Johann Most, German insurrectionary anarchist.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I've been reading about some of the older, not so well known figures in anarchist history recently. I thought that Johann Most was kind of an interesting one.


Even in his early years in the movement, Most was an indomitable presence somehow out of step with the mostly temperate Swiss and German Social Democratic parties. A powerful orator, he had the charisma to inspire in his listeners a restless urge to action. In 1878, Most believed that his true purpose had been revealed. Without hesitation, Most called for more violence, more assassinations. The German Social Democrats, reeling from Bismarck's repression, distanced themselves from Most's extremist rhetoric. Most himself was expelled from Germany in 1878 and fled to England.

From the safety of London, Most founded Freiheit, a newspaper that tirelessly championed a turn to violence in the German socialist movement. In Freiheit, Most finally unleashed the savage rhetoric that would become his signature for the rest of his revolutionary career.

Freiheit soon became the premier European organ advocating propaganda by the deed. "Shoot, burn, stab, poison and bomb," Most wrote. "Revolutionaries with the courage of your convictions and the sense to assassinate: ready, aim, FIRE!" Like Nechaev many years before him, Most proclaimed openly: "All methods are justified to achieve the social revolution." "Comrades of Freiheit," he wrote, "we say murder the murderers. Rescue mankind through blood, iron, poison and dynamite."

The Nechaevite rhetoric was no accident. In 1880, Most published a translation of Nechaev's Catechism in Freiheit, and he was seemingly familiar with Nechaev's General Rules of the Organization as well. Throughout the early 1880s, Most tirelessly utilized Nechaev's conspiratorial tactics. When Freiheit was banned in Germany, he sent it through the mail using disguised return addresses. When the German police threatened to open all German mail in order to prevent the newspaper from reaching subscribers, Most used smugglers to carry thousands of copies across the German border. In 1879 and 1880, his close ally Wilhelm Hasselman went to Germany to radicalize the Social Democratic movement by creating a secret organization, based on a system of cells, to carry out agitation and propaganda. The cells adopted all of the paraphernalia of conspiracy and terror: invisible ink, secret passwords, revolvers and dynamite.

In 1881, Most finally went too far. On March 19th of that year, he gleefully celebrated the assassination of Alexander II on the front page of Freiheit. "AT LAST!" the headline screamed. "Sterling propaganda by the deed," Most exhuberantly proclaimed. "Let more monarchs be killed!" In gruesome detail he described how the bomb "fell at the despot's feet, shattered his legs, ripped open his belly and inflicted many wounds." Most even rejoiced in the tsar's slow death, "in the greatest of suffering." The tsar died, "as he deserved to die-as a dog."

This was too much, even for the proudly tolerant British government. Most was arrested immediately and charged with libel and encouraging assassination under the "Offences Against The Person Act".

His April 1881 trial, like Vera Zasulich's three years earlier, proved the sensation of the year. Tickets to the trial sold out, and both sympathizers and detractors filled the courthouse, to get a glimpse of the emigre terrorist. Most's lawyer did his best to argue that the authorship of the anonymous article could not be technically proven. Most refused to cooperate, insisting, "I wrote those words. I meant them." The British jury did not hesitate to convict. Most was sentenced to sixteen months at hard labor.

After he was released from jail, he went to the USA and only increased his rhetoric. Alexander Berkman was a type-setter for Freiheit.

I also think it's funny (for some reason) that Johann Most's grandson became a sports announcer for the Boston Celtics.

[Queercommie Girl]

Rosa Luxemburg wrote the following about the anarchists:

The Russian Revolution [of 1905], which is the first historical experiment on the model of the class strike, not merely does not afford a vindication of anarchism, but actually means the historical liquidation of anarchism. The sorry existence to which this mental tendency was condemned in recent decades by the powerful development of social democracy in Germany may, to a certain extent, be explained by the exclusive dominion and long duration of the parliamentary period. A tendency patterned entirely upon the "first blow" and "direct action", a tendency "revolutionary" in the most naked, pitchfork sense, can only temporarily languish in the calm of the parliamentarian day and, on a return of the period of direct open struggle, can come to life again and unfold its inherent strength.

... ...

