The greatest conquest of the developing proletarian movement has been the discovery of grounds of support for the realisation of socialism in the economic condition of capitalist society. When we think of rosa luxemburg today the first thing that comes to mind is the. Rosa luxemburg quotes author of reform or revolution. The accumulation of capital in southern africa rosa luxemburg. But not only that, luxemburg was also an activist and marxist, eloquent voice of the left wing in the german social democratic party and an advocate of radical action. The bolshevik revolution, if im right, had a rippling current on socialism in europe that spread across and agitated revolution. Born in zamosc to a middleclass jewish family, she rose through the ranks of the burgeoning. Luxembourgs analysis of lenins doctrine of the party and democratic centralism hx276. Leninism in 1935 by the antiparliamentary communist federation. Until january 1912 rosa luxemburg was an orthodox follower of marx, believing that political economy had. Her death sparked many other uprisings across germany. In the accumulation of capital, rosa luxemburg started from the aspect of capital accumulation to explore the source and internal mechanism of capitalisms crisis and make an etiological diagnosis. The revolutionary rosa luxemburg socialist alternative.
Rozalia rosa luxemburg was born in march 1871 in zamosch, poland, which was under russiancontrol at the time. Rosa luxemburg 18701919 is one of the greatest figures ever produced by the international socialist movement. Reform or revolution argues that capitalism is built on. Reform or revolution rosa luxemburg one of the most important marxist thinkers and leaders of the twentieth century, rosa luxemburg is finding renewed interest among a new generation of activists and critics of global capitalism. Rosa luxembourg article about rosa luxembourg by the free. For rosa luxemburg this was not just a question of defeating bernstein in a vote which happened time and time again at party congresses, but of educating the rankand. Until january 1912 rosa luxemburg was an orthodox follower of marx, believing that political economy had found its. Rosa luxembourg article about rosa luxembourg by the. Jul 08, 2008 reform or revolution july 8, 2008 helen scott, editor of the essential rosa luxemburg, looks at the crucial book to take up the issue that divided the socialist movement a century ago. Rosa luxemburgs contribution to the movement of womens. Rosa luxemburg was born into a middle class, jewish family on march 5, 1871, in the small town of zamosc in southeastern russian poland in the year of the paris commune. Rosa luxemburg s critique of lenins concept of revolutionary organisation, show the disagreements within the marxist movements in europe in the years preceding 1917. Mar 25, 2009 when the german revolution broke out, her ideas about the significance of revolution and the mass strike were little known to rank and file workers. If you read about the other key members of the revolution, rosa is one of the only women.
Rosa luxemburg s classic pamphlet reform or revolution also known as social reform or revolution was first published in 1899. Militant publications, london, 1986 no first published. Rosa luxemburgs legacy is very live, very relevant. British mathrock band the murder of rosa luxemburg took their name from the infamous. Here patrick larsen looks at her strong side and also her weaknesses in the light of the 1918 german revolution and draws out lessons for today, in particular for the revolutionary movement in venezuela. She joined a revolutionary party called proletariat, founded in 1882, some 21 years before the russian social democratic party bolsheviks and mensheviks came into being. Rosas ideas to the contemporary left, something we have also done by publishing, most recently, red rosa. Her humanitarian marxism stressed democracy and revolutionary mass action to achieve international socialism. Luxembourgs constitution of 1868 with amendments through. It is the basic argument about how to challenge capitalism. Social reform or revolution, by rosa luxemburg publisher.
Rosa luxemburg, polishborn german revolutionary and agitator who played a key role in founding the polish social democratic party and the spartacus league, which grew into the communist party of germany. Like antonio gramsci, rosa luxemburg has mainly been perceived and praised as a political theorist. Rosa luxemburg was an outstanding marxist and revolutionary. The war and the workers rosa luxembourg best known for her role as an economist and the author of article the war and the workers to push for the ideology of reformism. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page information wikidata item cite. A revolutionary leader whose thought has been embraced by marxistleninists, anarchists, and even anticommunist social democrats, her influence on political thought has increased in the era after the cold war.
