This is part 3 of my video series on the German revolution. I was originally planning to make more, but I need to take a break, and decided to end it at 3 for now. I'm sorry to anyone this disappoints. I went through the period of counter-revolution very quickly, and there's a lot more to say about the Bavarian Soviet Republic, the March strikes, etc. and a lot more to cover in general all the way to 1923, from the Ruhr Uprising to the Hamburg Uprising, and from an international perspective, things like the founding of the Communist International. If there's enough interest, I might make videos on these events in the future, or at least talk about them in a livestream. This is a very depressing video, but the events it covers are extremely important to understand and learn from, and I hope that you will find motivation to keep the legacy and spirit of Rosa and Karl alive, despite it all. Thank you for watching!

@cyberneticsiren

Жыл бұрын

This is the most in-depth well put together documentary about a subject that is barely talked about in our society, that will be watched by thousands if not millions of people who otherwise would never have heard of it. You didn’t need to make this for us but you did. As a former right winger, your vids have had more of an impact on me and my politics than anything else on the internet, and I think Many others will have had similar experiences. You take a break. you more than deserve it

@noheroespublishing1907

Жыл бұрын

Please, at some point, make a video on the Holocaust's effects/mass killings on the Left, not just in Germany, but as the Nazis took their slaughter abroad.

@elologenta2625

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for publishing this video on the first of may, the internacional day of working class. In my country, Uruguay, it's a very significant day. We gather with family and eat "asado" for the celebration. I will enjoy the video to night. Sorry for the bad managed of english and thanks agen. All over the world there are people convinced in the need of a revolutionary change and thinking and acting for it. ¡Arriba los que luchan!

@BDS-ACAB

Жыл бұрын

Fantastic series. Thank you

@guilhermeoutro6083

Жыл бұрын

Yes, please make more videos on these topics, perhaps later discussing the formation of fascism and nazism.

Not be simplistic, but sometimes I get the distint feeling that every single problem of my life would not exist (or be greatly reduced) if the SPD had not cowardly betrayed the working class

@jonasceikaCCK

Жыл бұрын

I feel you

@romanbrandle319

Жыл бұрын

But the psychopaths always win and they are generally not working class

@ghostcat5303

Жыл бұрын

I had this thought a few years ago around the centenary of these events.

@benbernanke7701

Жыл бұрын

Or... you might be worse off if they didn't crush the revolution... or you might not even exist (which might be a good thing)

@cbhlde

Жыл бұрын

And they still do it today; it's a shame.

Holy freaking crap Louis, Lassallean-Menshevik brainrot has reached its highest stage in the form of Friedrich Ebert!

@mclovin9165

Жыл бұрын

This comment killed me 💀

@Heundeullim

Жыл бұрын

At least he got punished with gallstones

@user-jk8ur7sj3t

Жыл бұрын

Complete monster

"In the dark times. Will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times." Wonderfully somber examination of an underrepresented period which even in Germany is usually kept under the rug. Recent school books here shortened it to a few sentences as a prelude to the destruction of the Weimar Republic. The biting irony!

@LuisAldamiz

Жыл бұрын

Brecht. We sing his songs all the time...

Watching from Africa and age 50 I am immensely grateful for this video. My world history knowledge was full of clutters. There were big gaps and disjointed bits and pieces. So now I know where everything had originated from the terms communism, social democracy, proletariat ,capitalism Bourgeoisie, nobility and aristocracy. It was surprising to see that Germany is the epicentre rather than Russia. Thanks

Not only you did an outstanding synthesis of the German Revolution, with its contradictions, virtues and fatal errrors, but you concluded it with a very lucid message, one that transcends but also feeds our hope as individuals: as long as there's exploitation, there will be struggle, rebellion, revolution, and people to happily fight for them. Thank you very much for your incredible work, Jonas!

This has been one of the best series on youtube. The German revolution is pretty much unknown in my part of America, but its history is so crucial for everyone anywhere in the "developed" world.

