7 1 0 2 h c r a M 3 1 0 1 : 5 1 t a ] y r a r b i L x e s s u S f o y t i s r e v i n U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D Rosa Luxemburg in Action 7 1 0 2 h c r a Neither a work concerned only with her Marxist writings nor a per- M sonal biography concerned with her private life, this book examines Rosa 3 1 Luxemburg’s ideas on revolution and democracy and how the two are 0 bound together by her views on the importance of political action. Stretch- 1 5: ing, historically, from 1863 to the present, this book covers in great detail 1 t the history and developments within the German Social Democratic Party a ] during her time, the 1905 and 1917 Russian Revolutions, the German y r Revolution, the outbreak of the First World War and the imperialism that a br fuelled it. It then moves on to consider political and historical developments i L after her death and examines her arguments on revolution and democracy x in the light of the post-revolutionary government in Nicaragua: the one vio- e ss lent revolution that sought to establish social democracy (but failed). Also u S covered are aspects of Rosa Luxemburg’s life; her important writings of and actions; and the relevant Marxist debates in which she was involved, y including, for example, Eduard Bernstein’s arguments on social democracy t si through reform and, with Lenin, on revolutionary organization. r ve This welcome and timely collection presents an important examination i n of the political and social context in which Luxemburg developed her activi- U [ ties and views, as well as a complete understanding of the history of social y democracy, the revolutionary times of a century ago and the relevance of b d their events and ideas for more recent revolutions for democracy in the e d twenty-fi rst century. a o l n w Rosemary H. T. O ’ Kane is Emeritus Professor of Comparative Political o Theory at Keele University. Her book T he Revolutionary Reign of Ter- D ror: The Role of Violence in Political Change ( 1991) won the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book for 1993. Routledge Studies in Social and Political Thought For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.com 7 1 0 2 65 Enlightenment Political 72 Gender, Emotions and h Thought and Non-Western Labour Markets—Asian c r Societies and Western Perspectives a M Sultans and Savages Ann Brooks and 3 Frederick G. Whelan Theresa Devasahayam 1 0 1 : 66 Liberalism, Neoliberalism, 73 Alienation and the 5 1 Social Democracy Carnivalization of t a Thin Communitarian Perspectives Society ] y on Political Philosophy and Edited by Jerome Braun and r ra Education Lauren Langman b i Mark Olssen L x 74 The Post-Colonial State e s 67 Oppositional Discourses and in the Era of Capitalist s u Democracies Globalization S f Edited by Michael Huspek Historical, Political and o y Theoretical Approaches to it 68 The Contemporary Goffman State Formation s r e Edited by Michael Tariq Amin-Khan v i Hviid Jacobsen n U 75 The Psychology and [ y 69 Hemingway on Politics and Politics of the Collective b d Rebellion Groups, Crowds and Mass e Edited by Lauretta Conklin Identifi cations d oa Frederking Edited by Ruth Parkin-Gounelas l n w o 70 Social Theory in 76 Environmental Solidarity D Contemporary Asia How Religions Can Sustain Ann Brooks Sustainability Pablo Martínez de Anguita 71 Governmentality Current Issues and 77 Comedy and the Public Sphere Future Challenges The Rebirth of Theatre as Comedy Edited by Ulrich Bröckling, and the Genealogy of the Modern Susanne Krasmann and Public Arena Thomas Lemke Arpad Szakolczai 78 Culture, Class, and Critical 89 Emotions and Social Change Theory Historical and Sociological Between Bourdieu and the Perspectives Frankfurt School Edited by David Lemmings and David Gartman Ann Brooks 79 Environmental Apocalypse in 90 John Rawls and the History of Science and Art Political Thought 7 Designing Nightmares The Rousseauvian and 1 Sergio Fava Hegelian Heritage of Justice 0 2 as Fairness h c 80 Conspicuous and Inconspicuous Jeffrey Bercuson r a Discriminations in