Johann Joseph "Hans" Most (February 5, 1846 – March 17, 1906) was a German-American

Social Democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

and then

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

politician, newspaper editor, and orator. He is credited with popularizing the concept of "

propaganda of the deed Propaganda of the deed, or propaganda by the deed, is a type of direct action intended to influence public opinion. The action itself is meant to serve as an example for others to follow, acting as a catalyst for social revolution. It is primari ...

" in the United States.

Biography

Early years

According to biographer Frederic Trautmann, Johann Joseph Most was born out of wedlock to a

governess A governess is a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching; depending on terms of their employment, they may or ma ...

and a

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. Most's mother died of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

when he was very young. Most was subjected to physical abuse by his stepmother and a schoolteacher; his aversion to religion earned him more beatings at school. To the end of his life Most was "a militant

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

with the zeal of a religious fanatic" who "knew more Scripture than many clergymen knew". Most developed

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occ ...

on the left side of his face as a young child. For several years thereafter, flesh rotted and infection spread, with the primitive medicine of the day unable to treat the condition. His condition worsened and Most was diagnosed with terminal

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. As a last-gasp measure a surgeon was called in. A two-inch section of his jawbone was removed, resulting in permanent disfigurement. At the age of twelve, Most organized a strike of students against a particularly hated teacher, resulting in his expulsion from school. This ended Most's brief period of formal education, forcing him into the workforce as a youth. Most was

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

d to a bookbinder, for whom he had to bind books from dawn until sunset, a condition which Most later likened to slavery. At the age of 17 he became a

journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...

bookbinder and plied his trade from town to town and job to job, working in 50 cities in 6 countries from 1863 to 1868. In

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

he was fired and placed on a

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

for having staged a strike. Unemployable in his trade, he learned to make wooden boxes for hats, cigars, and matches, which he sold on the street until police brought an end to his trade for lacking a license.

Political career

As the 1860s drew to a close, Most was won over to the ideas of

international socialism ''International Socialism'' is a British-based quarterly journal established in 1960 and published in London by the Socialist Workers Party which discusses socialist theory. It is currently edited by Joseph Choonara who replaced Alex Callini ...

, an emerging political movement in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Most saw in the doctrines of

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

and Ferdinand Lassalle a blueprint for a new

egalitarian Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all h ...

society and became a fervid supporter of Social Democracy, as the

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

movement was known in the day. Most engaged himself as editor of

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

newspapers in

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

and

, both were suppressed by the authorities, he also worked as editor of the ''Berliner Freie Presse'' (Berlin Free Press). Most was a dedicated advocate of

revolutionary socialism Revolutionary socialism is a political philosophy, doctrine, and tradition within socialism that stresses the idea that a social revolution is necessary to bring about structural changes in society. More specifically, it is the view that revo ...

, sharing the views expressed by Wilhelm Liebknecht in an 1869 speech where he had said; "Socialism cannot be realized within the present state. Socialism must overturn the present state." In 1873, Most wrote a summary of Marx's ''

Das Kapital ''Capital: A Critique of Political Economy'' (), also known as ''Capital'' or (), is the most significant work by Karl Marx and the cornerstone of Marxian economics, published in three volumes in 1867, 1885, and 1894. The culmination of his ...

''.Valeria Kunina and Velta Pospelova with Natalia Kalennikova (eds.), ''Karl Marx-Frederick Engels Collected Works: Volume 45: Marx and Engels, 1874–79.'' Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1991; p. 474, fn. 154. At Liebknecht's request, Marx and

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ;"Engels"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. In the 1874 German federal election, Most was elected to represent the Chemnitz constituency as a

Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany The Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (, SDAP) was a Marxist socialist political party in the North German Confederation during unification. Founded in Eisenach in 1869, the SDAP endured through the early years of the German Empire. ...

deputy in the Reichstag, in which he served until 1878. Most was repeatedly arrested for his verbal attacks on

patriotism Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

, religion,

ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

and for his gospel of

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

, preached in prose and in many songs such as those in his ''Proletarier-Liederbuch'' (Proletarian Songbook). Some of his experiences in prison were recounted in the 1876 work, ''Die Bastille am Plötzensee: Blätter aus meinem Gefängniss-Tagebuch'' (The Bastille on Plötzensee: Pages from my Prison Diary). After advocating violent action, including the use of explosives, as a mechanism to bring about revolutionary change, Most was forced into exile by the government. He first traveled to France but was forced to leave at the end of 1878, settling in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

instead. There he founded his own newspaper, '' Freiheit'' (Freedom), with the first issue coming off the press on January 4, 1879. Convinced by his own experiences of the futility of parliamentary action, Most began to espouse the doctrine of

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

, which led to his expulsion from the German Social Democratic Party in 1880. In March 1881, Most expressed his delight in the pages of the ''Freiheit'' over the assassination of Tsar

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Grand Du ...

and advocated its emulation; for this Most was imprisoned by British authorities for a year and a half.