@thanman6584

Жыл бұрын

I hope we get a russian revolution vid next

@Cthulhuliessleeping

Жыл бұрын

yeah, I'm German and I my school hardly mentioned this in history class

@SinistralEpoch

Жыл бұрын

Learning about the failures of the German Revolution, and the Syndicalists of Italy, were what finally convinced me to read Lenin. lol. I could no longer pretend a disorganized / decentralized movement could succeed organically against the centralized forces of a counter revolution. I think knowing these histories are important for anyone who leans into left politics. It teaches you, through the practical experience of others, that leaving things up to chance will end poorly. The reactionaries won't have any qualms about using that power to crush you.

@Red_Duc

Жыл бұрын

We didn't learn a thing about it in our history class and I live in Germany.

@johngreylove1359

Жыл бұрын

Bet it mentioned alot of anti nazi propaganda though right?

Despite the tragedy of it all, learning about this history is strangely motivating - thank you for the excellent analysis!

@plato8427

Жыл бұрын

From the perspective of communists in our era, even the smallest communist organisations seems motivating because we are so used to extremely lack lustre organisations. So I really feel you on this.

@thanman6584

Жыл бұрын

​@@plato8427 I'm not a communist/Marxist, but I would identify as a leftist, so I am sympathetic towards the left in these situations. As in the German revolution, the right does does not posses any conscience, they're already alienated from humanity, and will do whatever it takes to oppress the majority, and stay in power. Knowing this, is why I think revolutions in China, Russia, etc, they succeeded because they truly knew what the right was, they knew the cost of failure over there. The elites are not your allies, they don't operate the same as the the rest of us. That's why in these civil wars, it's a kill or be killed mentality, and it's usually adopted if you want a W. So yeah, honestly if Luxemburg and the commies over there succeeded, they'd probably have prevented the rise of fascism in Germany. This is also why monarchies suck, because almost every revolution took place in one, because they're relics of past political systems, and they should've already been abolished, that shit has no place in the modern era. Not even UK should have that shit either. It's a fucking disgusting thing.

@martinjakovetic8347

Жыл бұрын

The tragedy was the existence of anarchical commies

@loqutor

6 ай бұрын

What's so tragic about Germany being saved from falling into the most vile, bloodthirsty form of government the world has ever known?

@TheLetterH111

5 ай бұрын

@loqutor We'll never know, as the Nazis weren't prevented from taking power

Poignant, insightful, well organized and a completely gut wrenching and fearless inventory of the heartbreaking failure of this movement. I felt myself visibly sober at the amount of organizing work still left, and I felt rightly emotionally slapped across the face by Rosa's final words. I don't say this lightly to literally anyone, but you're a vitally important resource in class struggle today Jonas and I thank you humbly for your labors comrade

@mclovin9165

Жыл бұрын

Indeed, this is such resourceful information for the working classes around the world. This three part video was a masterclass.

@therightarmofthefreeworld4703

Жыл бұрын

There is no class struggle.

The "Auf auf zum Kampf" outro had me in tears. The revolution is dead, long live the revolution!

@kellymcbright5456

Жыл бұрын

It is Hannes Wader. He was a very popular singer during the 1970ies and 80ies. I loved him as a youth. Here you are all the songs: kzread.info/dash/bejne/rGl2qLx8dtqZqc4.html

@beangobernador

6 ай бұрын

Man I was sobbing, literally had to stop eating, get up, and recollect myself. Never thought this video would be like that, just wanted to have something to watch while eating, expecting the typical video essay experience. None of his previous videos was this emotional

@roc7880

6 ай бұрын

the main issue was that workers had no desire to make a communist revolution, no matter how much the radical newspapers told them. it was never a viable fetus, so no chance of birth.

@modelarsky

3 ай бұрын

​@@roc7880how do you know that? i'd like to read into this

It’s wild how the same group of men - the Freikorps - who were mentally and physically destroyed by the state and its wars, felt compelled to defend that same state against people who were fighting to save even them.

@teutonicterror0365

Жыл бұрын

They didn´t defend the state. They defended "the nation". These Freikorps themselves wanted to destroy the state and replace it with whatever they saw as ideal. But they wanted to preserve the german "nation" at any cost, they feared, that somehow the communists would destroy the german identity or whatever.