Rosa luxemburg was a key theorist within the german social democratic party spd. Of the state, of its territory and the grand duke article 1 the grand duchy of luxembourg is a democratic, free, independent and indivisible state. Article 2 the boundaries and chief towns of the judicial or administrative districts, of the. The complete works of rosa luxemburg bringing the contributions of this remarkable thinker and personality alive for new generations. Luxembourgs constitution of 1868 with amendments through 2009. Rosa luxemburg 18711919 is widely regarded as one of the most creative writers of modern socialism and the foremost female theoretician of european radicalism. Much of the material had appeared in article form over the. Pdf the current relevance of rosa luxemburgs thought. It was published to confront the revisionist ideology beginning to emerge in. Her view on womens emancipation movement was that women were the fundamental force of the socialist revolution, that their emancipation movement was a.
Its capital, luxembourg city, is one of the four official capitals. This created a frame work in which the socialist movement should push for piecemeal reform, rather than the revolutionary overthrow of the system. Rosa luxemburgs view of the marxist legacy and progress in marxist theory already in the 1890s, rosa luxemburg complained about stagnation and lack of intellectual effort and theoretical progress in the marxist camp. Rosa luxemburg was born in the small polish town of zamosc on 5 march 1871. Reform or revolution 3 the challenge of revisionism introducing reform or revolution rosa luxemburgs classic pamphlet reform or revolution also known as social reform or revolution was first published in 1899. Jan 15, 2009 rosa luxemburg was an outstanding marxist and revolutionary.
She learned german at home and, undoubtedly, a certain affinity for. As an economist and political theorist, a teacher and public speaker, a comrade and rebel, a revolutionary and martyr of. Rosa luxemburg increasingly came into collision with the spd machine, whose stultifying conservative effect she contrasted to the social explosions in the first russian revolution of 190507. Successively, she was a member of the social democracy of the kingdom of poland and lithuania sdkpil. The accumulation of capital, probably the best book produced by a marxist and socialist thinker since karl marxs opus magnum, emerged from her sudden revelation. Her courage, determination, and unapologetic demeanor are the main qualities that i admire. In the accumulation of capital, rosa luxemburg started from the aspect of capital accumulation to explore the source and internal mechanism of capitalisms crisis and make an etiological. Luxemburg, officially the grand duchy of luxembourg, is a landlocked country in western europe. The conquest of a share of decisionmaking power within liberal representative institutions means very little in the political life of contemporary states. Her ability to be a leader, as a woman, in the early twentieth century is an accomplishment in itself. Luxemburg s genuinely internationalist stance helps to explain the second part of her argument against bernsteins defense of social reform over revolution. Rosa luxemburg article about rosa luxemburg by the free.
Why capitalism cannot overcome its internal contradictions and the working class cannot reform away exploitation and economic crises. Rosa luxemburg life, revolutionary activities, works. From early youth she was active in the socialist movement. Together with lenin and trotsky she was the outstanding representative of marxism in the 20th century. Although some of the tactics of rosa and her coconspirators may have been misguided and violent, it is still incredible. Reform or revolution is not an easy read as it contains many contemporary references, though in the edition i have, donny gluckstein provides a useful introduction that puts the work in context and had many useful endnotes. The question luxemburg addresses, though, remains important. On january 15, 1919, rosa luxemburg became one of them, her skull smashed by a rifle butt before her body was thrown into a canal. Leninism or marxism was published as an article in 1904 under the title organisational questions of the russian social democracy in iskra and neue zeit, and later reprinted in pamphlet form titled marxism vs.
