The Lost Revolution: Germany 1918 to 1923
by Chris Harman
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"Compelling . . . [a] classic study of the revolutionary process" (Neil Davidson, author of How Revolutionary Were the Bourgeois Revolutions?). As the First World War was about to end in defeat, German sailors began to mutiny-giving voice to the widespread anger against the elites who had led the nation into war and the calamitous impact of that decision on everyday people. The events that followed would eventually result in the parliamentary democracy known as the Weimar Republic-and the show more socialists who had initially risen up would be attacked by German counterrevolutionary troops, their uniforms marking the debut of a new symbol: the swastika. Because of the socialists' defeat in Germany, Russia fell into the isolation that gave Stalin his road to power. Here, Chris Harman unearths the history of the lost revolution in Germany and reveals its lessons for the future struggles for a better world. "Chris Harman's compelling analysis of the failed German Revolution covers the entire period from 1918 to the debacle of 1923, paying close attention to episodes such as the Bavarian Soviet Republic which are often neglected or minimized. Harman clearly demonstrates that this example of 'lost revolution' was the real turning point in German history when history failed to turn, with dire consequences." -Neil Davidson, author of Discovering the Scottish Revolution. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This excellent book covers the revolutionary years in Germany from 1918 to 1923: years which started with the revolt by workers and soldiers which brought the First World War to an end.
Harman shows that the lack of an experienced revolutionary socialist party led to a missed opportunity for the working class to democratically and collectively take power into their own hands through the workers' councils which had sprung up.
The author also shows how the failure of this anti-capitalist revolution led to two great tragedies. Firstly it led to a situation where Hitler could eventually come to power, backed by German big business. And secondly it led to the isolation of the Russian Revolution, which in turn created the conditions for show more Stalin's counter-revolution, the destruction of the remnants of the original democracy of the soviets (democratic workers' councils), and the development of the state capitalist tyranny in Russia which falsely claimed to be socialist/Marxist. show less
Harman shows that the lack of an experienced revolutionary socialist party led to a missed opportunity for the working class to democratically and collectively take power into their own hands through the workers' councils which had sprung up.
The author also shows how the failure of this anti-capitalist revolution led to two great tragedies. Firstly it led to a situation where Hitler could eventually come to power, backed by German big business. And secondly it led to the isolation of the Russian Revolution, which in turn created the conditions for show more Stalin's counter-revolution, the destruction of the remnants of the original democracy of the soviets (democratic workers' councils), and the development of the state capitalist tyranny in Russia which falsely claimed to be socialist/Marxist. show less
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Author Information
70+ Works 1,536 Members
Chris Harman is the author of several books, including A People's History of the World.
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Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Important events
- German Revolution
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government
- DDC/MDS
- 943.085 — History & geography History of Europe Central Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech, Poland, Hungary Historical periods of Germany Germany 1866- Weimar Republic 1918-1933
- LCC
- DD248 .H33 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Germany History of Germany History By period Modern, 1519- 19th-20th centuries Revolution and Republic, 1918-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 126
- Popularity
- 259,562
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English, French, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 2
