Smash the ruling class! One hundred years ago this week Sydney's intensely socialist People published this open letter from the famous German revolutionary socialist Rosa Luxemburg.
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The doomed agitator knew the Great War was engineered by imperialism and capitalism. We were seeing "the fearful butchery of the working class". But this war was waking the working classes up, once and for all.
"With pleasure mingled with deep grief every German Socialist who has remained faithful to the International must seize the opportunity to send Socialist greetings of brotherhood to the comrades in foreign countries. Under the murderous blows of the Imperialist groups, the working class International has shamefully broken down.
"But upon the horrible ruins of civilisation which Imperialism has created, the resurrection of the International shall arise. It is the only salvation of humanity from the hell of a degenerating class.
"Already, after a few months of war, the Jingo intoxication which animated the working classes of Germany is passing away ... their sense is returning. Every day the number of workers who blush with shame and anger at the thought of what is going on today grows. From this war the rank and file will return to our old flag of International Socialism, only with a more vehement determination not to betray it again at the next Imperialistic orgy, but to defend it unitedly against the whole Capitalist world, against their criminal intrigues, their infamous lies.
"With heartiest Socialist greetings of fraternity. ROSA LUXEMBURG."
