Red Falcons
Encyclopedia
Red Falcons was the name of various socialist youth organizations, popular in Europe and the United States, especially between the first and second world wars, but of which many are still active today. The first such group was founded in the early 20th century by Anton Tesarek, a socialist educator from Austria
, under the name "Rote Falken." The origin of the name is unclear; one possible explanation is that the Falcon is a bird of prey with no imperial links (the eagle was the symbol of the German empire, adopted later by the Nazis.) It is red to symbolise socialism.
They were structured in a manner analogous to that of Boy Scouts
and Girl Scouts
, and had their own distinct uniforms. The American Red Falcons had two divisions, the "Young Falcons" (sometimes called "Red Sparks"), ages 8–11; and the "Red Falcons" proper, ages 11–15. They were led by older mentors recruited from the ranks of the Young People's Socialist League
(YPSL).
Right-wing observers accused some of these groups of acting as "private armies" taking orders from Moscow
, but this may have been either paranoia or fear-mongering.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, under the name "Rote Falken." The origin of the name is unclear; one possible explanation is that the Falcon is a bird of prey with no imperial links (the eagle was the symbol of the German empire, adopted later by the Nazis.) It is red to symbolise socialism.
They were structured in a manner analogous to that of Boy Scouts
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
and Girl Scouts
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
, and had their own distinct uniforms. The American Red Falcons had two divisions, the "Young Falcons" (sometimes called "Red Sparks"), ages 8–11; and the "Red Falcons" proper, ages 11–15. They were led by older mentors recruited from the ranks of the Young People's Socialist League
Young People's Socialist League
The Young People's Socialist League , founded in 1989, is the official youth arm of the Socialist Party USA. The group's membership consists of those democratic socialists under the age of 30, and its political activities tend to concentrate on increasing the voter turnout of young democratic...
(YPSL).
Right-wing observers accused some of these groups of acting as "private armies" taking orders from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, but this may have been either paranoia or fear-mongering.