Rosa Luxembourg
A Pluto Press Ideas in Action series translated by Joanna Hoornweg. Written 1939 and reissued 1972. This is a different cover to the one I borrowed off my work colleague Danny as, for the first time, I couldn't find the one I read on the net.
This is an excellent insight into the revolutionary politics of the early 20th Century in middle Europe in particular Poland and Germany. It's also a brilliant insight into a revolutionary life detailing a personal struggle in the wider political context. Rosa Luxemburg dedicated her life to socialism and was apparently a brilliant interpreter of Marxist theory applied to the practicalities of her place and time. Maybe she's made out to be a little too good to be true especially in her predictions of the future. There's also a big question about whether Rosa should have grasped power both within the socialist party in Germany and also pushed harder during the German revolution in 1918/19. This question and what could have happened if Rosa had been in charge is only really raised at the end of the book rather than a critical assessment in the relevant chapter. This is more a criticism of the book than Rosa as she obviously had her reasons including that of being in and out of prison and having appalling health problems.
The book ends with how Germany's socialist revolution was scuppered due to turncoats and thuggery of the Bourgeoisie thus paving the way for Hitler's takeover. Maybe Lenin had to create the proletarian dictatorship in Russia to protect the revolution with the risk that personal freedom and democracy would be rolled back, rather than progressed, resulting in that travesty of "left wing" dictatorship Stalinism for which read state capitalism complete with the necessary repression to sustain it.
The book is remarkable given that, at the time, there were so many lost papers either destroyed during the revolution or by the Nazis or kept quiet in Russian archives as not supportive of Stalinist policies. Maybe for my education I'd like a bit more on the wider context as all it's all centred on Rosa but I kept up and as it was written in 1939 the context would've been well known to those reading the book. We could've gone into more detail about Rosa's personal life to get a better flavour of the woman. References to affairs and partners were so obtuse and I wondered if they were all men or some of her woman friends. Not important as such but an indication of Rosa's place in time. And Lenin legalised homosexuality which was unheard of across Europe. Her mistreatment at the hands of the police and especially just before her death are equally obtuse and leave you wondering what did go on. Maybe when written the author couldn't go into too much detail to both pander to current sensibilities and to not besmirch a heros character.
Overall extremely readable and excellent introduction to this period and a dedicated woman.
This is an excellent insight into the revolutionary politics of the early 20th Century in middle Europe in particular Poland and Germany. It's also a brilliant insight into a revolutionary life detailing a personal struggle in the wider political context. Rosa Luxemburg dedicated her life to socialism and was apparently a brilliant interpreter of Marxist theory applied to the practicalities of her place and time. Maybe she's made out to be a little too good to be true especially in her predictions of the future. There's also a big question about whether Rosa should have grasped power both within the socialist party in Germany and also pushed harder during the German revolution in 1918/19. This question and what could have happened if Rosa had been in charge is only really raised at the end of the book rather than a critical assessment in the relevant chapter. This is more a criticism of the book than Rosa as she obviously had her reasons including that of being in and out of prison and having appalling health problems.
The book ends with how Germany's socialist revolution was scuppered due to turncoats and thuggery of the Bourgeoisie thus paving the way for Hitler's takeover. Maybe Lenin had to create the proletarian dictatorship in Russia to protect the revolution with the risk that personal freedom and democracy would be rolled back, rather than progressed, resulting in that travesty of "left wing" dictatorship Stalinism for which read state capitalism complete with the necessary repression to sustain it.
The book is remarkable given that, at the time, there were so many lost papers either destroyed during the revolution or by the Nazis or kept quiet in Russian archives as not supportive of Stalinist policies. Maybe for my education I'd like a bit more on the wider context as all it's all centred on Rosa but I kept up and as it was written in 1939 the context would've been well known to those reading the book. We could've gone into more detail about Rosa's personal life to get a better flavour of the woman. References to affairs and partners were so obtuse and I wondered if they were all men or some of her woman friends. Not important as such but an indication of Rosa's place in time. And Lenin legalised homosexuality which was unheard of across Europe. Her mistreatment at the hands of the police and especially just before her death are equally obtuse and leave you wondering what did go on. Maybe when written the author couldn't go into too much detail to both pander to current sensibilities and to not besmirch a heros character.
Overall extremely readable and excellent introduction to this period and a dedicated woman.
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