The agat-wile trend in the SlD concentrated The Socal Democrabs, In lee with their m of constructing » bourgeois demociatio Gensany, set to work underlining the Councilsin Hamburg, Previnusly, The Councils had been clacted dircotly from the laciones But now they were to be held by the populado atlurer, ewing a great advantage hit the defendersof the old under, New cleations on this basis wete beld. on 2 March, 1919, pne week Ster smilin elections bid been hold for 2 new Cits Gorcroent. The Socisl Deniecratilong with the Tree Trade Unionist and Liberalsnow controlleditwo-thirds of the votes in both the Colmand the City Gotermont, The Comis were therehy seduced to the shadow of the new bourgeois institutions. Their Auctiods were to wither dead wol, they became merely ane of five representative bodict in the Geonomic Advars Chumil The ous national Constitution mcorponsied these and staniler:
Nacional Exonomir-Connell For Economic and Socut Loglutim an adeny body to the Terran Parliamen, These bodics of porkers power chus hecame tutigrate into Me capita bl 1019. 15e SPO coverument in Bedd
basic weakness of the Triple Alliance-it was simply an alliance of the union bureaucracies, verment. Policy was to be decided by a int meeting of the two councils A few days earlier, on 6 November the purgeoi city government had offered to Mill between these revolutionary bodies d the military commander of the city. St in later, Uhe new Presidium resolved to alve the old bourgeois city government Leviet the Serale and the Chamber from to days, the working las established is. City Hall. After a struggle lasting only a control over the city, and the repressive arces of the ruling class disintegrated, The fate of the capitalista of Hambaig now i of the leaders of the Workers and Soldiers" Council During Che War, a left wing of the German scial-Democratic Party (SPD) had omerged i opposition to the pic-imperialist policies If the SPD leadership. By late 1918, nithough he SPD was still the largest working class party in Germany, the mugority of the working class in Hamburg had switched their support is the left wing break awuy, The Independent Social Democrats (USD), Jed by Laufenerg It was he witu prupined the dissolution of the old bourgrols city government of Haniburg and became Chairman of the Presidium. the working class for political ends, and a member of the Communist Party, Williams the City's finances. The Workers' and Soldiers Councili were given a veto power over the decisions of the Advisory Council, but, in the circumstances, this wus a step backward. The capitafit were catirely at the mercy of ye working class al the time, yet Laufenberg was taking stops that guaranteed maintenince of private properly The third power-hase for the counter revolution was the bureaucratic apparatus of the old city povernment. Instead of sofashing this machine, workers representatives wete assigned to 'control" its activities. The old finctionaries sit in office, had hide problem concealing the workinge of their department from the workers representulives und sabotaging the decisions of the Councili The SPD Jeadership in Germany reparded the ovolution as completed noce the Kaise abdicated on 9 November They wanted the colnals dissolved and replacod hy parlumenin Hamburg, the supporters of the party leadentin were in 4 mibonty and for the time being, could not hold back the workers motenter so suspicious were the Hambure workers of the SPD following thei class colleberationist role during the wir that the trade union bureaurracy, dominated by the SPD Had been exeloded from the workers' colincils from the beginning. to take a firm grip on the steering wheel, and to prepare to step into the drivers' seat, if further weakened the Councils position. The Hamburg SP'D in turn grew more confident. On 27 December a demonstration of sailors stormed ode of the city municipal buildings and two days later called a trans meeting In protest aguinst the newly formed SP D governtentin Berlin and against the 'counterrevolutionary policies of the Humburg SPD' The SED responded with a much larger counter-demonstrition on T January Whin un 9 Junuary, a miss demonstration demanded the remoyal of certain trade union leaders, the SPD counter demonstration on the following day arrested Linfenberg humself for a lew hours. The fight for the leadership of the working ches bad begun in cartest. On IL January. Lanterberg was furcell to agree To new elections To the councils, The SPD obrained 51% of the votes and 3 few days later Lufenherg resigned un der pressure from the Soldien Council, who charged him cith being unahle in defend the labrut movement agrinst outrages. This wast reference to the artack by sailo we the offoon of hohe the St'l poper The SPD was thus able to puse us Ibe defenders of the Jabour movement, without conning to grips wie! the real neues, the SPD now took conccol of Harnburg: sent troops to bremen, just outade Hamburg. to restore ibe Majority Socialists to the government from which they had just been excluded hy the left. On L February, Laufenberg who still enioved support in sections of the military and police, successtally in toduced a motion a a Till assembly of the Workers" Council, callins for the military mobilisation and arming of the Hamburg proictarist. The SPD trade union oldcitis, supporting the Berlin poveroment. refused to help, and on 4 February the troops were able to enter Bremen, slaughtering many wUrkurs. gi Lilion against the Hamburg SPD govemment now began to maunt, Workers gathered outside the Ciry Hall to protest the expected invasion of Hamburg. For the time being, the truopn were held back, Berlin believing that the SPD Deadership in Hamburg was capable of weather Ing the whirm, Bet in April, an unomployment demonstratioe attacked the Workers' Council office. The matary and police units, where the left st If had support, were unclent whether to support them or subdue chemi The SPI we in a difficult position, Its treachery becoming inchcasingly obslous ta Die working Class and ilk middle class allies. Finally, in June, protests apainst food adulteration broke out and Hamburg was Chryn into civil war when a military detachmenc eccupied City Half Six days later Ger eral von Lellow Vorbeck entered Hamburg with ten thourand soldies, in De ordeis of Berlin. Hainhurg was thus occupied ay hail the mobile armed force of the countes until December, Like Ihe rest of Germiny, Hamburgaoffered from the lack of ar established resolutionary party. Kow Lakerhurg Spartacus Group (later to becomo the German Communist Party was not pressit in Hamburg, and Ibe radenhop of the Hambure left was Irtesolare and uncoordicated On severa nccasions the German proletariat showed itself ready to soise power, and actuaily saccoeded a dole so temporarily in severil regions of the country betos the final crushing of the revolutionary wave in 1421. Hut, in the ahsence of an established Devolutionary paity to provide chis cleibental Laure with cobejent and preciso leadership, the working class was unabic to develop a cu-ardinated bilional challenge to the millag class. As a rosult the pose-wat rovolationary polirge was checked and the ruling close, with the active cooperation of the Social Democrits wun able lo re ustablish a firo hold on the politiest life of die comatry