In Our Time: History – Rosa Luxemburg
BBC Radio 4 | Air Date: April 13, 2017
Host: Melvin Bragg
Guests: Jacqueline Rose (Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities), Mark Jones (University College Dublin), Nadine Russell (University of Essex)
Episode Overview
This episode delves into the life, ideas, and legacy of Rosa Luxemburg—one of the most radical, influential, and controversial political thinkers and activists of late 19th and early 20th century Europe. Born in Poland under Russian rule and martyred in revolutionary Berlin, Luxemburg's unique vision of socialism, critique of both nationalism and capitalism, and her tragic end are explored by three expert historians.
Rosa Luxemburg’s Early Life and Political Awakening
00:40-06:36
- Luxemburg was born in 1871 in Zamosc, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire), to an assimilated Jewish family actively engaged in Reform Judaism.
- Growing up, she experienced and witnessed significant anti-Semitic violence, including pogroms (notably in 1880) and public executions of socialist activists, fueling her early politicization.
- Advocated for sedition and revolutionary change from her teenage years; denied accolades at school for "rebellious tendencies."
- At age 19, she escaped the threat of arrest by fleeing Poland in disguise, aided by sympathetic priests.
Quote:
"She was politicized from an incredibly young age… Her baptism by fire into the political and imminently revolutionary life of Poland." – Jacqueline Rose (02:57)
Education, Exile, and the Formation of Revolutionary Networks
06:36-11:40
- Barred from higher education in Tsarist Russia, Luxemburg moved to Zurich, Switzerland, then a haven for socialist emigres and one of the few places women could study at university.
- Became part of an international community of socialist thinkers; forged a lasting intellectual and romantic partnership with Leo Jogiches.
- Developed awareness and connections spanning European socialist circles (German, French, Russian)—actively networking and attending international conferences.
- Visited cities such as Berlin and Paris to broaden her horizons, though her relationships and ambitions sometimes created tensions.
Quote:
"She is building a reputation while she’s still in Switzerland. So when she arrives in Germany, you know, she is young and female, but she’s not unknown." – Mark Jones (09:42)
Rise in German Socialism and Early Political Thought
11:40-15:49
- Luxemburg relocated to Berlin, drawn by its vibrant socialist movement and connections with key figures, like Karl Liebknecht.
- Became prominent in male-dominated, radical wings of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) despite not having the right to vote or run for office.
- Distinguished herself via prolific writing, public speaking, and activism.
- Rejected nationalism as a foundation for socialist politics, focusing instead on internationalist revolutionary change.
Quote:
"Her power was through her writing, being a political activist, being a brilliant thinker and a distinguished journalist and publicist." – Nadine Russell (13:09)
- Notably, she was a Polish Jewish woman with a limp, navigating the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and disability in a deeply patriarchal society.
Key Theories: Revisionism, Spontaneity, and Revolution
15:49-18:16
- Famed for her critique of SPD “revisionists” like Eduard Bernstein, whom she accused of diluting revolutionary socialism by favoring gradual reform over revolution.
- Advocated the principle of "spontaneity" in revolution—a structured unpredictability, emphasizing authentic, democratic uprisings rather than orchestrated coups.
Quote:
"If you suppress the spirit of spontaneity, you will destroy the true democratic spirit, spirit of revolution, which has to be unpredictable." – Jacqueline Rose (17:18)
Alienation and Party Conflict
18:16-20:33
- Luxemburg’s insistence on revolution and strikes alienated both right and far-left factions within the SPD; her public disputes, especially with Karl Kautsky, fractured old alliances.
- Her radicalism made her an object of hostility for future SPD leaders like Friedrich Ebert.
Quote:
"She alienates a lot of her party from her... she pushes the argument too far." – Mark Jones (18:16)
First World War: Principled Opposition and Imprisonment
20:33-26:50
- Following the SPD’s support for German war efforts, Luxemburg became a fierce anti-war voice, calling for strikes and condemning imperialism.
- Her public dissent led to multiple arrests; while in prison, she produced some of her most influential writings and correspondence.
- Her letters and essays from jail blend steely intellectualism with vivid, humane reflection—breaking the mold of the cold revolutionary.
