Heinrich Brandler
Heinrich Brandler is a German communist, trade unionist, politician, revolutionary activist, and political writer. He is the leader of The KPD and The German Soviet Republic (East Germany).
Early Life:
Heinrich was born on 3 July 1881, to a working class family in Varnsdorf, Bohemia, in the Austria-Hungry now apart of the Communist Czechoslovakia. His family had ties to social democratic movements. His father, a Bricklayer taught him the skill from an early age. After completing his elementary education, he travelled Europe as both a jounary man and a Bricklayer.
Brandler, being from a family with social democratic view's he neutrally saw strong support for workers right's, by 1897 he was very active in the German Trade Union Movement. Heinrich also suffered a job injury in his youth, that causes him to walk with a limb, this incident further radicalized him.
Moving in the background:
Heinrich, joined the SPD in 1901, he was most associated with left wing part of the SPD, synthesizing with the views Karl Liebknecht. In 1908, he moved to Switzerland, working as a stonesman's, socialist lecturer and teacher. He remained there until 1914, where he moved by to Germany. He was militant in his oppositon that ended up getting him expelled from the SPD in 1915.
In 1916, he was a founding member of the political organization Spartacus League, and by 1918 he was arrested for illegal revolutarity activities, temporary fleeing to Austria before returning. In 1919, he aided the founding the of The Communist Party Of Germany(KPD) and one of the key figures in the failed 1919 Spartacist uprising.
Split of KPD and The 1920 Pustch:
When Paul Levi rose to power, in March 1919, Heinrich's relationship with him over time worsened. Paul leading the party away from revolution outraged Heinrich, who was leading a harderline faction within the party, feeling emboldened by the recent victory of the Soviet Polish War. Heinrich lead and called for strikes, aiding their paramilitary the Proletarian Hundreds. As a result, his action's helped destabilize the republic further, despite Paul's party policy.
With The Soviet Union and there newly created puppet, The Polish Socialist Republic after the Soviet's victory in the Soviet-Polish War. Soviet influence worsened KPD acts, worrying the Junkers the old class of Germany, who already disliked the Weimar Republic. This sparked the 1920 Kapp Putsch, led by Wolfgang Kapp that, hoping to establish a dictatorship while restoring the monarchy.
After the coup, succeeded in seizing Berlin, Kapp along with The German National People's Party restored The German Empire and announced preparations to restore the monarchy and martial law. The Weimar Republic, was quickly dissolved and quickly Kapp restored order in the West through bloody suppression of uprising's and strikes mostly backed by The Social Democratic Party Of Germany. While the east was falling into anarchy, with both KPD and SPD uprisings taking place.
Heinrich, on March 19, 1920, rallied a soviet government in his hometown, Chemnitz from there gaining more forces and seizing the province of Saxony, declaring, "The Saxony Soviet State" and eventually took Berlin, forcing Kapp's Government to flee to Hamburg moving the capital to The German Empire's capital, Frankfurt, the now capital of West Germany.
When Paul Levi was eventually freed, he quickly joined his rebellion, with Heinrich respectfully restoring his leadership of the party.
Rise To Power:
On May 10, 1920, The KPD took the capital, Berlin, and they proclaimed The German Soviet Republic, holding much of East Germany.
Heinrich saw Paul Levi as to 'soft' on The SPD, restored under Hermann Müller, and other reformist political elements that joined force's within The German Soviet Republic. Paul Levi's coalition with the USPD also did not sit well with Brandler who worried about growing factionalism. Heinrich increasing called to purge and 'consolidate' the revolution's gain.
Lenin, from the begining supported his faction within the KPD, and eventually put pressure on Paul to resign in 1921 allowing him to replace Paul Levi.
Leader The GSR:
Heinrich, during leading, the GSR though the civil war, he increased crackdown's on SPD and sidelined USPD within the German Soviet and believed in an aggressive strategy that would break the deadlock.
He wasn't scared by The Franco-British Union ultimatum threatening if The German Empire fell to The German Soviet Republic, all of Europe will unite to declare war, as he believed The Soviet Union would defend them.
Vladimir Lenin fearful and wishing to prevent any world war, began voicing concerns and by late 1921 The Soviet Union supported a more defensive approach. Heinrich was taken back, by the sudden change in policy, and criticized Lenin for not understanding the stakes.
However, by the beginning of 1922, the two exhausted nations proclaimed a ceasefire. Heinrich, by this point, was a dictator as and began to enact reconstruction plans to rebuild from the years of war, with his rivals either are too weak or too afraid to speak out.
In May 1922 Vladimir Lenin ordered The Polish Socialist Republic return all former German Empire land's, leading to the GSR's current border's and as of 1923, he is still rebuilding The German Soviet Republic hoping it can reunite the nation.
Heinrich still has one thing on his mind, "Bloody Week Will Be Avenged!".
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