[D66] Oorlogsstemming

[René Oudeweg]

Wie wordt er niet goed van Frans Timmermans en zijn eermalige PvdA? Wie 
wordt er niet goed van D66? Om de analogie met 1914 te trekken: toen was 
het de SPD die voor de oorlogskredieten stemden. Ze leren ook niets!


deepseek:

The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) voted for war credits in 1914 
in the context of the outbreak of World War I, a decision that marked a 
significant and controversial moment in the party's history. The context 
of this decision can be understood through several key factors:

### 1. **Nationalism and War Enthusiasm:**
    - In the summer of 1914, Europe was swept by a wave of nationalism 
and war enthusiasm. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of 
Austria-Hungary in June 1914 had escalated tensions, leading to a chain 
of events that culminated in war.
    - In Germany, there was widespread public support for the war, 
fueled by a sense of national unity and the belief that Germany was 
defending itself against external aggression, particularly from Russia 
and France.

### 2. **Political Pressure and Fear of Repression:**
    - The SPD, as the largest party in the Reichstag (German 
parliament), faced immense political pressure. The German government, 
led by Kaiser Wilhelm II and Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, 
sought to present the war as a defensive struggle.
    - The SPD leadership feared that opposing the war could lead to 
severe repression. The party had already faced persecution under 
Bismarck's Anti-Socialist Laws (1878-1890), and there was concern that 
the government might crack down on the party again if it opposed the war 
effort.

### 3. **International Socialist Movement and the Second International:**
    - The SPD was part of the Second International, a global 
organization of socialist and labor parties that had pledged to oppose 
imperialist wars. However, when war broke out, most socialist parties in 
Europe, including the SPD, abandoned their anti-war stance and supported 
their respective governments.
    - The SPD's decision to vote for war credits was influenced by the 
belief that the war was a defensive one for Germany, and that supporting 
the war effort was necessary to protect the country and its working class.

### 4. **Internal Divisions within the SPD:**
    - The SPD was not a monolithic party, and there were significant 
internal divisions over the issue of war credits. While the majority of 
the party leadership, including figures like Friedrich Ebert and Philipp 
Scheidemann, supported the war, a minority, led by Karl Liebknecht and 
Rosa Luxemburg, opposed it.
    - The majority faction argued that supporting the war was a 
pragmatic decision to avoid alienating the working class and to maintain 
the party's influence within German society. The minority faction, 
however, saw the war as an imperialist conflict and believed that the 
SPD should remain true to its anti-war principles.

### 5. **The Vote for War Credits:**
    - On August 4, 1914, the SPD faction in the Reichstag voted in favor 
of war credits, providing the government with the financial means to 
wage war. This decision was made despite the party's long-standing 
opposition to militarism and imperialism.
    - The vote was nearly unanimous within the SPD faction, with only a 
few members, including Karl Liebknecht, eventually breaking ranks to 
oppose the war.

### 6. **Consequences of the Decision:**
    - The SPD's decision to support the war had profound consequences. 
It led to a split within the party, with the more radical elements 
eventually forming the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) in 1917.
    - The decision also damaged the SPD's international reputation, as 
it was seen as a betrayal of the principles of international socialism.
    - Internally, the decision contributed to the radicalization of 
parts of the German working class, leading to increased support for more 
revolutionary movements, such as the Spartacus League, which would later 
play a key role in the German Revolution of 1918-1919.

In summary, the SPD's vote for war credits in 1914 was a complex 
decision shaped by nationalism, political pressure, internal party 
dynamics, and the broader context of European geopolitics. It marked a 
turning point for the party and had lasting implications for German 
politics and the international socialist movement.