Wilhelm Liebknecht and German Social Democracy: A Documentary History

Wilhelm Liebknecht is little known today outside his native Germany, and yet in the late 19th century he was reknowned throughout the industrialised world as a champion of working people and a prime mover in the emerging German Social Democratic Party. His speeches and pamphlets were translated into numerous languages and helped inspire generations of militant workers and socialist activists. This volume presents Liebknecht in his own words. He produced such a massive amount of material that it is doubtful whether a complete collection will ever be assembled; this is, however, a representative sampling of his most reknowned an influential work. As much as is possible, the selection are presented uneditied. Each piece is prefaced by a brief introduction to put the material into perspective. In addition to the selection of his works, the volume contains a section of essays and observations by colleagues and others who knew his work firsthand. The book also contains a chronology, glossary and other aids to facilitate an understanding of the man and the period. It is an improtant research tool for political and labour historians and others concerned with the development of mass movements in the 19th- and 20th-century Europe.