@irpwellyn

Жыл бұрын

That's mythology for you

@einfachignorieren6156

Жыл бұрын

Because nation and people are more importend than classes. True socialism is always nationalistic

@teutonicterror0365

Жыл бұрын

@@einfachignorieren6156 Laber keinen Scheiß

@sense_maker1816

Жыл бұрын

@@einfachignorieren6156 Class impoverishes the people materially as well as personally, and states are instruments of exclusion designed to benefit the minorities in power rather than anyone else. The nation was nothing more than an attempt to put a friendly face to something that was designed to destroy you.

Months of patience has finally been rewarded! The final part

years have gone by since I’ve cried. In fact I have never cried to a piece of media before, never, like most men I stopped around elementary to middle school. This is the first ever youtube video to not only deeply move me, but make me cry. I watch youtube essays to feel profound and be more connected with my life and the world, I write and read for the same reason, I live for knowledge, my form of it. I’ve known many tragedies, everyone has, I’ve studied many failures of socialism, many injustices whose cruelty is beyond imagination. I’ve acknowledged how cruel my very situation under capitalism is, how mundane and alienated life is, and to think billions are experiencing the same. I’ve tried to find meaning in studying death, as all philosophers do. I’ve tried to find meaning in my everyday actions, my insignificant life, I’ve lived contently. But I have never lived emotionally, no matter how much I try to convince myself. This video is not a masterpiece, but it is the single most emotional piece of art I’ve known so far. It is not profound, but the tragedy is more than enough. To be so resilient, to have such optimism, this is what I always imagined the ideal human to be. I can’t decide if I should smile or frown, but the tears are certainly there. Art is used to communicate, but does anyone realize the sheer impossibility of that? I can’t describe my feelings to whoever is reading this. I can’t describe it in any median. Art used to be interesting to me, now it is more than that, it is more than just profoundly moving, it’s emotional, it makes you cry. You’d expect those two to go hand in hand, but there is such a gapping hole between those two ideas, feeling and knowing. Knowing what crying is, and the feeling of crying. This video doesn’t aim to be profound or emotional, it simply aims to be a tragedy, tragedy in the most pure form, tragedy in real life. Fiction can be described as better than real life in many ways, in that it exaggerates life, art reflects life. The reflection isn’t inherently valuable in itself, it is only valuable in the context of the life that it’s reflecting. But this retelling of real life attempts to skip the reflection part and just get straight to the point. Yeah, I like that description, this video gets straight to the point. The best essays are ones that seem like they have no structure, it shows your sheer master of the craft, the storytelling here… well, I guess I’m actively devaluing this video by attempting to analyze and explain it. Our culture of knowledge, I think, is ingrained in us all. But still there are those fleeting moments where you.. just. cry. Where you are in the moment, while acknowledging all other moments. I don’t think the audience knows just how hard it is to make art like this, so many other video essayists, so many books, so many paintings have tried again and again and again. 99.99% fails and are just merely philosophically moving. That 0.01% however, that rare art that connects to you in some way. I mean, you can make it yourself, but it’ll be an enormous life long task. We really have to appreciate that 0.01% Let me try again. This video isn’t about class struggle, class struggle is a mere median for the main message of being human. Let us remove ourselves from all the analysis, let me rejoice in this single experience that I will never experience again. Let me carry out my feeble attempts to replicate this experience, by writing about it, by replaying the video, by saving the music into my playlist. Let us all suffer in the tragedy that is life, and find such deep, inexpressible joy in moments like this. Thank you for making this video, not for its politics because if this was for political reasons it would be in the sea of billions of pieces of socialist media, but for its art. I really don’t see enough people praising the sheer artistic beauty of this video. If I made this video I would probably die the very next day, for life has already been completed. Life, this undefinable infinity, has been completed I don’t know what I’m doing here, I just want to tell you that I physically cried to this video, nothing I say can add any more value to that statement. All the other feelings that are implied shall remain implied

Always breaks my heart reading about how badly Rosa & Karl underestimated the Social Democrats. More dangerous than a kaiser. They were much too pure.

