The Election of 1870
Unlike in the previous election the VSVR entered the 1870 electoral campaign in an atmosphere of sanguine contentment. The Republic was now an economic powerhouse only a short way behind the mighty Russian and French Empires industrially and far superior to the Austro-Hungarians and Americans. It was now militarily strong enough to tangle with perhaps any European land power. Internally the skilled leadership of Engels had largely brought the People’s Party’s internal issues to a close. Most importantly of all, the Republic seemed finally ready to send the revolution exploding beyond Germany to the rest of the world.
We live in great times Comrades. Let us choose our leaders wisely.
The Marxists
Prospective Chairman: August Bebel
Position within Party: Left
August Bebel is the new kid on the block at just 30 years old he leads the traditionally most powerful faction within the party. A great proponent of both social reform and political freedom he seemed like the perfect man to lead a new sort of Marxist into a new era of prosperity.
Economic Policy:
Comardes, we must return to the economic policies of the great Karl Marx. Under these policies we experienced a revolution in industry. The boom that the United Front’s government have experienced is merely a bi product of Marxist policies.
‘’A Tax system in which the rich pay 100%, the poor 50% (the minimum allowed) and the middle strata any figure that is 5% more than the poor and 5% less that the rich.
Continued state expansion for our growing industrial sector. In the past 5 years the Marxist economic method has doubled industrial production – let us not question the success of the Marxist industrial policy.
No tariffs.
Military Spending should remain at 60%.
Social spending must remain at its maximum level at all times.’’
Reform Policy:
Our system of social reforms is large and extremely beneficial to the common workers. However there is still so much that can be done.
A Marxist Chairman would enact
two social reforms.
Many workers still earn a wage that is able to sustain them and little more. The minimum wage should be raised immediately.
Our safety standards are far too lax. Appendages are still being lost at a depressingly regular basis in our Republic’s factories whilst long term health effects are starting to become more apparent. It is the duty of the state to protect the workers and protect the workers we shall.
Foreign Policy:
Our moment has come. For the past two decades we have been largely unable to spread the revolution out of the immediate vicinity of Germany. With the exception of Bhutan (an issue that shall be addressed) no country has experienced Communism that did not have a border with the VSVR. 10s of millions may now bask in our revolutionary glory but that is too few!
It is time to take up arms and bring down the snivelling Habsburg Empire! It is time to claim Southern Germany for the workers! It is time to plunge into the Italian peninsula! It is time that all the workers of Europe unite together!
We are not necessarily against the formation of independent socialist Republics (like Denmark) however we should try to encourage direct control from Cologne where possible. It shall be much easier to abolish the concept of nations if we do not actively encourage their formation.
Finally we must discuss the issue the Bhutanese Revolution. It remains unclear whether the people of Bhutan are ready for revolution. After all this nation of illiterate farmers in the remote highlands of the Himalayas has yet to experience the natural progression through the bourgeoisie phase of societal development. Perhaps what is being built in Bhutan is a peasant’s state rather than a worker’s state? Asia is not ready for revolution Comrades. Whilst we shall of course provide what support we can for any nation that adopts Communism on its own, as is our duty, we should not in actively encourage its spread to Asia.
United Front
Prospective Chairman: Friedrich Engels
Engels has just led the Republic through one of its most prosperous ever periods. He has secured economic success, a pacification of political anger and the expansion of the Republic.
Position within Party: Undefined
Economic Policies:
Essentially, more of the same.
The United Front has adopted a Marxist system with benefits. All that is good about Marxist economics is mixed with all that is good about Syndicalist economics. The Marxist social welfare scheme improves the lives of the workers directly – the United Front tax cuts double their income (or in the case of middle strata persons more than double it). In the Marxist system the state runs industry. In the United Front system the state and the Unions help each other to run industry together.
‘’Taxes shall be slashed, the poor shall pay 25% tax (half the current rate), the rich 50% (also half the current rate) whilst the middle income population shall also pay 25% tax. Our budget is currently overflowing with surplus funds; why not give the money back to the workers themselves?
The state and the Unions must work as one to ensure our industry continues to expand at an exponential rate.