Life in the United States

Encouraged by news of labor struggles and industrial disputes in the United States, Most emigrated to the US upon his release from prison in 1882. He promptly began agitating in his adopted land among other German émigrés. Among his associates was August Spies, one of the anarchists hanged for conspiracy in the Haymarket Square bombing, in whose desk police found an 1884 letter from Most promising a shipment of "medicine," his code word for dynamite. Most resumed the publication of the ''Freiheit'' in New York. He was imprisoned in 1886, again in 1887, and in 1902, the last time for two months for publishing after the assassination of President McKinley an editorial in which he argued that it was no crime to kill a ruler. He said: "Whoever looks at America will see: the ship is powered by stupidity, corruption, or prejudice." Most initially advocated traditional collectivist anarchism, but later embraced

anarchist communism Anarchist communism is a far-left political ideology and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private real property but retention of personal property and collectively-owned items, goods, and ser ...

. Most was famous for stating the concept of the "

" (''Attentat''): "The existing system will be quickest and most radically overthrown by the annihilation of its exponents. Therefore, massacres of the enemies of the people must be set in motion." Most is best known for a pamphlet published in 1885: ''The Science of Revolutionary Warfare,'' a how-to manual on the subject of bomb-making which earned the author the moniker "Dynamost". A gifted orator, Most propagated these ideas throughout Marxist and anarchist circles in the United States and attracted many adherents, most notably

Emma Goldman Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born Anarchism, anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europ ...

and Alexander Berkman. Inspired by Most's theories of Attentat, Goldman and Berkman, enraged by the deaths of workers during the Homestead strike, put words into action with Berkman's attempted assassination of Homestead factory manager Henry Clay Frick in 1892. Berkman and Goldman were soon disillusioned as Most became one of Berkman's most outspoken critics. In ''Freiheit'', Most attacked both Goldman and Berkman, implying Berkman's act was designed to arouse sympathy for Frick. Goldman's biographer Alice Wexler suggests that Most's criticisms may have been inspired by jealousy of Berkman. Goldman was enraged, and demanded that Most prove his insinuations. When he refused to respond, she confronted him at next lecture. After he refused to speak to her, she lashed him across the face with a horsewhip, broke the whip over her knee, then threw the pieces at him. She later regretted her assault, confiding to a friend, "At the age of twenty-three, one does not reason." Most was in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, to give a speech when he fell ill. He was diagnosed with

erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright- red rash, ...

. The doctors could do little for him, and he died a few days later.

Personal life

His grandson was

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

radio play-by-play man Johnny Most."The Anarchist Encyclopedia: A Gallery of Saints & Sinners" ''Recollection Used Books''
23 August 2010