But apart from these few "revolutionary" groups, what is the actual role of anarchism in the Russian Revolution? It has become the sign of the common thief and plunderer; a large proportion of the innumerable thefts and acts of plunder of private persons are carried out under the name of "anarchist-communism" - acts which rise up like a troubled wave against the revolution in every period of depression and in every period of temporary defensive. Anarchism has become in the Russian Revolution, not the theory of the struggling proletariat, but the ideological signboard of the counter-revolutionary lumpenproletariat, who, like a school of sharks, swarm in the wake of the battleship of the revolution. And therewith the historical career of anarchism is well nigh ended.

Rosa Luxemburg, The Mass Strike

[Sasha]

in "living my live 1" ema goldman writes a lot about her relation with Most. She already fell out with him before but after Most denounced Berkman and Propaganda of the Deed when berkman was prosecuted for the assination attempt just because he was jelous on berkmans relation with goldman goldman lashed Most with an whip on stage during an public speech Most was giving :lol:.

[Sasha]

Rosa Luxemburg wrote the following about the anarchists:

The Russian Revolution [of 1905], which is the first historical experiment on the model of the class strike, not merely does not afford a vindication of anarchism, but actually means the historical liquidation of anarchism. The sorry existence to which this mental tendency was condemned in recent decades by the powerful development of social democracy in Germany may, to a certain extent, be explained by the exclusive dominion and long duration of the parliamentary period. A tendency patterned entirely upon the "first blow" and "direct action", a tendency "revolutionary" in the most naked, pitchfork sense, can only temporarily languish in the calm of the parliamentarian day and, on a return of the period of direct open struggle, can come to life again and unfold its inherent strength.

... ...

But apart from these few "revolutionary" groups, what is the actual role of anarchism in the Russian Revolution? It has become the sign of the common thief and plunderer; a large proportion of the innumerable thefts and acts of plunder of private persons are carried out under the name of "anarchist-communism" - acts which rise up like a troubled wave against the revolution in every period of depression and in every period of temporary defensive. Anarchism has become in the Russian Revolution, not the theory of the struggling proletariat, but the ideological signboard of the counter-revolutionary lumpenproletariat, who, like a school of sharks, swarm in the wake of the battleship of the revolution. And therewith the historical career of anarchism is well nigh ended.

Rosa Luxemburg, The Mass Strike


and what the fuck has that to do with the OP? as luxemburg wrote that in the year Most died, 60 years old?
consider this an verbal warning for flaming

[Os Cangaceiros]

in "living my live 1" ema goldman writes a lot about her relation with Most. She already fell out with him before but after Most denounced Berkman and Propaganda of the Deed when berkman was prosecuted for the assination attempt just because he was jelous on berkmans relation with goldman goldman lashed Most with an whip on stage during an public speech Most was giving :lol:.

Hahaha, that's pretty funny. I knew that Most and several American anarchists got into squabbles. I didn't know that Emma Goldman whipped him though lol.

I think that his (and certain others) rhetoric is kind of amusing, in a really exaggerated kind of way. The crazy thing is that people actually acted on what he and others like Galleani said. Anarchism has really changed over the years, although you can probably find some of the anarcho-nihilist/IA tradition alive in conspiracy of nuclei of fire or whatever it's called in Greece.

[Queercommie Girl]

and what the fuck has that to do with the OP? as luxemburg wrote that in the year Most died, 60 years old?

consider this an verbal warning for flaming


Can't take any criticism of anarchism? :rolleyes:

How is it "flaming" when I'm just quoting from a primary source, and not even making any comments or giving any opinions about it?

[Sasha]

i can take critisms of anarchism fine, im more often than not an critic of anarchism myself.
but you didnt post that as an critism as you did not frame it, would you have said "i disagree with Johann Most as he is an primary example of the failed, counterproductive tactic of individual insurectionary anarchism and its fetishation of the propaganda of the deed, an view later eloquently expressed by rosa luxemburg in this quote:" i propably would have thanked your post.
but you didnt, because it was an flame, for wich you recieved an verbal...

[Queercommie Girl]

i can take critisms of anarchism fine, im more often than not an critic of anarchism myself.
but you didnt post that as an critism as you did not frame it, would you have said "i disagree with Johann Most as he is an primary example of the failed, counterproductive tactic of individual insurectionary anarchism and its fetishation of the propaganda of the deed, an view later eloquently expressed by rosa luxemburg in this quote:" i propably would have thanked your post.
but you didnt, because it was an flame, for wich you recieved an verbal...

