Programmentwurf zur Einigung der Rätekommunistischen Arbeiterbewegung in Deutschland und allen Ländern

Translated tilte: 'Draft for a Programme to the Unification of the Council Communist Workers Movement in Germany and other countries'

This text was made in German by the French group Spartakus and sent for discussion to other Council Communist organizations internationally in July 1931.

The Spartakus-group in Paris was a small and short-lived circle of about 8-10 persons around 1930 to 1932.

A central figure in the formation of this group was André Prudhommeaux, who in 1930 departed from the 'italian' group L'Ouvrier Communistes and joined this group of mostly German emigrants.

Proudhommeaux, his wife Dora and his friend Jean Dautry was able to provide both finance and facilities for this group to publish thier journal Spartakus in about 4 numbers until they left this group also. The remains of this group   -  some 8 persons, all German emigrants, and some symphatizers -  tried to continue themselves. But shortly after the Spartakus-group vanished.

Only little is known about the German kernel of this group. Some names are known though. Hans Schieschke, who had been active in KAPD/AAU in Leipzip and was also among the initiators to the unified KAU in Germany in 1931, stayed in Paris for some time and took part in the activities of Spartakus as long as he was there. Another name was A. Heinrich, who held international contacts among others to Holland. He was also among those who tried to continue the group after the split with Proudhommeaux.

The present text was distributed with the following presentation  -  here translated:

Comrades.

We hereby send you a draft for a Programe, that is the contribution of the Spartakus Group to the discussion that is presently going on internationally within the communist Council-movement. The international linking of Capitalism, that has brought one international Front against the working class, call now more than ever for an international practical action.

It is the task for the Council Communists to let this international action become effective not only theoretically, but also practically. The experiences from the last decades have been worth-while educating for the working class. They showed clearly the only way for the working class. The object is to help the new methods of struggle defended by the Council Communists breakthrough internationally and prepare the road for the build-up of the Council-movement.

Paris, in July 1931
Group Spartakus

The reference here to some discussion among the Council Communists at that time about an international organization seems somewhat exaggerated or misleading. What was actually discussed at that time was the final division between the 'KAPD'-tendency on one side and the 'Union'-tendency on the other. 

The most part of the German Council Communists were at that time in the 'Unions'  - the AAU and the AAU-E - , who through 1931 prepared their unification into the KAU. This German regroupment was followed with interest by the Dutch Group of International Communists, the GIC(H), but not with any intention of continuing this internationally. In fact the GIK(H) were rather critical to some of the positions and attitudes about 'going to the masses' and 'building' a Council-movement as still prevailing in some circles of the KAU.

As for the German KAPD and the Dutch KAPN these had undergone several splittings and were more or less disappearing after the break with the 'Unions'. There were in some of these restgroups of the KAP-tradition efforts to discuss the possibilities of international meetings under the perspective of preparing a new Communist Worker's International (KAI) right up until the end of the 20s. But apart from ocassional meetings no one really felt the time and the involved groups ready for more formal international organizing.

So the call from the Spartakus Group in Paris in 1931 was isolated and also without any known responce from any of the other Council Communists groupings at that time.

This text was made for public knowledge by Kurasje.