The Book Fatherland and the Communist Party of Germany Under Hitler

I just read the book Fatherland, which is the story of a Communist Party of Germany (KPD) member and his ordeals during the year following Hitlers elevation to power in January, 1933. This is a timeless tale though, and also reminds me of the situation faced by many members of the Communist Party of Indonesia members after the rightwing, CIA-supported coup of 1965, which led to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of party members and progressives. Specifically, the book illuminates the danger faced by revolutionaries when their organizing center fails to prepare for conditions in which legal existence are impossible.

During so-called normal times, it is very difficult for many people to foresee the possibility of severe repression. Many people tend to grow complacent because they imagine that events will only slowly develop, and that, if today looks like yesterday, then of course tomorrow will look like today. Of course, Marxist dialectics teaches that social development isnt linear; rather, quantity transforms into quality. That is, development takes place in leaps, after the underlying bases have been transformed over time.

As the books author makes clear, the lack of preparedness and complacency on the part of the KPD membership cost the lives of many Party members, and seriously compromised the fighting capacity of the organization. His tale is not for its own sake, but is a warning to the revolutionaries of the future generations to learn from this experience and not to repeat the same mistakes.

This book may be read at:

http://victorian.fortunecity.com/holbein/439/fathtoc.html