Well, for the record, I don't completely agree with Luxemburg's views on anarchism actually.

I posted the quote mainly just for interest. I guess I should have made my opinions on this issue known explicitly:

"Rosa Luxemburg once made an interesting critique of the individualistic insurrectionary mode of anarchism represented by figures like Most. While I think there is certainly a lot of truth in her analysis, to completely reject such approaches in a generic abstract manner is a bit dogmatic. Often the actual methods employed by revolutionary socialists must be flexible and a socialist should be willing to utilise ideological and methodological resources from multiple tendencies, rather than just dogmatically rely on a single narrow ideology.

Maoists, the masters of revolutionary guerrilla warfare, would probably appreciate the tactical need to utilise violent insurrectionary methods in certain situations, even if like all Leninists, they reject this approach on the strategic level."

Well, I guess I was a bit lazy, and sorry for not being clearer about this, but don't you think to label an "uncommented quote" as "flaming" is just too harsh a judgement?

[Red Bayonet]

Loved his "Military Science for Revolutionaries".

[NoOneIsIllegal]

I always found Most interesting. He was almost tried for the infamous Haymarket Affair, the police just couldn't prove he had any relation to it! (They wanted to put him away that badly)
Most is also the basis for the typical caricature of anarchists as bomb-throwers, because it was often said (maybe even bragged...) that Most always carried dynamite in his coat.

A book I've been meaning to read is Beer and Revolution. It's supposedly about the German anarchists of NYC in late 19th, early 20th century, especially Most.

[Zanthorus]

I recognise Most from footnote four of Engels' original preface to Anti-Dühring. It seems that while he was in the SPD Most was involved in disseminating Dühring's views:


The reference is to lectures given to the Berlin workers on the solution of social problems, in July 1876 by Most, who popularised Dühring's views. These lectures came out as a separate pamphlet in 1876 in Berlin: J. Most, Die Lösung der socialen Frage. Dühring's views were also actively disseminated by the Social-Democratic newspaper Berliner Freie Presse.

For reference, the footnote is a footnote to this:


There were, besides, people who were already preparing to spread this [Dühring's] doctrine in a popularised form among the workers.

It seems that Marx and Engels' were aware of Most (Being familiar with the comings and goings of the SPD), and not exactly er, fans:


It is only recently that I fully discovered Most’s blackguardism — in a Russian socialist paper. He never dared to print in German what can be read here in the Russian vernacular. This is no longer an attack upon individual persons, but a dragging of the whole German labor movement through the mud. At the same time it grotesquely shows his absolute lack of understanding of the doctrine he formerly dealt in. It is babbling so silly, so illogical, so degenerate, that it finally dissolves into nothing, viz., Johann Most’s boundless personal vanity. As he was unable to accomplish anything in Germany in spite of all his ranting, except among a certain Berlin mob, he has allied himself with the younger generation of Bakuninists in Paris, the group that publishes the Revolution sociale (with a circle of readers = exactly 210), but which possesses Pyat’s Commune as its ally. The cowardly, melodramatic humbug Pyat — in whose Commune I figure as Bismarck’s right hand — has a grudge against me because I have always treated him with absolute contempt and thwarted all his attempts to use the International for his sensational tricks. In any event Most has performed the good service of having brought all the ranters — Andreas Scheu, Hasselmann, etc., etc. — together as a group.- Marx to Sorge, November 5th 1880


Now as to Johann Most. If any man asserts that Most, since he turned anarchist, has had any relations with, or support from Marx, he is either a dupe or a deliberate liar. After the first No. of the London Freiheit had been published, Most did not call upon Marx and myself more than once, at most twice. Nor did we call on him or even meet him accidentally anywhere or at any time since his newfangled anarchism had burst forth in that paper. Indeed, we at last ceased to take it in as there was absolutely nothing in it'. We had for his anarchism and anarchist tactics the same contempt as for that of the people' from whom he had learnt it.

While still in Germany, Most published a 'popular' extract of Das Kapital. Marx was requested to revise it for a second edition. I assisted Marx in that work. We found it impossible to eradicate more than the very worst mistakes, unless we re-wrote the whole thing from beginning to end, and Marx consented his corrections being inserted on the express condition only that his name was never in any way connected with even this revised form of Johann Most's production.- Engels to Phillip Van Patten, April 18th 1883