Everyday Life M Victor N. Shaw 91 What Holism Can Do for 3 1 Social Theory 0 81 Understanding the Tacit Barbara Hanson 1 5: Stephen P. Turner 1 t 92 The Sociology of Knowledge a ] 82 The Politics of Expertise in a Time of Crisis y r Stephen P. Turner Challenging the Phantom of a r Liberty b Li 83 Globalized Knowledge Flows Onofrio Romano x and Chinese Social Theory e s Xiaoying Qi 93 Cosmopolitanism and the s u S Legacies of Dissent f 84 Reconstructing Social Justice Tamara Caraus and o y Lauretta Conklin Frederking Camil-Alexandru Parvu t i s r e 85 The Dialectics of Inquiry Across 94 The Metaphysics of v ni the Historical Social Sciences Technology U David Baronov David Skrbina [ y b d 86 How Groups Matter 95 The Political Thought of Hume e d Challenges of Toleration in and His Contemporaries: a o Pluralistic Societies Enlightenment Projects Vol 1 l n Edited by Gideon Calder, Magali Frederick G. Whelan w o Bessone and Federico Zuolo D 96 The Political Thought of Hume 87 The Politics of Rationality and His Contemporaries: Reason through Occidental Enlightenment Projects Vol 2 History Frederick G. Whelan Charles P. Webel 97 Rosa Luxemburg in Action 88 Gramsci, Materialism, and For Revolution and Philosophy Democracy Esteve Morera Rosemary H. T. O’Kane 7 1 0 2 h c r a M 3 1 0 1 : 5 1 t a ] y r a r b i L x This page intentionally left blank e s s u S f o y t i s r e v i n U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D Rosa Luxemburg in Action For Revolution and Democracy Rosemary H. T. O’Kane 7 1 0 2 h c r a M 3 1 0 1 : 5 1 t a ] y r a r b i L x e s s u S f o y t i s r e v i n U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D First published 2015 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2015 Taylor & Francis The right of Rosemary H. T. O’Kane to be identifi ed as author of this 7 work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the 1 0 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. 2 h All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or c utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now r a known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any M information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from 3 the publishers. 1 0 Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or 1 registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation : 5 without intent to infringe. 1 at Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data y] Kane, Rosemary H. T. O. ar Rosa Luxemburg in action : for revolution and democracy / br by Rosemary H. T. O. Kane. Li pages cm. — (Routledge Studies in Social and Political Thought ; 97) x Includes bibliographical references and index. e ISBN 978-1-315-77740-5 (alk. paper) ss 1. Luxemburg, Rosa, 1871–1919. 2. Direct democracy—History. I. Title. u HX274.7.L89K36 2015 S f 321.8—dc23 o 2014025274 y t ISBN: 978-1-138-02195-2 (hbk) i rs ISBN: 978-1-315-77740-5 (ebk) e v Typeset in Sabon i n by Apex CoVantage, LLC U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D 7 1 0 2 h c ar To M Harriet 3 1 0 1 : 5 1 t a ] y r a r b i L x e s s u S f o y t i s r e v i n U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D 7 1 0 2 h c r a M 3 1 0 1 : 5 1 t a ] y r a r b i L x This page intentionally left blank e s s u S f o y t i s r e v i n U [ y b d e d a o l n w o D Contents 7 1 0 2 h c r a Preface xi M Acknowledgements xv 3 1 0 1 1 Setting the Stage: Electoral Democracy, : 5 Imperial Germany and the SPD 1 1 t a ] 2 Preparing the Actor: For International Socialism 17 y r a r b 3 The Revolutionary Movement: Vote-Getting, i L Party Organization and the General Strike 37 x e s us 4 Revolution in Russia, 1905–6: The Living Political School 52 S f o 5 Elections, Imperialism and War: Objective Investigation 67 y t i s er 6 War, Revolutions and Freedom: From behind Prison Walls 85 v i n U 7 Into the German Revolution: On through the Weimar Republic 101 [ y b d 8 After the Russian Revolution: Through Past 1945 116 e d a o 9 With the Eagles Flying Onward: To Socialist Democracy 134 l n w o Bibliography 151 D Index 157