Global Defence Association

The **Global Defence Association** (GDA) iss a left-leaning faction that emerged in the aftermath of the successful socialist uprisings in Europe and China. The GDA is the successor to the European Defence Association (EDA), which was formed by the Council Republic of Germany, the Hungarian Soviet Republic, and the Council Republic of Poland in 1923 after leaving the Communist International (Comintern) over ideological differences. The GDA's main goal is to "form an international community of socialist republics" to "cooperate in the shared struggle against capitalism."

### Formation

The GDA was formed after the end of the Eurasian War, which resulted in the formation of council republics across Europe and north Africa. The GDA's predecessor, the EDA, was formed by the Council Republic of Germany, the Council Republic of Poland, and the Hungarian Soviet Republic as a mutual defence pact in the wake of the Comintern's split in 1923.

#### The Split of the Communist International

Following eruption of the German Civil War in 1919, Bolshevik and Spartacist revolutionaries quickly constructed close diplomatic ties. Throughout both the German and Russian civil wars, both sides supplied each other with raw materials and volunteer contingents. It was during these first years where the Comintern formed, with ideological contradictions between the Spartacists' councilism and the Bolsheviks' vanguardism becoming fast apparent. As Otto Braun, an officer of the 3rd Spartacist Brigade, wrote in his personal journal in 1920:

> Today we marched on Poltava. We weren't given much information from the Bolsheviks as to why, they simply sent us the order to 'drive out reactionary insurgents' from the town. When we got within a kilometre of the town, we spread out and around in a crescent-like shape to attack from three sides. As we made our final preparations, I saw it: a black banner flying over a checkpoint with 'Power breeds parasites! Long live anarchy!' written on it in white, and I knew in that moment why the brief was so nondescript. I reached for my radio, and my hand hovered over it, but I stopped myself. If we didn't do this, there's no way the Bolsheviks would let us out alive. So we went. We slaughtered them, man or woman, it didn't matter. If they so much as looked like they were supporting the 'Black Army' as we later learned they were called, we shot them. We burned their flags, made examples out of those who surrendered, and raised the red flag of the Bolshevik party over the town. When I looked at it, I felt sick. Sick because I didn't know what it meant, hell, I'm not sure anyone really knows what that flag means anymore.
>
> Otto Braun

News of the Poltava massacre and other pogroms during the Bolsheviks' fight against the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (also known as the Black Army) led to public outcry within Germany. Similarly, many of the council representatives within the council republic decried the Soviet regime for its "erosion of the Soviets' position as the fundamental organs of the revolution" as well as its "barbaric treatment of fellow socialist revolutionaries in the [Bolshevik] party's lust for control." Such criticisms were refuted as "necessary" by Soviet leadership, with V.I. Lenin writing *Left Wing Communism - An Infantile Disorder* in response to the condemnation.

Whilst *de jure* German-Soviet cooperation would continue until the end of the Russian Revolution in June 1923, relations became increasingly strained. By autumn of 1921, the all German volunteer brigades had returned to Germany, and material assistance between the two countries ended in Spring 1922. As these divisions set in, both the USSR and Germany began to consolidate power within the Comintern, with the Soviets supplying extensive support to the Tuvan People's Republic and the Mongolian People's Republic, whilst the Germans did the same to the newly-founded Council Republic of Poland, the Autonomous Communities of Mexico, and the Hungarian Soviet Republic, as well as the Germans supplying the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army in the Irish Civil War, even drafting a resolution to invite them into the Comintern upon their victory.

Such plans would not come to pass, however. Upon the Council Republic of Germany presenting the *Irish Integration Resolution* on May 1st, 1923, Soviet-aligned members accused the proposal of being an attempt to "invite nationalist revisionism into the Communist International for the sake of political maneuvering." Discussions on the matter continued until August 16th, 1923, during which Soviet delegate Grigory Zinoviev presented a motion to expel the German Council Republic on the basis that its "continued sectarian agitation and uncompromising left communism threaten the security of the international revolution." In response, Germany recalled all of its Comintern delegates, with Poland and Hungary doing the same over the following weeks. The motion was amended to also expel the Polish and Hungarian delegates and was passed on September 9th, 1923, with the only dissenting votes coming from the Mexican representatives.

### Function

The Global Defence Association, as well as its predecessor the European Defence Association, is a military alliance. This was predominantly due to the revolutionaries' fears that the capitalist powers of Europe would attack them from the west and south, or that the Soviets would attempt to retake Poland. As a result, the alliance focuses exclusively on fostering military and logistical connections between member republics. As a result of this, several organisational offshoots of the EDA and GDA exist to focus on non-militaristic matters, such as the International Workers' Football League, the Free Socialist Youth Organisation, and the Institute of International Revolutionary Action.

### Ideology

The GDA's ideology was influenced by councilism and Luxemburgism, which emphasise workers' self-management and direct democracy. The GDA had a tenuous alliance with the Soviet Union, which was led by Leon Trotsky after Vladimir Lenin's death. The GDA's goals included the establishment of a socialist global order and the defense of left-wing movements against external threats.

#### Membership Requirements

In the *Charter for the Establishment of the European Defence Association*, which continues to be adhered to today by the GDA, a list of requirements for all member republics to possess are listed. There are two categories of requirements. The first are non-negotiable, and therefore all members must continuously adhere to them. The second are negotiable, and an applicant need only have 2/3rds of them to join, though they must commit to eventually meeting all requirements and must take action to fulfill said requirements to maintain their membership. The requirements are as follows:

##### Non-Negotiable Requirements

1. The construction of the socialist mode of production. The socialist mode of production is one wherein all citizens of the republic have a direct and equal role in both participating in and directing the economy.
2. The legal equality between all citizens. The Global Defence Association will not accept any nation who continues to uphold the shackles of capitalist hegemony through the mistreatment and hatred of women, racial minorities, sexual minorities, or any other branch of the human race.
3. The emancipated political structure. All members of the Global Defence Association must be accountable to their populaces in the form of a directly democratic political system.
4. The distribution of necessities. Members of the Global Defence Association must do all in their capacity to ensure that all persons living within their borders have access to the basic necessities of life, these being food, water, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.

##### Negotiable Requirements

1. The total abolishment of private property. This entails both the removal of capital and real estate from the hands of private owners and into the common ownership, as well as the abolishment of commodity production.
2. The material equality between all citizens. All members of the Global Defence Association are expected to ensure discrimination and the vestiges of inequality are eradicated from their lands by promoting both cultural and economic equality between all peoples of their republics.
3. The commitment to global revolution. Members of the Global Defence Association must both politically and materially support foreign socialist movements, with the definition of a socialist movement being a movement that has or aims to establish the socialist mode of production.
4. The negotiation of any outstanding border disputes. Global Defence Members are expected to resolve any existing border disputes with foreign nations in order to avoid the outbreak of conflict and the needless shedding of blood.
5. The elimination of all outstanding political disputes. Any member of the Global Defence Association must strive to alleviate or eliminate any political disputes, such as civil wars, governments in exile, or secessionist movements, as soon as possible.
6. The willingness and ability to contribute to the Global Defence Association. All members of the Global Defence Association are expected to support the overarching projects of the organisation by supplying manpower, industry, or land for the purposes of the alliance's operations.