Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold

The (, , simply in short) was an organization in Germany during the Weimar Republic with the goal to defend German parliamentary democracy against internal subversion and extremism from the left and right and to compel the population to respect and honour the new Republic's flag and constitution. It was formed by members of the left-wing Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the centre-right to right-wing German Centre Party, and the centrist-liberal German Democratic Party in February 1924.

Organized militarily, the members wanted to ensure non-violent protection from the enemies of democracy. They refused to arm themselves, but were partly made up of veterans.

Its name is derived from the Flag of Germany adopted in 1919, the colours of which were associated with the Weimar Republic and liberal German nationalism, and, as it happens, the traditional party colours of its three founding parties: the Centre Party (black), the Social Democratic Party (red), and the Democratic Party (gold).

While the was set up as a multiparty organization, it came to be strongly associated with the Social Democratic Party. The headquarters of the was located in Magdeburg, but it had branches elsewhere.

As a pro-democracy paramilitary organization, 's main opponents were the Communist Party of Germany and their on the far-left, and the Nazi Party and their (SA) on the far-right. Alongside these two primary opponents, they also combatted various reactionary nationalist paramilitary organizations. Following the Nazi takeover, members played a role in the anti-Nazi resistance.

The was reestablished in 1953, as as an association for political education. The postwar club is no longer a paramilitary organization but organizes remembrance and educational activities such as seminars and panels. Congruent with its historical makeup, it is officially open for members of all democratic parties but is closely associated with the SPD. It has connections with the Memorial to the German Resistance, the armed forces, and the police.

History

Formation and early developments (1924–1930)

At the time of ''Reichsbanner's'' formation, armed groups like the nationalist , the Nazi ''Sturmabteilung'', and the Communist continued to radicalize and intensify the armed struggle in Germany. The ''Reichsbanner'' was initially formed in reaction to the Nazis' Beer Hall Putsch and Communists' Hamburg rebellion, both failed coups, which had taken place at the end of 1923. A number of atomised left-wing republican defensive leagues had emerged throughout the country. Social Democratic leaders, most notably Otto Hörsing sought to consolidate these groups into a paramilitary organisation uniting supporters of the Republic. Thus on 22 February 1924 members of the SPD, the German Centre Party, the German Democratic Party and trade unionists in Magdeburg established the . While the Reichsbanner was intended to include all elements within Germany that favoured the Republic, Social Democrats comprised roughly 90 percent of its membership.

In the fall of 1927, the expelled all members belonging to the Old Social Democratic Party, accusing the party of seeking alliances with the Fascists.

was a veterans' organization, in which former soldiers of the First World War enlisted their military experience in the service of the Republic. Its main goal was the defense of the Weimar Republic against usurpations of democracy from the National Socialist, Monarchist, and Communist camps. Social Democratic politician Otto Hörsing described as a 'non-partisan protection organization of the Republic and democracy in the fight against the Swastika and the Soviet star'. Members saw themselves as guardians of the continuation of Germany's democratic traditions such as the Revolutions of 1848 and their namesake constitutional national colors of black, red and gold.

End of Weimar democracy (1930–1933)

Following substantial Nazi electoral successes in 1930, the in September sought to strengthen itself against intensified street violence by units with a restructuring of the operational organization. Active members were divided into master formations (''Stafo'') and the elite units into protection formations (''Schufo''). In spring 1931, 250,000 men belonged to the ''Schufos''. The "Young Banners" were also formed.

On 16 December 1931, the , the Workers' Gymnastic and Sporting Federation (ATSB), the General German Trade Union Federation (ADGB), and the Social Democratic Party formed the Iron Front. Within the Front, defensive operations were the responsibility of the ''Reichsbanner'', which became increasingly important as violence from the Communist and Nazi ''Sturmabteilung''.

The last federal general assembly of the met on the 17th and 18 February 1933 in Berlin. In March, and the Iron Front were banned throughout the Reich.

Following the banning of the , some members joined ''Der Stahlhelm'', which led to an incident where a mass registration in Braunschweig was raided by the Nazis, who called it the Stahlhelm Putsch.

Reichsbanner members in the Resistance (1933–1945)

Following its ban, some of the organization's membership, in particular the elite ''Schufo''s, took part in the Social Democratic Resistance. Resistance circles of former ''Reichsbanner'' members formed around individuals like Theodor Haubach.

Reichsbanner in post-Nazi Germany

The was re-formed in 1953 as an association for political and historical education.

After its reestablishment, the ''Reichsbanner'' continued its historical practice of publishing magazines. In its modern form, the publication informs members and the public of current social issues and often contains interviews with high-ranking German politicians.

Historical structure and organisation

In the original , two organizational structures existed in parallel: a registered political association and an organized fighting force.

The political organization was headed by the Federal Administration comprising a first and second chairman, three deputies, the federal treasurer, federal cashier, secretary, technical manager, federal youth leader, the sitting representatives and 15 assessors. The Federal Chairman was Otto Hörsing from the 3rd of June 1932. His deputy and later successor was Karl Höltermann. The executive committees of all organizational levels were elected from the membership of the all republican parties in the coalition.

Parallel to it, the operational organization was modeled as a military structure. The smallest unit was the group, with a group leader and eight men. Two to five groups formed a platoon (''Zug''), two to three platoons formed a company (''Kameradschaft)'', two to five companies constituted a department (''Abteilung''), and two to five departments made up a district. At least two districts formed a circle. At the '' Gau'' and Federal levels, operational and political level structures overlapped so that the Federal Chairman was concurrently the Federal Commander, while each of the 32 ''Gau'' chairmen were all ''Gauführer''. The command personnel of the military organisation were recognized by badges of rank. The Federal Commander, for example, wore on his lower sleeve the federal eagle (black on a red field, with golden circular border) and two black-red-golden stripes over all.

According to the organization's own records, membership in 1932 was gauged at three million.

See also

* Weimar paramilitary groups
* Iron Front
* Republikanischer Schutzbund
* Arbeiter-Schutzbund

References

Bibliography

* Günther Gerstenberg: ''Freiheit! Sozialdemokratischer Selbstschutz im München der zwanziger und frühen dreißiger Jahre.'', 2 volumes; Andechs 1997;
* Helga Gotschlich: ''Zwischen Kampf und Kapitulation. Zur Geschichte des Reichsbanners Schwarz-Rot-Gold.''; Dietz, Berlin (Est), 1987;
* David Magnus Mintert: ''"Sturmtrupp der Deutschen Republik". Das Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold im Wuppertal'' (= Verfolgung und Widerstand in Wuppertal, vol. 6; Grafenau 2002;
* Karl Rohe: '' Das Reichsbanner Schwarz Rot Gold. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte und Struktur der politischen Kampfverbände zur Zeit der Weimarer Republik''. Droste, Düsseldorf 1966.
* Pamela E. Swett: ''Neighbors and Enemies: The Culture of Radicalism in Berlin, 1929–1933.'' Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2004;
* Carsten Voigt: ''Kampfbünde der Arbeiterbewegung. Das Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold und der Rote Frontkämpferbund in Sachsen 1924–1933'' (= Geschichte und Politik in Sachsen, Bd. 26). Böhlau, Köln/Weimar/Wien 2009;

External links

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Social Democratic Party of Germany
Paramilitary organisations of the Weimar Republic
Anti-communist organizations in Germany
Anti-fascist organisations in Germany
1924 establishments in Germany
1933 disestablishments in Germany
Military wings of socialist parties
Military units and formations established in 1924
Military units and formations disestablished in 1933