Young Communist League of Germany
Encyclopedia
The Young Communist League of Germany was a political youth organization in Germany
. It was formed in 1920 from the Free Socialist Youth (Freie Sozialistische Jugend) of the Communist Party of Germany
, which itself was formed in October 1918, with support from the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund). The KJVD was created in 1925. It was the successor to the Free Socialist Youth (Freien Sozialistischen Jugend) of the Communist Party of Germany
, which itself was formed in October 1918, with support from the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund). It was unable to attract many youth and its membership ranged only at thirty-five thousand to fifty-thousand in the last years of the Weimar Republic
. However those who did join, commonly children of communist
parents were highly extremely devoted to the Communist Party.
Their activities included selling party newspapers, painting slogans, gluing posters, collecting dues, taking part in agitation, and they made up the voice choruses for Communist songs at demonstrations and other events. The KJVD had its own publishing house, the "Young Guard". The KJVD followed the Communist Party propaganda of attacking the Social Democratic Party of Germany
as a proponent of "social fascism
" resulting in hostility to the Social Democrats becoming a feature of the KJVD.
Political rifts between the KJVD and its parent organization, the Communist Party, appeared, including support by members of the KJVD for the young Communist intellectual Heinz Neumann who advocated increased use of physical violence against political enemies, including the Nazis.
Future leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker
was a member of the KJVD and became KJVD leader of Saarland
in 1931.
After the majority of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
joined the Communist Party of Germany at the end of 1920, the Independents' Socialist Workers Youth group followed suit and merged with the Communist Party's youth organization and then in 1925, became known as the Young Communists League.
The central organ of KJVD was Die Arbeit, which was published illegally.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was formed in 1920 from the Free Socialist Youth (Freie Sozialistische Jugend) of the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
, which itself was formed in October 1918, with support from the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund). The KJVD was created in 1925. It was the successor to the Free Socialist Youth (Freien Sozialistischen Jugend) of the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
, which itself was formed in October 1918, with support from the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund). It was unable to attract many youth and its membership ranged only at thirty-five thousand to fifty-thousand in the last years of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. However those who did join, commonly children of communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
parents were highly extremely devoted to the Communist Party.
Their activities included selling party newspapers, painting slogans, gluing posters, collecting dues, taking part in agitation, and they made up the voice choruses for Communist songs at demonstrations and other events. The KJVD had its own publishing house, the "Young Guard". The KJVD followed the Communist Party propaganda of attacking the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
as a proponent of "social fascism
Social fascism
Social fascism was a theory supported by the Communist International during the early 1930s, which believed that social democracy was a variant of fascism because, in addition to a shared corporatist economic model, it stood in the way of a complete and final transition to communism...
" resulting in hostility to the Social Democrats becoming a feature of the KJVD.
Political rifts between the KJVD and its parent organization, the Communist Party, appeared, including support by members of the KJVD for the young Communist intellectual Heinz Neumann who advocated increased use of physical violence against political enemies, including the Nazis.
Future leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
was a member of the KJVD and became KJVD leader of Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
in 1931.
After the majority of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany was a short-lived political party in Germany during the Second Reich and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of left wing members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
joined the Communist Party of Germany at the end of 1920, the Independents' Socialist Workers Youth group followed suit and merged with the Communist Party's youth organization and then in 1925, became known as the Young Communists League.
The central organ of KJVD was Die Arbeit, which was published illegally.