An anti-war article from Vorwärts, a German Social Democratic newspaper, from 25 July 1914. Source: Archive of the Social Democracy of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
An anti-war article from Vorwärts, a German Social Democratic newspaper, from 25 July 1914. Source: Archive of the Social Democracy of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
7 comments
Translation maybe?
Translation:
>Attention!
>
>The fields of the Balkans are still fuming of the blood of the thousands of murdered, the ruins of destroyed cities, abandoned villages, men are still unemployed, women are widowed, and children are orphaned throughout the land, and still Austrian imperialism wants to unleash the fury of war, to bring the death and destruction over all of Europe.
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>We also condemn the activities of Greater-Serbian nationalists, but still it is necessary to protest adamantly against the Austro-Hungarian Government’s provocation of war. Their demands are so brutal that never in the history of the world has a sovereign state been demanded this. With those demands, they only want to provoke war.
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>The class-conscious German proletariat raises fiery protests in the name of humanity and culture against the criminal activities of the warmongers. It is imperative that the German Government uses its influence on the Austrian Government to stop the war, and if the shameful war cannot be stopped, it must refrain from interference and abstain from the war. Not a single drop of blood of a German soldier should be dropped for the power hungry Austrian rulers and for imperialist interests of profit.
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>Comrades, we ask that you partake immediately in mass protests for the unshakable will for the maintenance of peace of the class-conscious German proletariat. A serious hour has come, more serious than anything in the last decades. Danger is imminent! The World War looms! The ruling classes that gag, despise, exploit you in peace time, want to use you as cannon fodder. Everywhere, the rulers must hear: We want no war! Down with war! Up with the international brotherhood of peoples!
>
>Berlin, the 25th July 1914
I read that as “anti-wax article” about 6 times before I read the translation.
It didn’t make sense to me, but the latest headlines are just about stupidity. But they where smarter back then it seems.
Lets hope Russia can leave Ukraine alone.
Our German books and method at school were called “Vorwärts”. Not a good memory.
and then on 4. August 1914 almost all of the spd voted for war credits anyway.
lying to the people for 100 years+.
Interesting text. A few things I noticed:
* They appear to give Austria the blame for the Balkan wars of 1912–1913? That’s odd.
* The word “Gewalthaber”. Modern media sometimes use the word “Machthaber” (literally “power haver”) to describe rulers who we don’t consider politically legitimate, but have to acknowledge that they do in fact rule that respective country. Gewalthaber uses a more negative word for ruling power, Gewalt, which mostly means “violence” today. Maybe we should revive that word, it could be useful.
* They used the word “Weltkrieg” (world war) even before it had started. That means the term is older than I thought.
Do people not remember the crappy stuff the SPD did almost immediately after this?