The National Bolshevik Manifesto

by Karl Otto Paetel

During the 1920s, a number of German intellectuals began a dialogue which created a synthesis between radical nationalism (typically referencing Prussianism) and Bolshevism as it existed in the Soviet Union. The main figure in this was Ernst Niekisch of the Old Social Democratic Party of Germany, who edited the Widerstand journal.Karl Otto Paetel is most well-known today for his 1933 National Bolshevist Manifesto. The Manifesto was written in a period when Paetel was a leader of the ‘Group of Social-Revolutionary Nationalists’ A National Bolshevik tendency existed with the German Youth Movement, led by Karl Otto Paetel. Paetel had been a supporter of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), but became disillusioned with them as he did not feel they were truly committed to revolutionary activity or socialist economics. His 1930-formed movement, the Group of Social Revolutionary Nationalists, sought to forge a third way between the NSDAP and the KPD, emphasising both nationalism and socialist economics. He was especially active in a largely unsuccessful attempt to win over a section of the Hitler Youth to his cause.This manifesto represents his worldview and gives insight into political situation during Weimar Republic-

140 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2020

About the author

German publicist and journalist, considered to be on of Germany's main proponents of "national bolshewism"

Paetel started his journalistic career at the newspaper Deutsches Tageblatt and later worked for Ernst Jünger's magazine "Die kommenden"

Paetel was a member of the "Bündische jugend" and later founded the "Socialrevolutionary Nationalists"

In 1933 he was banned from writing after that he went to Prague and later to Paris. In 1940 he fled from France to Spain and further to America.

Reviews

[Declan Dallison]

Karl Otto Paetal was one of the first people to write out a coherent program of National Bolshevik Politics. In his manifesto he discusses the importance he places on Nationalism, combined with his unique interpretation of Marxism to fit these values. He writes about his many qualms with the Nazi Party at the time, as well as his attempts to inject more Patriotic ideals into German communist movements. Overall a very in-depth yet short look into the philosophy of National Bolshevism.

[Óscar]

Algunas ediciones traen consigo una introducción histórica sobre el movimiento nacional-bolchevique, más allá de esta cuestión, creo que este libro no deja de ser una serie de panfletos presa de su etapa histórica.

[William Sørensen]

Karl was spitting so many bars I woulda thought my pen would need an ink refill or something.