Jonah Patel
The Freikorps, or Free Corps, were private paramilitary militias that emerged in Germany in the aftermath of World War I and during the German Revolution of 1918-1919. They were composed primarily of World War I veterans, ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and others who held patriotic, nationalistic, and anti-communist beliefs. These groups were formed to fight against the rise of communism and the attempts to overthrow the Weimar Republic by German communists. While they were ostensibly mustered to support the government, many Freikorps members despised the Republic and were involved in the assassinations of its supporters, later aiding the Nazis' rise to power.
| Characteristics | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents | |
| Led by ex-officers and other former military personnel | ||
| WWI veterans | ||
| Political leanings | Nationalistic | |
| Radically conservative or protofascist | ||
| Anti-communist | ||
| Anti-Weimar Republic | ||
| Actions | Putting down left-wing revolts and uprisings | |
| Miniature wars | ||
| Plunder and terror | ||
| Political assassinations | ||
| Fighting in the Baltics, Silesia, and Berlin |
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What You'll Learn
The Free Corps were constituted by a war veterans' organisation
The Free Corps, also known as Freikorps, were constituted by a war veterans organisation. They were private paramilitary groups that first appeared in Germany in December 1918 in the aftermath of World War I. The Freikorps were composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents, and were led by ex-officers and other former military personnel. They proliferated all over Germany in the spring and summer of 1919 and eventually numbered over 65 corps of various names, sizes, and descriptions.
The Freikorps were formed as a result of the turmoil and upheaval that marked the early years of the Weimar Republic. The tenuous German government, led by Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party, used the Freikorps to quell socialist and communist uprisings. The Freikorps were armed with the rifles they had returned with from the front, and infantry and cavalry units also had machine guns and mortars. While exact numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that some 500,000 men were formal Freikorps members, with another 1.5 million participating informally.
The Freikorps were anti-communist paramilitary units that became particularly active during the German Revolution of 1918-1919 and the early years of the Weimar Republic. They were recruited from the ranks of demobilized soldiers who had served in the German army during World War I. Many of these soldiers struggled to find work and adjust to life in a defeated Germany, but they still held strong patriotic and nationalistic beliefs. They saw it as their duty to protect Germany from any communist threat, especially from the newly formed Poland.
The Freikorps were responsible for the suppression of the Marxist Spartacist uprising and the extrajudicial executions of revolutionary communist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on January 15, 1919. They also fought in the Baltic region against Soviet Russia and played a role in putting down several other uprisings, including the Munich Soviet Republic, the Ruhr uprising, and the Third Silesian uprising. Despite being used by the government to quell leftist revolts, most Freikorps members despised the Weimar Republic and were involved in assassinations of its supporters. They later aided the Nazis in their rise to power.
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They were used to crush socialist and communist uprisings
The Freikorps were used to suppress socialist and communist uprisings in Germany during the early years of the Weimar Republic. The Weimar Republic was formed following the German Revolution of 1918-1919, which overthrew the Hohenzollern monarchy. The Freikorps, which first appeared in December 1918, were composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents, and led by ex-officers and other former military personnel. They proliferated all over Germany in the spring and summer of 1919 and eventually numbered more than 65 corps of various names, sizes, and descriptions.
The Freikorps were often used to suppress left-wing uprisings and political demonstrations, and they were involved in a number of violent clashes with socialist and communist groups. They were also involved in the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919, a short-lived and unrecognized socialist-communist state in Bavaria. The Freikorps were also responsible for the killing of numerous left-wing figures, including the prominent leaders of the Communist Party of Germany, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, in January 1919. These actions contributed to a climate of political instability that persisted throughout the Weimar era.
The Freikorps were supported by right-wing politicians and military leaders, who saw them as a way to maintain order and defend against perceived threats from the left. The Freikorps themselves were largely anti-communist and nationalist, and many despised the Weimar Republic. They were used to crush leftist uprisings in Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven, Westphalia, Brunswick, and Leipzig, among other places. They also fought in the Baltic against Soviet Russia and were instrumental in putting down the Munich Soviet Republic, the Ruhr uprising, and the Third Silesian uprising.
In addition to their role in suppressing socialist and communist uprisings, the Freikorps were also involved in political assassinations and miniature wars, sometimes resorting to plunder and terror. Their members were involved in the murder of Walther Rathenau, the country's foreign minister, in 1922. The Freikorps' autonomy and strength declined after the failed Kapp-Lütwitz Putsch in March 1920, as they were removed from the army and lost access to government funding and equipment. However, they experienced a resurgence as far-right thugs and street brawlers for the Nazis beginning in 1923, engaging in street brawls with communists and breaking up communist and socialist meetings.
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They were anti-communist and fought against the left
The Freikorps were anti-communist and fought against the left. The term "Freikorps" refers to various paramilitary organizations that were established in Germany after World War I. They were composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents, led by ex-officers and other former military personnel. Most of their members were anti-communist monarchists who saw no future in the revolutionary Germany that they had returned to. They were employed to put down left-wing revolts and uprisings in Berlin, Bremen, Brunswick, Hamburg, and other German cities. They fought miniature wars and sometimes resorted to plunder and terror.
The Freikorps were used by the tenuous German government under Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), to quell socialist and communist uprisings. Minister of Defence Gustav Noske also relied on the Freikorps to suppress the Marxist Spartacist uprising, resulting in the summary executions of revolutionary communist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on January 15, 1919. The Freikorps also fought in the Baltic region against Soviet Russia and played a crucial role in crushing the Munich Soviet Republic, the Ruhr uprising, and the Third Silesian uprising.
The Freikorps demonstrated fervent anti-Slavic racism and viewed Slavs and Bolsheviks as "sub-human" hordes. They were also involved in political assassinations, the most notable being the 1922 murder of Walther Rathenau, Germany's foreign minister. The Freikorps were formally disbanded in 1920, but many of their members joined paramilitary groups within right-wing organizations such as the SA of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.
During the Nazi rise to power, the Freikorps were utilized as thugs to break up anarchist, communist, and socialist meetings. The Nazis elevated the Freikorps as a symbol of pure German nationalism, anti-communism, and militarized masculinity to gain political support. However, Adolf Hitler eventually saw the Freikorps as a threat to his consolidation of power and targeted many of its members and leaders during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934.
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They were responsible for the killing of numerous left-wing figures
The Freikorps were responsible for the killing of numerous left-wing figures, including the journalist Kurt Eisner, the leader of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, and the anarchist Gustav Landauer. These actions were part of a wider campaign of violence against left-wing and socialist movements in Germany, contributing to a climate of political instability that persisted throughout the Weimar era.
The Freikorps, or "Free Troops," were paramilitary militias that emerged in Germany after World War I and during the German Revolution of 1918-1919. They were composed primarily of World War I veterans, ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and led by former military officers. Most members held anti-communist and monarchist ideologies, opposing the revolutionary changes in Germany at the time.
The Freikorps were employed to suppress left-wing revolts and uprisings, often with brutal force. They played a significant role in crushing leftist uprisings across Germany in 1919, including in Berlin, Bremen, Brunswick, and Leipzig. The Freikorps were also responsible for the extrajudicial executions of prominent communist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on January 15, 1919, during the suppression of the Marxist Spartacist uprising.
The Freikorps' violent culture and their involvement in political assassinations, such as the murder of Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau in 1922, reflected their members' struggle to transition from military to civilian life. Many Freikorps members became accustomed to the violence of war and saw themselves as defenders of Germany against perceived internal and external threats.
The German government attempted to disband the Freikorps by 1920, but this effort was met with resistance as Freikorps members marched on Berlin and attempted a coup known as the "Kapp Putsch." While the putsch failed, it demonstrated the Freikorps' willingness to use violence to pursue their political goals.
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They were eventually disbanded, but their legacy lived on
The Freikorps, also known as the Free Corps, were paramilitary militias that first appeared in Germany in December 1918 after World War I. They were composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents, and were led by ex-military officers. The Weimar Republic used the Freikorps to suppress socialist and communist uprisings, such as the Marxist Spartacist uprising, and to quell the Bavarian Soviet Republic. However, despite being employed by the government, many Freikorps members despised the Weimar Republic and were involved in assassinations of its supporters.
The Freikorps were gradually disbanded over the years as the government sought to restore order and stability to the country. However, their legacy lived on as many of their members went on to join right-wing political parties and organizations, such as the Nazi Party. The Freikorps' ideology of radical nationalism and anti-communism resonated with the Nazis, and their military skills were valued.
The disbandment of the Freikorps did not signal the end of their influence, as their members continued to shape the political landscape of Germany. The Nazis' rise to power was aided by Freikorps members, and their ideology and tactics left a lasting impact on the country. The Freikorps represented a period of political instability and social unrest in the aftermath of World War I, and their legacy can be seen in the rise of extremist ideologies and the continued struggle between left- and right-wing forces in Germany.
The legacy of the Freikorps extended beyond Germany as well. The concept of Free Troops or "Free Corps" inspired similar groups in other countries. For example, France later raised its own Free Corps, and during World War II, the British Free Corps and Free Corps Denmark were collaborationist forces with the Waffen-SS. The appeal of these groups lay in their military nature, attracting individuals who sought a continuation of their military service and a sense of camaraderie.
Overall, the disbandment of the Freikorps did not erase their impact on history. Their members' political affiliations, violent tactics, and extremist ideologies continued to shape societies well beyond their existence. The Freikorps served as a catalyst for right-wing extremism and contributed to a volatile political climate that persisted long after their disbandment.
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Frequently asked questions
The Free Corps, or Freikorps, in the Weimar Republic was constituted by a war veterans organisation. They were paramilitary militias, composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and led by ex-officers. They were anti-communist and monarchist, and they fought against the Communism of the left-wing.
The Free Corps were used by the Weimar Republic to suppress uprisings from both the left and the right, including the Marxist Spartacist uprising, which resulted in the executions of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. They also fought in the Baltic against Soviet Russia and put down the Munich Soviet Republic, the Ruhr uprising, and the Third Silesian uprising.
The Free Corps were formally disbanded in 1920, but many of their members went on to join right-wing political parties and paramilitary organisations, such as the Nazi Party and the SA. They were instrumental in the rise of the Nazis to power.