Social spending is to remain at its maximum level at all times – we must support the welfare state we have created with appropriate funds.
Military spending is to remain stationary at 60% but further expansion of the standing army is to be slowed down tremendously.
No tariffs.’’
A vote for the United Front is a vote for another half decade of economic prosperity.
Reform Policy:
The current social reform system is already large enough.
The current electoral system means that if a faction cannot secure victory then it need not compete in the election at all as there is seemingly no point in doing so. This highly bourgeois system destroys any minority opinions and discourages debate and cooperation.
Instead we should create a Constituent Assembly. There would be 100 seats with 50 appointed via the Workers’ Vote and 50 appointed via party elections. In order to become Chairman the potential candidate would require the confidence of the Assembly – ie his faction and/or his coalition would require 50 or more seats. This would encourage smaller factions to emerge and would allow for cooperation in the form of coalitions.
Foreign Policy:
Our current policy of expansion with the minimum amount of risk should continue. The Habsburgs should be thrown out of Southern Germany. After this we should aim to expand both our Republic and the Communist world by any means necessary so long as we avoid war with a great powers – Austria-Hungary shall be exempt from this rule as its power is waning and its proletarians begging for liberation.
The Bhutanese Revolution was a glorious moment for Communists the world over. In every corner of the earth the oppressed rise up against their masters! We should encourage any and all revolutionary movements in every corner of the world whether they be in Asia, Europe, Africa or the Americas. Workers of the World Unite!
The Collectivist Anarchists
Prospective Chairman: Mikhail Bakunin
After his humiliatingly narrow defeat in 1865 Bakunin recovered to lead a strong and energetic faction in the 1870 election. That being said his position is looking increasingly unsteady as the faction agitates for the leadership of younger figures – most notably Kropotkin.
Position within Party: Right
Economic Policy:
Low, flat, taxes.
No tariffs.
Union control of industry.
Union control of the collective farms.
More emphasis on the whole state rather than just the urban areas.
Military spending to fall from 60% to 55%. We have already built up a large number of reservist professional soldiers who take up much needed resources in pay to do very little.
Let the people control the economy, not the state.
Reform Policy:
No more social reforms! The state is large enough!
The Anarchists wholeheartedly support the formation of a Constituent Assembly.
On top of this it is time that the Republic ended its spell as a dictatorship of the workers and became a Republic for all the once oppressed people. Why are our farmers disenfranchised by the state? They are just as educated as most proletarians, they love the Republic, they support it and they are a vital part of our social experiment. Yet we deny them the vote on vague ideological grounds. It is time to end the tyranny over the countryside. Meanwhile the petite-bourgeoisie have little in reality to do with the hated capitalist oppressors, why do we deny these working men and women the vote?
A vote for the Anarchists would enfranchise both the farmers and the artisans transforming our Workers’ Vote into a People’s Vote.
Foreign Policy:
The Anarchists support the spreading of the revolution into Southern Germany but are against direct conflict with the Great Powers of Europe. We may now be strong but any war with that tangled web of dictatorial alliances would send us into a life or death struggle which would at worse lead to the Republic’s destruction and a best lead to the deaths of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of proletarians. Wars with the Great Powers should be avoided. However supporting revolutions in other neighbouring states should be encouraged, as was the case in Denmark.
Bhutan’s revolution opens up another world of possibilities, or rather another continent. Asia is ripe for revolution and our message is already popular with millions across the continent. Perhaps it is time to introduce the peasants of Asia to Communism...
It is not just the oppressed urban workers of Europe and North America who deserve liberation.
Lassalle and the German Socialists did not stand in the 1870 election.
All readers may vote for either:
Marxists
United Front
Anarchists/ Collectivist Anarchists
I will not accept your vote if you vote for an individual you want to be chairman eg Engels and will only accept your vote if you name the faction of your choice.
Please place your vote in a separate post from your comment OR place it in bold alongside your comment.
I encouraged you to align yourself with a faction and campaign and argue for its success. However spamming will not be tolerate (I will warn you if I think you are spamming).
Good luck Comrades!
Voting shall close at Midday UK time on Thursday. Get voting! 
