the_dunk_tank

Alternative to Roterfront, but yes.

As a reaction to the Harzburg Front and the »March of 100,000«, the Reichsbanner, SPD, General German Trade Union Confederation (ADGB), General Employees’ Association (Afa-Bund) and workers’ gymnastics and Sportbund (ATSB) formed the "Iron Front" on December 16, 1931. Her symbol was three from top right to arrows pointing to the lower left, each shattering a crown, a swastika, and a hammer and sickle. The Iron Front therefore also saw itself as an anti-communist organization.

There was no actual membership. Rather, the Iron Front represented an attempt to to initiate a movement of pro-republic forces. Today they would probably be more democratic as a concerted action identify organizations against extremism

During the first months of its existence, the Iron Front was popularized through large-scale events. There were so-called "preparation weeks" in which activists could write their names in "iron books." Trade unionists formed "hammer groups" in order to be able to act militantly in an emergency. In their propaganda appeared the Iron Front as a decisive force to protect the republic. In fact, their activities focused on publicly effective self-portrayals.

Meanwhile, the Nazis were gaining ground. Hitler wanted on April 10, 1932 in the election to the Reich President against Paul von Hindenburg and Ernst Thälmann, but he was still stateless. The German The Braunschweig government procured him citizenship by appointing him to the government council on February 25, 1932 in Berlin - a post that Hitler, incidentally, never took up. However, the election to the Reich President was decided by supported by the SPD, German nationalist Paul von Hindenburg for himself.

The Iron Front predates Antifa, and Antifa was very much Communist led, it was an attempt at a united front. The SPD leadership and union leadership REFUSED to join. We cannot know for sure the membership makeup because Antifa insisted upon no membership cards, as this was practical self-defense, NOT a political militia or armed wing. Which probably saved a lot of lives in the short term.

As an example, Thälmann’s reply to whether the anti-fascist Action about a “communist party shop” is reproduced: “It is a non-partisan collecting tank for all workers who are willing to fight ruthlessly against fascism. It is not an organization, but a mass movement. She is the stream into which all the fighting forces flow which is really the struggle, the mass attack against the current government, which is the immediate erection of the fascist To operate a dictatorship, to want to implement it. The leadership of the special unity committees in the factories, in the streets the stamp points etc., must of course be in the hands of the workers themselves willing to fight. ”

Iron Front was utterly useless

During the first months of its existence, the Iron Front was popularized through large-scale events. There were so-called “preparation weeks” in which activists could write their names in “iron books.” Trade unionists formed “hammer groups” in order to be able to act militantly in an emergency. In their propaganda appeared the Iron Front as a decisive force to protect the republic. In fact, their activities focused on publicly effective self-portrayals.