@mclovin9165

Жыл бұрын

Their pureness is a testimony of working class, socialist and communist movements.

@Verntallat7

Жыл бұрын

@@mclovin9165 what "pureness", she was a chauvinistic bigot who was against national self-determination in a world dominated by huge colonial empires. She collided with Lenin on this. Had her position won the socialist camp would not have helped the Vietnamese or the Angolan or any other people because they would have seen as "petit burgeoise national chauvinistic movements" just as she did with the poles and the other opressed peoples in the russian empire. Thankfully as I've said Lenin won in the end so decolonization was led by socialism and not hindered by her shitty easily coopted arguments

@AmirSatt

Жыл бұрын

screw the commies, social democrats were real saviours from both fascism and communism

1:09:22 "To be human is the main thing above all else. And that means to be firm and clear and cheerful, yes cheerful in spite of everything and anything, because weeping is the business of the weak. To be a human being means joyfully to toss your entire life in the giant scales of fate if it must be so, and at the same time to rejoice in the brightness of every day and the beauty of every cloud... The world is so beautiful in all its horror, and would be even more beautiful if there were no weaklings and cowards in it." I hope I never forget these words. "The world is so beautiful in all its horror": what could that possibly mean? And yet who but the most deeply human person could have thought or said such a thing? Rosa is someone about whom I knew virtually nothing until recently, having only heard her referred to as an influential Marxist from the early 20th century. (And I never heard of Karl at all until this video series.) I'm from the US, where socialism, but even more communism and Marxism, were dirty words until very recently, i.e., the past ten years or so, though I guess the seeds of the present revival go back to 2008. It genuinely pains me to realize how long I've gone with blinders on about capitalism and Marxist analysis in general. Yet I considered myself a radical from a young age. But I had always heard only the worst about the Soviet Union, and Marxism was always presented simply as a kind of failed millenarian cult, some oddballs who had predicted a utopia that turned out to be a nightmare. (And of course many still think this way.) I always assumed the only way any reasonable person could advocate for radical change was through legislative change, hopefully more and more radical over time. Like most American liberals today, I regarded the US civil rights movement as the only possible model for social change. I clearly remember an incident, maybe around 2009, where there was a socialist group in Baltimore City, where I lived then, that had put up a table at some public fair. And a young guy started talking to me about socialism -- I was very skeptical and assumed he was just another party member of one of those weird groups with 200 members and a newspaper constantly predicting World Revolution was happening any day now. But I didn't have an answer for his arguments that capitalism must end, so his words planted a seed. In any case I now think more than ever that re-discovering Marxism is probably the single most important thing the left can do today. It's the only thing that even begins to make sense of the world as it is. I'm so grateful to this channel for helping that happen, though I know it's not your main goal. What a wonderful series of videos! Keep up the good work.

@colonelweird

Жыл бұрын

One more thing: I don't have an opinion on your making more videos about the German revolution, though if you do I will certainly watch them. But it's up to you. I will say I'd be very interested to see you talk in some depth about the ongoing significance of the German revolution and the thinking of Rosa, Karl, and the others. The parallels between various aspects of the German revolution and current events are quite obvious: liberal alliances with fascism and the ongoing suppression of socialism with extreme violence have become the norm. Plus the description of the problems with the Soviet Union seem incredibly prescient, and provide what strikes me as a very important guideline for understanding the significance of the Soviet experiment to this day. And the fact that those problems were identified by sympathetic communists so early gives us a very useful apologetic tool (if I may use such a term) for responding to those who use the Soviets as a reason for rejecting socialism. Basically: it was known almost from the very start that the Bolsheviks faced an uphill battle; their failures are not even a little bit surprising. The real surprise is that they had any success at all in moving towards an authentic socialist system. But these are just my thoughts, and I'm an ignoramus. It would be fascinating to see you dig into all this with more depth and rigor than I could ever do.

Your work on the German Revolution has been very enlightening, a subject I didn't know much about before watching your videos. Again, thanks you so much.

Thank you so much, Jonas. I can't overstate how much your videos have taught me and helped me reflect, and this series specifically has been very iluminating intellectually (I had basically no idea about any of these events) but also deeply emotionally impactful. Amazing editing, congratulations!

I am very glad to have watched your 3 part series about the German Revolution, learned much from it and look forward to watching your other videos.

Your photo montages on this were careful and effective. Thanks you so much for doing this.

Thanks so much for uploading this series, it’s been so eye opening and extremely interesting. Probably my three favourite KZread videos!

What an amazing series. This was the first time I got exposed to your channel. Thanks for this very detailed and informative series about the German Revolution. Man, so much stuff I didn't even know. Thank you and solidarity forever!

Thank you for all your hard work putting these 3 videos together making a tremendously resource available for those seeking a better understanding of this oft overlooked or obscured pivotal event in the history of the 20th century. More content like this is needed and I hope you continue to with more contributions on your channel in the future. Many thanks! 👍

Really good video Jonas, I can't stress it enough. Really well done, executed and researched, expressing all the nuances in this historical moment.

This has been an incredible series. All worth the wait. Thank you

Gosh, thank you for this series. Throughout, the clarity of your exposition and analysis has been as much refreshing as illuminating.

I don't usually write comments, but greatly enjoyed this series I wanted to encourage you to continue producing it, when you are able to. Apart from the more descriptive but still important approach I you took, I would also be interested in a more macroscopic analysis of the conditions, and actions taken in the german revolution. For example an examination of the decisions or conditions which lead to it in a more systemic framework. Great work as always.

Phenomenal work Jonas. Thank you so much for this series.

Having read much of this years ago, it still saddens me to listen to it again. Thank you dude.

this is why i hate soc dems

@greyfells2829

Жыл бұрын

This is why leftism is doomed

I definitely want more videos about it. They're very great, despite having multiple seminars about it in Uni, I'll never get enough of the topic.

Thank you so much for this series. I am in tears, but firm, and clear, and cheerful.

Thank you so much for making this video. I would love to hear more about all of which you spoke at the end of the video at some point.

RIP it's really sad catching a glimpse of what could have been, and then the other horrors we know too well that followed. There might never be a real left that close to power at a pivotal time and place in history again.

@brucekendall9873

8 ай бұрын

Can you imagine the socialist Germany and what and influence it would have been on the western world? Other then the Bolsheviks and Russia and China, the Central European power being Communist and democratic and not totally centralized. I bet though the rest of the west would have still found a way to vilify Germany. Capitalist and imperialist UK and USA etc would find it to be an even greater threat, than fascism for sure.

Fantastic video, this deserves to get at least a million views

Thank you for this series, this was an incredibly interesting and eye-opening deep dive into the topic

Thank you so much for this series! I've loved every second of it. You are my favourite channel on KZread. Keep up the good work, Despite it all!.

This has been an immensely interesting and helpful series. Thank you for this

Thank you very much for making this video. It's very well made and packed with information, very much new to me and incredibly useful. I had for instance no knowledge of fascism being so significantly pronounced that early. The photos and footage are brilliant.

Very well made documentary! Thanks a lot for all the work.

Would definitely love to see this series continued. I think I have a shed a tear at some point in every single episode so far, but left enthused rather than despondent.

Thank you dearly for the work you've put in to educate us on this subject

I had waited so long to watch this. Gonna watch it as soon as I can

Dear Rosa, Please forgive the weakness dripping from my face as I near the end of the video.

@austintierney4828

Жыл бұрын

fr

@johkupohkuxd1697

Жыл бұрын

Thats cringe. She's dead, my friend and probably not in heaven if there is such a thing.

@austintierney4828

Жыл бұрын

@@johkupohkuxd1697 you okay, bro..?

Thanks Jonas. This was an amazing serie thou depressing but also agitating. It would be nice if you also publish the manuscripts too.

I'm so excited, i was eagerly waiting for this next part. I would love to see more of this kind of stuff from your channel, so yeah, more German revolution stuff please!.

Been hyped for part 3 ❤️ love your videos

Thank you so much for this three part emotional rollercoaster. This has definitely helped me and many others to better our analysis of this German Revolution.

This documentary was so absorbing and inspiring to watch. I am so glad that I stumbled upon it.

You handled this beautifully. Thank you.

Amazing video. Thank you for your labor, this is much needed education.

Well made and comprehensive video. Thank you

You are amazing. I thought this part would be the part I know the most, but I was wrong. Only 2 Spartacists in the Spartacist Uprising Comitee? What? Thanks for these great videos. Would you consider doing another series like this about the Russian Revolution?

You are doing amazing job friend! Keep it up.

Thank you a lot for this insightful series.

Thank you for this video series, gave me some good insight into this overlooked part of German history.

Thank you for such a brilliant essay.

Heartbroken at this final part. Amazing job.

@historiasmundiais8972

Ай бұрын

The music was incredible ❤

Yo Jonas this was remarkable. Thanks!

So well done. Thank You. Sharing this on.....

This video deserves to have 100M views, bravo comrade

Incredible. Thank you so much for this

This video series was just simply amazing! I already know I will rewatch it maaaaany times:)

Amazing documentary series, thank you so much!

A hard piece of work you did. Would be difficult for me to summarize all this. Congratulations.

Really great work comrade!

I'd absolutely love to see more of the smaller break outs of revolution across Germany over the years

@kensmusic1134

Жыл бұрын

A fellow Kras Mazov admirer 👍

Wow, I didn’t expect to cry while watching this 🥺

I can’t express how important this video series is. I’ve always wanted to learn the truths of this point in history. I found your channel when I got your book “how to philosophize with a hammer and sickle” and I’m very impressed by it and your KZread work. Thank you for your service in education !

Beautiful, as always. Thank you.

beautiful and heart-rending story. i love Rosa so much, her bit about being human made me tear up. thank you for this Jonas, hope you continue making your excellent history content!

Thank you Jonas we all gonna be back to this topic, not cause you made one of your great videos but because the days will become brighter and everything will come to fruition comrade.

Brilliant conclusión to this excellent series - such an appropriate Mayday treat. Despite it all.

Thank you for these excellent lectures.

Beautiful, comprehensive and scientific. Bravo! Thanks!

Thank you for posting

Tbh one of the most important videos ive ever seen on KZread

this series was amazing, now i’m kind of wish you’d make a similar format on the october revolution

How can you be so based yet never get any Ws... this world is truly unfair and unjust.

@tarlas83

Жыл бұрын

because god hates commies.

Beautifully done

You really got the brownshirts upset with this one lol. Great video btw, very much enjoying your coverage of historical topics.

Impeccable as always!

today thornhighheels and finbol both uploaded making today a pretty good day, With Cuck uploading made today excellent

Thank you for putting so much work and thought into this. It's infuriating to hear, but also important to learn from

Yes pls more videos on the topic

The way this was carried out and your comment at how centralized the violence was and only carried out in their assurance of power reminds me of how this has repeatedly played out with counterrevolutions in Latin America

Great series! Would love to learn more about the German revolution

1:16:15 - Of course, I would like more videos of German Revolution! I would recommend a collaboration with Daniel from What Is Politics? in some way. You two are very talented creating long but insightful videos.

It's amazing how little of even the basics of this is known by the general US population

@melelconquistador

11 ай бұрын

Like not at all.

Amazing video!

I know it'd take a while but I would love to see you do a series like this on the Russian Revolutions.

Well-done and interesting. I only knew about Rosa Luxemburg through 'Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century' by Greil Marcus, which starts with the Sex Pistols but also looks at this milieu in terms of the Dadaists. Now I know a bit more. Thanks.

Excellent video.

Great Work !

Thank you for a comprehensive presentation of the German Revolution.

Excellent video, reminds me always to fight in the face of domination.

I finished the series with tears in my eyes, but a even stronger conviction that the only alternative is to be part of the fight for the struggle for socialism

Take your time, and rest. You've earned it. Should you want to do a second series - or a single video - into the final end of the German revolution, the socialist republics around Germany, that would be amazing. But there's no obligation to it, and most certainly, no rush.

Excellent, thank you.

beautiful video

I will leave a comment because I want more on this stuff. Boost the algorithm and whatnot.