num_pages: 225
description: (From inside dust jacket): "You are striving for the happiness of the whole of mankind - this is very dangerous." These words of official rebuke were delivered to Eugene Levine the socialist revolutionary and leader of the German Spartacist movement of the early twentieth century. They eloquently express the ever-present goal and persuasive driving force of a remarkable and extraordinary man who, along with figures such as Trotsky, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht and Bella Kun was one of the great influences in the international upsurge of socialism during and following the First World War.A remarkable man, Levine was born in Russia of wealthy Jewish parents yet from the outset identified himself with achieving political freedom for the mass of ordinary people. After some years of education in Germany he returned to Russia, becoming involved in revolutionary activities. Eventually, he was imprisoned and tortured by the Tsarist authorities until he was released on bail for medical treatment in Germany. Here he emerged as a unifying figure in the Spartacist movement. He was renowned for his clear logical thinking and persuasive oratory. Although he foresaw its untimely fall, Levine led the ill-fated Munich Soviet Republic, which in 1919 controlled the city for a short while. After a brief imprisonment for his part in the uprising, Levine was tried and executed.An extraordinary man, Levine's compassion, humanity and regard for life, so often absent in revolutionaries, is movingly conveyed in the compassionate biography by his widow Rosa Levine-Meyer. Levine had protested that his role of dedicated revolutionary precluded any permanent ties of affection, but he himself altered this view, and came to value their relationship deeply, writing a moving letter of devotion to his wife shortly before his death. Rosa Levine-Meyer herself never lost sight of the fact that his supreme love would always be the people he struggled to free. His final farewell was reserved for them, as he faced his firing squad with the words:"Long live the world revolution."
language: English
title: Levine: The Life Of A Revolutionary
titlecomplete: Levine: The Life Of A Revolutionary
genres: Biography, History, Politics, Germany, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 13
publisher: Saxon House