Works

Note: This list includes only titles published in German or English. Some of Most's writings were translated into Italian, Spanish, Russian, Yiddish, French, Polish, and other languages. * ''Neuestes Proletarier-Liederbuch von Verschiedenen Arbeiterdichtern'' (Latest Proletarian Songbook by Various Worker-Poets). Chemnitz: Druck und Verlag der Genossenschafts-Buchdruckerei, 1873. * ''Kapital und Arbeit: Ein Populärer Auszug aus "Das Kapital" von Karl Marx'' (Capital and Labor: A Popular Excerpt from "Capital" by Karl Marx). Chemnitz: G. Rübner, n.d. 873 Revised 2nd edition, 1876. * ''Die Pariser Commune vor den Berliner Gerichten: Eine Studie über Deutschpreussische Rechtszustände.'' (The Paris Commune in Front of Berlin Courts: A Study of German-Prussian Legal Conditions). Brunswick, Germany: Bracke Jr., 1875. * ''Die Bastille am Plötzensee: Blätter aus meinem Gefängniss-Tagebuch'' (The Bastille on Plötzensee: Pages from my Prison Diary). Brunswick, Germany: W. Bracke, 1876. * ''Der Kleinbürger und die Socialdemokratie: Ein Mahnwort an die Kleingewerbtreibenden'' (The Petty-Bourgeois and Social-Democracy: A Warning to Small Businessmen). Augsburg: Verlag der Volksbuchhandlung, 1876. * ''Gewerbe-Ordnung für das Deutsche Reich: Mit Erläuterung der für den Arbeiter wichtigsten Bestimmungen'' (The Industrial Code of the German Empire: With Commentary on the Most Important Provisions for the Worker). Leipzig: Verlag der Genossenschaftsbuchdruckerei, 1876. * ''Freizügigkeits-Gesetz, Impf-Gesetz, Lohnbeschlagnahme-Gesetz, Haftpflicht-Gesetz: Mit Erläuterung der für den Arbeiter wichtigsten Bestimmungen'' (The Law on Freedom of Movement, the Law on Vaccination, the Law on Wage Attachment, the Law on Liability: With Commentary on the Most Important Provisions for the Worker). Leipzig: Verlag der Genossenschaftsbuchdruckerei, 1876. * ''"Taktika" contra "Freiheit": Ein Wort zum Angriff und zur Abwehr'' ("Tactics" versus "Freedom": A Word on Attack and Defence). London: Freiheit, n.d. . 1881 *
Revolutionäre Kriegswissenschaft: Eine Handbüchlein zur Anleitung Betreffend Gebrauches und Herstellung von Nitro-Glycerin, Dynamit, Schiessbaumwolle, Knallquecksilber, Bomben, Brandsätzen, Giften usw., usw.
' (The Science of Revolutionary Warfare: A Little Handbook of Instruction in the Use and Preparation of Nitroglycerine, Dynamite, Gun-Cotton, Fulminating Mercury, Bombs, Fuses, Poisons, Etc., Etc.). New York: Internationaler Zeitung-Verein, c. 1883. * ''Die Freie Gesellschaft: Eine Abhandlung über Principien und Taktik der Kommunistischen Anarchisten: Nebst Einem Polemischen Anhang'' (The Free Society: An Essay on the Principles and Tactics of the Communist Anarchists: With a Polemical Appendix). New York: self-published, 1884. * ''August Reinsdorf und die Propaganda der That'' ( August Reinsdorf and Propaganda of the Deed). New York: self-published, 1885. * ''Acht Jahre hinter Schloss und Riegel. Skizzen aus dem Leben Johann Most's.'' (Eight years Under Lock and Key: Sketches from the Life of Johann Most). New York: self-published, 1886. * ''Die Hoelle von Blackwells Island'' (The Hell of Blackwells Island). New York: self-published, 1887. * ''An das Proletariat'' (To the Proletariat). New York: J. Müller, 1887. * ''Die Eigenthumsbestie'' (The Property Beast). New York: J. Müller, 1887. English: ''The Beast of Property: Total Annihilation Proposed as the Only Infallible Remedy: The Curse of the World which Defeats the People's Emancipation.'' New Haven, CT: International Workingmen's Ass'n, Group New Haven, n.d. . 1890 * ''Die Gottespest''
The God Pestilence
, New York: J. Müller, 1887. English: ''The Deistic Pestilence and Religious Plague of Man,'' n.d.

880s The 880s decade ran from January 1, 880, to December 31, 889. Significant people * Al-Mu'tamid * Al-Muwaffaq * Charles the Fat * Alfred the Great * Al-Mufawwid * Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz * Basil I References Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT: ...

Reissued as ''The God Pestilence.'' * ''The Accusation! A Speech Delivered by John Most, at Kramer's Hall, New York, on November 13, 1887, in Denunciation of the Judicial Butchery of the Chicago Anarchists: For Delivering Which, He Has Been Sentenced to Twelve Month's Imprisonment by Judge Cowing.'' London: International Publishing Co., n.d. . 1887 * ''Vive la Commune.'' New York: J. Müller, 1888. * ''Der Stimmkasten'' (The Ballot Box). New York: J. Müller, 1888.
''The Social Monster: A Paper on Communism and Anarchism.'' New York: Bernhard and Schenck, 1890.
* ''The Free Society: Tract on Communism and Anarchy.'' New York: J. Müller, 1891. * ''Zwischen Galgen und Zuchthaus'' (Between Gallows and Penitentiary). New York: J. Müller, 1892.
''Anarchy Defended by Anarchists.'' With Emma Goldman. New York: Blakely Hall, 1896.
* ''Down with the Anarchists! This is the War-Cry Raised by President Roosevelt and Echoed by the Congress of the United States. Now, Then, Hear the Other Side! The Anarchists will Take the Floor. Listen!.'' New York: John Most, n.d. . 1905 * ''Memoiren, Erlebtes, Erforschtes und Erdachtes'' (Memoirs: Experiences, Explorations, and Thoughts). In 4 volumes. New York: Selbstverlag des Verfassers, 1903–1907.

Primary sources

Anarchist press

*
Johann Most
' by '' La Vengeance Anarchiste'' (6 March 1883)

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

*
Johann Most page at the Kate Sharpley Library

*

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

contains materials written by Johann Most. {{DEFAULTSORT:Most, Johann 1846 births 1906 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century atheists 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century anarchists 20th-century atheists 20th-century German male writers 20th-century German non-fiction writers American anarchist writers American anti-capitalists American atheists American male non-fiction writers American revolutionaries American socialists Anarcho-communists German anarchists German anti-capitalists German atheists German emigrants to the United States German revolutionaries German male non-fiction writers German Marxists Illegalists Insurrectionary anarchists Jewish anarchists Members of the 2nd Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 3rd Reichstag of the German Empire People from the Kingdom of Bavaria Politicians from Augsburg Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians