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de:Die Rote Fahne

Political situation
More information : German Revolution

Start of the newspaper
In the evening of 9 November 1918 revolutionaries occupied the offices of the conservative newspaper "Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger". They continued to publish the paper under the name "Die Rote Fahne", the first day largely using the content already prepared for the "Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger". The 10 November issue already contained the central political demands of the Spartacist League. On 11 November, the "Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger" was again published in its old form, after the offices were evacuated by government supporters.

A redaction of "Die Rote Fahne" was formed, with Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxembourg, August Thalheimer and Paul Levi. The third issue only appeared on 18 November, since printers were hesitant to work for the Spartakusbund. After the publication of the next issues, local offices were opened in Dresden, Kiel and Leipzig.

On 1 January 1919 the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) was created, grouping the Spartakusbund and other left-revolutionary organizations. "Die Rote Fahne" became the party organ.

In its further history the publication of "Die Rote Fahne" often was suspended due to oppression by the government. Because of rationing of it's paper, it could often only be published with 4 pages, sometimes only on one page. On 6, 7 and 13 December 1918 the editorial offices were occupied by military. On 15 January 1919 a large part of that day's edition was seized and again the offices were occupied. Some editors were arrested, others went in hiding.

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To 1919 the arguments between left-revolutionary workers and soldiers accepted on the one hand and Rechswehreinheiten in the group also from Gustav Noske recruited right-national free corps units on the other hand almost civil war-like extents. Into Berlin it came to the joggle citizens of Berlin of the chief of the police Emil squirrel, a USPD member, to the general strike, which flowed into the so-called Spartakusaufstand, organized by the revolutionary Obleuten, into whose process it to embittered engagements particularly in the citizen of Berlin "newspaper quarter" came, where the revolutionary "forward" (party organ of the SPD) it had occupied the publishing house among other things. On 12 January the Spartakusaufstand was bloodily struck down by against-revolutionary units. On 15 January 1919 the secretaries were kidnapped "the red flag", Pink Luxembourg and Karl dear farmhand, in Berlin Wilmersdorf by free corps soldiers and handed over to the "guard Kavallerie infantry division". Both were denounced of the civil and social-democratic press as ringleaders of the rebellions, whereby also to their murder one called. They had not actually plotted, formed unrests however however with their articles in the red flag, in which they background the actual co-operation between emperor-faithful military and brought up for discussion government, a danger for the reliability of Ebert, Scheidemanns and Noskes. Luxembourg and dear farmhand were cross-examined in the citizen of Berlin hotel Eden and abused heavily. The commander Waldemar Pabst let it subsequently, murder, he stated later, this was after consultation with Gustav Noske (SPD) and the army guidance happen. The hunter petrol William runge who is available at the side exit of the hotel Pink Luxembourg struck down this with the evacuation with a gewehrkolben, should as spontaneous assassination attempt "from the quantity" work. The second lieutenant Hermann Souchon murdered it then while driving with a put on Schlaefenschuss. Their corpse was thrown into the citizen of Berlin land military channel and found there only on 1 June 1919. On 13 June she was buried beside the grave by Karl dear farmhand in Berlin Friedrichsfelde. After the murder of dear farmhand and Luxembourg there were several changes of the leading editors of the "red flag" in short consequence.