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Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany

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The Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Mehrheitssozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, MSPD) was the name officially used by the Social Democratic Party of Germany during the period 1917-1922. This differentiated it from the more left wing Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, USPD). Nevertheless they were often simply called the SPD.[1]

The split

Prior to the war there had been much discussion about opposing the impending war amongst the SPD, but once the war started the SPD agreed on a political truce or Burgfriedenspolitik whereby despite their disagreements none of the MPs voted against war credits.[2] Originally even Karl Liebknecht only abstained, although in 1914 he voted against war credits. Then on December 1915 20 MPs from the SPD issued a statement in the Reichstag against the truce, twenty MPs from the SPD opposed the war loans in parliament.

Reunification

On September 24 1922, the parties officially merged again after a joint party convention in Nürnberg, adopting the name Vereinigte Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (VSPD, "United Social Democratic Party of Germany"), which was shortened again to SPD in 1924.


References

  1. ^ Fowkes, Ben (2014). The German Left and the Weimar Republic: A Selection of Documents. BRILL. ISBN 9789004271081. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  2. ^ Mühlhausen, Walter. "Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)". 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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