the proletariat' as a distinct
class" (Eugme Lunn, Prophet of Community: The Romantic Socialism of Gustav
Landauer, Berkeley: University of California, 1973, page 301). In January 1919, the
"Spartacist" uprising was crushed in Berlin, and Liebknecht and Luxemburg were Illurdered
by military forces. The revolutionary council movement continued in Bavaria, with Landauer
taking an active role. Eisner was assassinated in February 1919. The Social Democrats tried
to set up a new government in March 1919 and supported the violent suppression of street
protests. When three demonstrators were killed by security forces with the approval of the Social
Democrats, Landauer commented, "In the whole of natural history I know of no more revolting
creature than the Social Democratic Party" (as quoted in Lunn, page 321). The Social
Democratic government retreated to Nuremburg and a Council Republic was declared in Munich
in April 1919. Landauer participated in the Council Republic, but it lasted for only one
week; then the Communists seized power after an attempted coup by troops loyal to the Social
Democratic government. Landauer at first offered his support to the Communists, which