Regrettably far less known than his comrades Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, the murder of Polish revolutionary Leo Jogiches two months later had a profound, disastrous effect on the European revolution of 1919. A central figure for three decades in the workers movement of both Germany and Poland, Jochies was the key organizational figure of the Spartacus League and its international relations when he was murdered by ‘Socialists’ on March 10, 1919. Long Live Leo Jogiches!

‘Ebert Regime Murders Polish Pioneer Socialist as Soviet Agitator’ from Truth (Duluth). Vol. 3 No. 25. June 20, 1919.

Tyschko, Many Times Delegate to International Congress and Factor in German Revolution, Slain by Firing Squad, Assert Moscow and Petrograd Wireless Dispatches

LONDON, April 15. The social-patriotic regime of Ebert and Scheidemann in Germany has added the murder of another revolutionary Socialist to its record. According to two wireless messages, one from Petrograd and one from Moscow, which have been picked up here, the Polish veteran and pioneer Socialist, Leo Tyschko, repeatedly representative to International Socialist Congress; has been shot by a firing squad for Soviet propaganda in Germany.

One of the communications is addressed “to the proletarians of all countries,” The other, signed “the Third International,” is addressed to the German Communists (Spartacans).

The first wireless reads:

“Petrograd, April 3. The Third Communist International addresses the following circular dispatch to the proletarians of the world:

“The new atrocities of the ‘Socialist’ government in Berlin. The German Social Democratic government has committed another crime. The government of Scheidemann, without pity, has had Leo Tyschko executed. He represented the Polish Social Democratic party in the Second International. For more than 30 years Tyscho was in the ranks of the workers who fought for the Social Democratic cause. Even, at the time when the first barricades were erected in Warsaw and Lodz, he was at the head of the heroic Polish proletariat. He spent many years in prison for his loyalty to the cause of the workers. In 1906 he was sentenced to eight years at hard labor. As soon as he effected his escape, he again participated actively in the work of the Socialist movement.

Led Spartacans

“The Ebert revolution found him in a German prison, to which the government of William II had banished him. He was one of the most self-sacrificing fighters and a main factor in the German revolution. He ranked with Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. He was one of the chief leaders of the Spartacus group and later of the German Communist party.

“International Socialism had no more altruistic and energetic member than Tyschko, whom Schiedemann and his followers have caused to be shot. And they still dare to call themselves Socialists. Comrade Tyschko was a loyal fighter for the interests of the working class and the Communist ideas. He was executed because he was an arch foe of the bourgeoisie. The Communist International is certain that the day is near when the workers of Germany will dispose of the hangmen of the Communists. Scheidemann, Ebert and Noske, as they merited.

“SINOVJEFF,

“President of the Executive Committee of the Communist International.”

The second wireless reads;

“MOSCOW, April. The Third International addresses the following radiogram to the German Communists:

“To the German Communists:

“By the sinister murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, the German government, which calls itself ‘Socialist,’ sought to strike the brains and the heart of the German and International Communist movement. By the shameful and treacherous murder of our Comrade Leo Tyschko, who, since his earliest youth gave his burning enthusiasm for freedom and justice, his unbending will, his courage tempered in the struggle with Czarism, his scientific talent and his extraordinary power of organization to the service of the Socialist movement, the same government thought it had finally killed the nerve of the Communist movement.

Killing Off Undesirables

“Since the most courageous fighters are daily being delivered by their former Comrades to the revengeful hangmen of the White Guard, no doubt can exist that this Is a systematic means by which the German and Entente imperialists are ridding themselves and their accomplices of undesirable Socialist fighters.

“This system, for which its supporters are forever covering themselves with blood and shame, awakes in the proletariat of the entire world the deepest spirit of revolt and urges it on to the revolutionary struggle.

“Under the banner of International Communism, led by the spirits of the martyrs of the social revolution, the class-conscious proletarians of all countries pledge themselves not to give up the fight until everything and everybody who stands in the way of the victory of Socialism is conquered.

“The German Communists may be assured that they do not stand along in their grave struggle and in their bereavement of their murdered leaders, just as the Communists of all countries are convinced that their German Comrades will let nothing interfere with their determination to win.

“Glorious be the memory of the martyrs of the revolution!

“Everlasting shame to the traitors and hangmen of the working class! Long live the social revolution!”

Truth emerged from the The Duluth Labor Leader, a weekly English language publication of the Scandinavian local of the Socialist Party in Duluth, Minnesota and began on May Day, 1917 as a Left Wing alternative to the Duluth Labor World. The paper was aligned to both the SP and the IWW leading to the paper being closed down in the first big anti-IWW raids in September, 1917. The paper was reborn as Truth, with the Duluth Scandinavian Socialists joining the Communist Labor Party of America in 1919. Shortly after the editor, Jack Carney, was arrested and convicted of espionage in 1920. Truth continued to publish with a new editor JO Bentall until 1923 as an unofficial paper of the CP.

PDF of full issue: https://www.mnhs.org/newspapers/lccn/sn89081142/1919-06-20/ed-1/seq-1