Spartacus League

The Spartacus League (German: Spartakusbund) was a revolutionary socialist political organisation in Germany that opposed German involvement in the Great War.
It was formed by Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht and Clara Zetkin, three prominent members of the left-wing of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). The majority of the party had supported German entry into the Great War, which the three opposed.
The organisation gained influence as the war dragged on in a stalemate. Both Luxemburg and Liebknecht were imprisoned from 1916 to 1918 for organizing anti-war demonstrations. It would play a part in the establishment of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) in 1917, which was composed of left-wing anti-war members of the SPD.
It would later play a major part in the 1918 November Revolution, which saw the monarchy ousted and an armistice with the Entente achieved. It pushed for a government based on workers councils rather than the SPD-sponsored idea of a parliamentary republic. The changing political atmosphere would eventually prompt the formation of its successor, the Communist Party of Germany.
Category:German political parties
Category:Defunct political parties
Category:Communist political parties