Erfurt Program

Article summary

The Erfurt Program ( ) was the party platform adopted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) at its party congress in Erfurt in 1891. Drafted under the political leadership of August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht, and with theorist Karl Kautsky as its principal author, the program officially committed the SPD to Marxism. It was the first and most prominent in a series of similar Marxist-inspired platforms adopted by socialist parties across Europe. The program represented a stark break from its predecessor, the Gotha Program of 1875, by rejecting the Lassallean idea of achieving socialism through state aid. Instead, it declared the impending death of capitalism and the necessity of class struggle. The program was divided into two parts. The first, the "maximalist" section, outlined the unalterable principles of a socialist transformation based on Marxist theory. The second, "minimalist" section, detailed a series of practical legislative goals to be pursued within the existing framework of the German Empire. This dual structure allowed the Erfurt Program to accommodate the competing ideological currents within the party. It provided a theoretical justification for long-term revolutionary goals while enabling a practical, reformist political strategy.…

Key claims

1. date of establishment: 1890 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of formation: 1887 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of formation: 1917 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of foundation: 1883 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. publication date: 1891 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. publication date: 1892 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of establishment is "1890". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of formation is "1887". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of formation is "1917". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of foundation is "1883". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the publication date is "1891". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the publication date is "1892". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
9. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371362252