Otto Wels
Otto Wels is a German Politician and leader of the SPD since 1919, they currently operate from West Germany or The German Empire.
Early Life:
Otto was born September 15, 1873, his father owned an inn and while growing up Otto would see meeting's of SPD supporters held there and sparked his commitment to workers right's and socialism. As he grew older, so did his activism and by 1891, he began working as a paper hanger and officially joining the SPD.
Around 1893, he met and married Bertha Antonie Reske and had two sons. From 1895 to 1897 he performed his mandatory military service in which he was targeted for his political view's by his other comrades. From 1906, he was trade unionist official and party secretary in the province of Brandenburg.
Reichstag Member and The Great War:
By 1912, he was elected into the Reichstag with the help of August Bebel leader and one of the founders of the SPD and the next year joined the executive committee, becoming a major role in the party.
On the outbreak of war in 1914, Otto supported Burgfriedenspolitik the political compromise that agreed to support the war and not criticize the government, even forbidding unions to strike. Otto, was motived by pragmatism to support war credits, believed it was the only way for the SPD to survive without crackdown's, despite personally feeling uneasy about the war. However, as the war drag on, he became increasingly critical and disillusioned with the SPD's support of the war.
Revolution:
On 9 November 1918, leading SPD member Friedrich Ebert was designated chancellor and fellow Social Democrat Philipp Scheidemann, on his own authority, proclaimed Germany a republic. Wels, briefly became a member of the revolutionary Workers' and Soldiers' Council of Berlin and was made military commander of Berlin.
He also played a role in the 1918 Christmas crisis when the Volksmarinedivision, one of the main military unit's the revolution in Berlin, refused to remove. As military commander of Berlin, Wels withheld their pay, and a week during the week before Christmas, he attempted to negotiate with them. After no progress was made, the Volksmarinedivision detained and maltreated him. Assaults on the mutineers at the Berlin Palace and Neuer Marstall all failed and, though more intense negotiation, eventually they stood down. Otto was then freed and was forced to step down as role as military commander.
Otto during the revolution supported the use of the Freikorps to suppress the leftist revolts like the Spartacist Uprising.
Post War and Civil War:
After Friedrich Ebert of the SPD was elected German President on 11 February 1919. He was eventually elected co-chairman with Hermann Müller on June 14, 1919 becoming the leader of The SPD.
Following the Kapp Putch, Otto was forced to flee Berlin after Wolfgang Kapp's Marinebrigade Ehrhardt took the city. Kapp restored The German Empire declaring, martial law and banned most opposing parties.
Arriving in Hamburg, he called a for a nation general strike. However, the early flames of civil war had begun, as by then many soldiers had sworn loyalty to the new government and enforcing the Kapp's martial law, this lead to violence within the West as the Army quickly restored order. After his arrest, many the leadership of the SPD and member's were either shoot or thrown in prison.
Otto behind bar's, tried to his best make contact's with his old partner, Hermann Müller, who he had heard reestablished, The SPD in East Germany (The German Soviet Republic) after intense negotiation's with the moderate leader of the KPD at the time Paul Levi. Eventually, The SPD was once again banned by 1922 as The Communist Party Of Germany replaced him with Heinrich Brandler, drifting the KPD more to the Moscow party line.
Reestablishing The SPD:
After Kapp lifted martial law and restored the old system of a facade democracy similar to one before 1914. Otto was released in the beginning of February 1922 and move to the Ruhr. He quickly wasted no time in re-founding the SPD in West Germany, with it now being re-legalized and the party regained many former supporter's growing rapidly.
In the first elections of the restored German Empire since 1912, they became the third-largest party in Frankfurt's new Reichstag, dominated by The German National People's Party. However, the NSDAP led by Adolf Hitler is growing in popularity and voter fraud by government, worries Otto.
The current SPD, led by Otto, support's ideals of the dead Weimar Republic wishing to again abolish the monarchy through democratic peaceful means, rejecting both the old way's and Hitler's alternative nationalist vision. They have also, adopted an anti-communist stance against The GSR lead by Heinrich Brandler denouncing his dictatorship as no different from Wolfgang Kapp's former dictatorship.
Otto's current slogan is one against reaction and extremism, "Against Wilhelm, Hitler and Heinrich!"
Comments