Quote:
"She was steely in her personal life and utterly human in her revolutionary thinking." – Jacqueline Rose (24:35)
"In time of war, slit each other’s throats." (on the perversion of "workers of the world unite") – Jacqueline Rose, recounting Luxemburg (23:05)
War’s End: Revolution, Uprising, and Tragic Death
26:50-39:04
- As Germany lost the war and social unrest grew, Luxemburg argued that workers were developing dual consciousness—nationalist but also aware of their manipulation by elites.
- Co-founded the Spartacus League (Spartakusbund), which evolved into the German Communist Party; pushed for a worker-council-based system rather than parliamentary democracy.
- Warned that the German “revolution” of 1918 was incomplete—a mere change of leadership, not of systemic power.
Quote:
"The power shouldn’t be in parliament, it should be with workers councils... it’s not a real revolution if the economic system essentially changes very little." – Nadine Russell (35:17)
- Despite her personal reservations, she supported the Spartacist Uprising of January 1919—an ill-fated revolt with little mass support.
Assassination and Aftermath
39:04-43:01
- Luxemburg and Liebknecht were arrested and brutally murdered by right-wing militia on January 15-16, 1919; their deaths were symbols of the era’s violent political rifts.
- Their murders embittered divisions within the political Left for generations.
Quote:
"The killing of both of them, not just her, created a bitterness within the political left that was very difficult to bridge for years to come." – Nadine Russell (42:31)
- Luxemburg’s prescient critiques—including views on capitalist crises and ecological destruction—resonate with contemporary concerns.
Quote:
"Her analysis of credit and the destruction of credit leads straight to 2008... Her ecological sense of capital ransacking the globe..." – Jacqueline Rose (39:04)
Legacy: Theory, Freedom, and Debate
43:01-51:28 | Supplementary Discussion
- Panelists debated whether Luxemburg’s late-life support for violent uprising contradicted her earlier pacifism; acknowledged her human complexity, personal suffering, and the political limits of her influence.
- Rose highlighted the inseparability of Luxemburg's revolutionary drive from her inner life and emotional depth.
Quote:
"Freedom is always the freedom to think otherwise." – Rosa Luxemburg, as cited by Jacqueline Rose (43:04)
- Mark Jones challenged hagiographic narratives, noting her role in escalating revolutionary violence, while Rose and Russell countered that she can’t be solely blamed for the tragic dynamics.
- Discussion closed on Luxemburg’s ability to bridge the psychic and political, and her enduring importance for debates on revolution, democracy, and social justice.
Key Timestamps
- 02:57 Rosa Luxemburg’s early political awakening in Poland – Jacqueline Rose
- 09:33 Luxemburg’s international networks in Switzerland – Mark Jones
- 13:09 Her rise in male-dominated German socialist politics – Nadine Russell
- 15:49 SPD “revisionism” vs. revolution – Jacqueline Rose
- 17:18 The theory of spontaneity in revolution – Jacqueline Rose
- 23:05 Luxemburg’s view of war and worker solidarity – Jacqueline Rose
- 24:35 The import of Luxemburg’s prison writings – Jacqueline Rose
- 35:17 Council versus parliamentary democracy – Nadine Russell
- 39:04 Luxemburg’s legacy, murder, and critique of economic and ecological exploitation – Jacqueline Rose
- 43:04 Legacy quote: “Freedom is always the freedom to think otherwise.” – Jacqueline Rose
Notable Quotes
- “Her most important idea was her statement, freedom is always the freedom to think otherwise.” – Jacqueline Rose (43:04)
- “If you suppress the spirit of spontaneity, you will destroy the true democratic spirit, spirit of revolution, which has to be unpredictable.” – Jacqueline Rose (17:18)
- “The killing of both of them... created a bitterness within the political left that was very difficult to bridge for years to come.” – Nadine Russell (42:31)
- “She was steely in her personal life and utterly human in her revolutionary thinking.” – Jacqueline Rose (24:35)
- “She is a preacher of revolutionary violence at this point in time.” – Mark Jones (44:47, in post-episode discussion)
Tone & Style
The discussion is rigorous, reflective, and often passionate—reflecting both scholarly analysis and personal admiration (and critique) of Luxemburg. The conversation frequently returns to the paradoxes of her life: her intellectual brilliance, her prophetic warnings, and her willingness to risk all for revolution, even at the cost of her own life.
For listeners new to the story of Rosa Luxemburg, this episode offers a rich portrait of a visionary who continues to challenge how we think about socialism, revolution, and the possibilities of political freedom.