The major difficulty encountered in the process of studying rosa luxembourgs viewpoint of womens emancipation movement is that she didnt make any specific or focused account of it. We are pleased to republish this article by peter taaffe written on the 90th anniversary of their deaths. Rosa luxemburg internet archive 1999 transcriptionmarkup. Rosa luxemburg was one of the great marxist theorists of the twentieth century. The accumulation of capital in southern africa rosa. Her father was a timber merchant in the family timber business and was. A graphic biography of rosa luxemburg, and more expansively, a new translation of her complete works, both in tandem with verso books. Reform or revolution july 8, 2008 helen scott, editor of the essential rosa luxemburg, looks at the crucial book to take up the issue that divided the socialist movement a century ago. Reform or revolution and other writings dover books on. Nov 07, 2014 in this video from the recent international marxist winter school 2014, marie frederiksen, editor of the danish marxist newspaper revolution, discusses the real revolutionary history, ideas, and. Rosa was the fifth of five children of eliasz luxemburg and line lowenstein. Rosa, a novel by jonathan rabb halban publishers, 2005, gives a fictional account of the events leading to luxemburg s murder. Rosa luxemburg was one of the most important figures in the history of the international workers movement.
She was the youngest out of five children, three boys and two girls. View homework help rosa luxemburgthe war and the workers2. Luxemburg wrote reform or revolution as a reaction to a book by eduard bernstein, another leading figure in the she was a member of the german social democratic party spd, the same ones in coalition with angela merkels conservative christian democrats over a century later. That perception, dominant as it still is among her admirers on the left in europe and all over the world, is thoroughly misguided, as it is in the case of gramsci for the latter, see kratke 2011a. An effective refutation of revisionist interpretations of marxist doctrine, it defines the position of scientific socialism on the issues of social reforms, the state, democracy, and the character of the proletarian revolution. In this video from the recent international marxist winter school 2014, marie frederiksen, editor of the danish marxist newspaper revolution, discusses the real revolutionary history, ideas, and. Today in history the murder of rosa luxemburg and karl.
Reform or revolution by rosa luxemburg audiobook english. Rosa remix represents a continuation of this everdeepening project. Rosa luxemburg her analysis of imperialism and her. Her contribution, as theorist and activist, deserves to be recognised and celebrated by the newer generations of socialist activists who have become involved in. Rosa luxemburgs contribution to the movement of womens emancipation zhou shangwen, east china normal university, china zhang zhiyao, yangzhou university, china the major difficulty encountered in the process of studying rosa luxembourgs viewpoint of womens emancipation movement is that she didnt make any specific or focused. Her revolutionary activities forced her to flee to switzerland in 1889, where s. In the summer of 1898, rosa luxemburg prepared her reply, which appeared in the leipziger volkszeitung in the autumn before the stuttgart party congress. Rosa luxemburg march 5, 1870 or 1871 january 15, 1919 was a polishborn german marxist. Reform or revolution is the title of a pamphlet written by rosa luxemburg in 1900. A polemic writing by the famous red rosa luxemburg, reform or revolution 1899 explains why capitalism can never overcome its internal contradictions. Pdf rosa luxembourgs 1900 pamphlet reform or revolution. This is in part why the spd broke away from the mainstream and aligned with the enemy, because its policy of whats now called reformism, went against the revolutionaries. Its two most important functions are to extend production and to facilitate exchange.
Her contribution, as theorist and activist, deserves to be recognised and celebrated by the newer generations of socialist activists who have become involved in the movement in recent decades. Marxism had by then been firmly established within the german labour movement by the joint efforts of many. She was, successively, a member of the social democracy of the kingdom of poland and lithuania sdkpil, the social democratic party. The essential rosa luxemburg reform or revolution and the mass strike. Her assassination on this day 90 years ago severely damaged the german communist movement. When the german revolution broke out, her ideas about the significance of revolution and the mass strike were little known to rank and file workers. It is bordered by belgium to the west and north, germany to the east, and france to the south. Rosa luxemburg and marxist politics links international.