Paramilitaries for Liberal Democracy--the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold and the Iron Front

Watch out! Defenders of liberal democracy on the loose!

We've seen some strange things in the past two years. One of the strangest (and more troubling) has been the series of violent encounters between far-right protesters and a black bloc of anarchists and autonomous anti-racists who, when they gather to face-off against their declared foes, call themselves "Antifa". Both sides seem eager to use violence. Antifa is determined to interrupt the far-right's attempts at public proselytizing, and (as is clear from recent reporting) the far-right wants to provoke violence and chaos.

How did it come to this? How is it that we're seeing the far-left and far-right engage in running street battles? What does it mean when heavily armed, "Patriot" militias (such as the Oath Keepers or the Three-Percenters) join in the mix? Fortunately, these confrontations happen only rarely.

It's instructive to look at a parallel time in German history when political violence from the far-left and far-right presented a serious threat to a liberal democratic system. After World War I, Germany entered a period of acute political and economic crisis. With the collapse of the Western Front, the Kaiser abdicated and the military turned over the responsibility of governing Germany to a coalition of opposition parties: the SPD (Social Democratic Party), Catholic Zentrum (Center), and DDP (German Democratic Party). Together, these politicians drafted a new republican constitution in Weimar in 1919. At the time it was one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.

KPD Anti-Fascist Flag 1920s

Getting Germans to accept the new constitution was another story altogether. Many Germans found the provisions of the Versailles Treaty odious, and by 1923 Germany was experiencing hyperinflation and political crisis. In 1918, Germans had already seen radical communist Spartacists rise up in Berlin (where they fought for days against hard-core nationalist paramilitaries), a short-lived Bavarian communist republic, and Hitler's attempted coup. It was apparent that the new German Republic faced threats from left- and right-wing radical militants. On the right, former veterans formed paramilitary organizations such as Stahlhelm and Hitler's SA (Sturmabteilungen). On the left, the KPD (German Communist Party) recruited veterans for the Rot Frontkämpferbund.

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In 1924, defenders of German liberal democracy formed the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold. Built around a core of Great War veterans, it's mission was to shore-up the republic and defend the new constitution. Ultimately, the the Reichsbanner could boast of approximately three million members--far more than competing paramilitaries could muster.

Flag of the Iron Front

As the political crisis deepened at the end of 1931, cadre from the Reichsbanner went on to form a new alliance in defense of the republic: the Eiserne Front (Iron Front). The new SPD-led group included Unions as well as workers' athletic organizations. Their new banner included three arrows representing the political, economic, and physical power of the new alliance. They were dedicated to paramilitary training and public demonstration. However, their stated goals were to "strengthen the republic" and provide "violence-free protection" against left- and right-wing extremism.

The Reichsbanner and the Eiserne Front were ultimately unsuccessful in their bid to protect the republic. Shortly after Germany's final free election in 1933, Hitler turned against all his possible enemies. Within weeks the new regime outlawed the Reichsbanner and Eiserne Front throughout Germany. Some leaders fled abroad or died at the hands of the SA; the Nazis consigned many more to concentration camps throughout the country. In German cities, many members formed underground cells with the intention of resisting the regime.

Why did the Reichsbanner fail? Most likely its members' political values betrayed them. It's difficult when you try to fight against militant totalitarian fanaticism with the weapons of reasoned debate and respect for the law.

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What???!! The Reichsbanner still exists! It's website is HERE.