81
YSK about the Iron Front (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/Resist@fedia.io
10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The Iron Front (German: Eiserne Front) was a German paramilitary organization in the Weimar Republic which consisted of social democrats, trade unionists, and democratic socialists. Its main goal was to defend social democracy against what was seen as anti-democratic, totalitarian ideologies on the far-right and far-left. The Iron Front chiefly opposed the Sturmabteilung (SA) wing of the Nazi Party and the Antifaschistische Aktion wing of the Communist Party of Germany. Formally independent, it was intimately associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). The Three Arrows, originally designed for the Iron Front, became a well-known social democratic symbol representing resistance against monarchism, Nazism, and communism during the parliamentary elections in November 1932. The Three Arrows were later adopted by the SPD itself.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 27 points 6 days ago

On January 30, 1933, the day Hitler was appointed Chancellor, the KPD asked the Iron Front, the SPD, the general trade union association ADGB and their organisations, and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold to declare a general strike against Hitler. The Iron Front declined, issued a call on February 2 to "all comrades of the Reichsbanner and the Iron Front", warning against participating in "wild actions organised by irresponsible people", and exhorted members to "turn all Iron Front events into powerful rallies for freedom".[7]

Big oof there Iron Front. Because within two months...

On March 3, the Iron Front planned a march in Kassel, but was hindered by regular police. On May 2, all trade unions, with which the Iron Front was closely allied, were finally abolished, together with all trade union structures.[8] Until the mid 1930s and in some cases until the war years, some local branches of the Iron Front and the former trade union organisations continued with resistance, mostly by spreading leaflets, organizing secret meetings, and carrying out acts of sabotage.[9]

[-] Telorand@reddthat.com 18 points 6 days ago

TBH, their first big failure reminds me of current US Democrats, who seem to think there's still room to play fair when the opposition is blatantly cheating in the open.

Unlike IF, though, I don't think Democrats have the spine to carry out acts of sabotage or even organize secret meetings, should Trump become an emperor. But boy, can they waggle a finger in a sternly worded tweet!

[-] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 18 points 6 days ago

The primary objective of the Democratic Party as a whole is to run damage control against progressive movements and interests on behalf of the Owner Class. They are faithless mercenaries, not revolutionaries or even principled statesmen.

They will be relegated to the dustbin of history in the coming months and years, they have nothing to offer MAGA nor the American people. A few salvageable people maybe, but not many.

[-] toxiczombie@lemm.ee 2 points 3 days ago

So how do we focus on strengthening a party that actually cares about the working class and will actually focus on what needs to be done regardless of the billionares and mega corporations? What party stands the best chance and what party supports the working class through their policies the most?

[-] gabbath@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

IMO the Democratic Party is just an institution. It can be taken over the same way MAGA took over the GOP. I agree a multi-party system would be better, but that requires Ranked Choice Voting and I'm not sure if even regular voting is safe right now (although this is an opportunity to reform voting into popular vote + RCV, since it's clear the current voting system isn't enough to protect democracy). But I digress.

With the current system you need progressives to primary the crap out of corpo Dems. Parties don't have ideologies, people do. Change the people and you change the party. (Incidentally, this is what Project 2025 is trying to do with the state: replace all the government workers who oppose them with Trump worshippers.)

this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2025
81 points (100.0% liked)

Resist: It's Time

0 readers
21 users here now

We are still in this together, but "this" is going to be real different in the very near future. This demands a different kind of "we."

The French Resistance during Nazi occupation played important roles delivering downed Allied airmen back to safety, supplying military intelligence, and acts of sabotage.

The Underground Railroad is estimated to have brought 100,000 freedom seekers to safety between 1810 and 1850.

It's time.

Rules

founded 4 months ago
MODERATORS
Nougat@fedia.io