Year 12 Modern - The Spartacist Uprising 1919

The Spartacist Uprising of January 1919 was the first major revolt against the new German republic after World War One ended. It was led by a breakaway communist group called the Spartacists, who were disillusioned with the direction of the larger, more moderate Socialist Party.

The SPD under Chancellor Ebert called in the army, plus the right-wing militia (made up of former soldiers) called the Freikorps, to put down the putsch. The ringleaders, most notably Rosa Luxemburg (pictured) and Karl Liebknecht, were killed by the authorities.

Try these links for a summary of the event and the main characters involved:

The putsch
Rosa Luxemburg
Karl Liebknecht
Chancellor Ebert
Freikorps

All courtesy of the very useful Spartacus Educational website...