Building Power to Change the World : The Political Thought of the German Council Movements

The German council movements arose through mass strikes and soldier mutinies towards the end of the First World War. They brought down the German monarchy, founded several short-lived council republics, and dramatically transformed European politics. Building Power to Change the World reconstructs how participants in the German council movements struggled for a democratic socialist society. It examines their attempts to democratize politics, the economy, and society through building powerful worker-led organisations and cultivating workers' political agency. Drawing from the practices of the council movements and the writings of theorists such as Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekoek and Karl Kautsky, Building Power to Change the World returns to their radical vision of a self-determining society and their political program of democratization and socialization. It presents a powerful argument for renewed attention to the political theories of this historical period and for their ongoing relevance for democratic politics today. Cover Building Power to Change the World: The Political Thought of the German Council Movements Copyright Contents Introduction Germany at a Crossroads Returning to the Council Movements Chapter Outline Chapter 1: Between Social Democracy and Council Dictatorship: The Council Movements in Historical Perspective Situating the Councils Theoretical Precursors to the Councils Russia: Towards a Council Dictatorship Germany: The Councils Betrayed Chapter 2: Freedom as Collective Self-Determination The Origins of Freedom as Collective Self-Determination The Development of Anton Pannekoek’s Ideas on Freedom Conceptualizing Freedom as Collective Self-Determination The Importance of Participation and Direct Control Political Action as Constitutive of Freedom Political Action as Instrumental to Freedom Open and Creative Development Collective Self-Determination as a Political Ideal Chapter 3: Building Workers’ Power The Road to Power Three Sources of Power The Meaning of Organization Organization and Political Struggle The Political Agency of the Masses The State Chapter 4: Socialist Republicanism The ‘Renegade’ Kautsky Political Democracy and Civil Rights Transformation of the State Parliament and the National Assembly Workers’ Councils and Socialization Internationalism Chapter 5: Socialist Civic Virtues Cultural Transformation Luxemburg’s Institutional Vision Rosa Luxemburg’s Socialist Civic Virtues A Socialist Order of Society A Misguided Ideal? Chapter 6: Conclusion: After the Councils Building Workers’ Power Today A Self-Determining Society Bibliography Index "The German council movements arose through mass strikes and soldier mutinies towards the end of the First World War. They brought down the German monarchy, founded several short-lived council republics, and dramatically transformed European politics. This book reconstructs how participants in the German council movements struggled for a democratic socialist society. It examines their attempts to democratize politics, the economy, and society through building powerful worker-led organizations and cultivating workers' political agency. Drawing from the practices of the council movements and the writings of theorists such as Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekoek, and Karl Kautsky, this book returns to their radical vision of a self-determining society and their political programme of democratization and socialization. It presents a powerful argument for renewed attention to the political theories of this historical period and for their ongoing relevance today"--Publisher's description The German council movements brought down the German monarchy, founded several short-lived council republics and dramatically transformed European politics. This text reconstructs how participants in the German council movements struggled for a democratic socialist society