Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany

The Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Mehrheitssozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, MSPD) was the name officially used by the Social Democratic Party of Germany during the period 1917-1922. This differentiated it from the more left wing Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, USPD). Nevertheless they were often simply called the SPD.[1]

The split

Prior to the war there had been much discussion about opposing the impending war amongst the SPD, but once the war started the SPD agreed on a political truce or Burgfriedenspolitik whereby despite their disagreements none of the MPs voted against war credits.[2] Originally even Karl Liebknecht only abstained, although in 1914 he voted against war credits. Then on December 1915 20 MPs from the SPD issued a statement in the Reichstag against the truce, twenty MPs from the SPD opposed the war loans in parliament.

Reunification

On September 24 1922, the parties officially merged again after a joint party convention in Nürnberg, adopting the name Vereinigte Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (VSPD, "United Social Democratic Party of Germany"), which was shortened again to SPD in 1924.


References
  1. Fowkes, Ben (2014). The German Left and the Weimar Republic: A Selection of Documents. BRILL. ISBN 9789004271081. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  2. Mühlhausen, Walter. "Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)". 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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