Eugen Levine

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Eugen Levine (born 1883, St Petersburg, Russia – July 5, 1919, Bavaria) was a Communist, revolutionary and leader of the short lived Munich Soviet Republic.

Levine was born in St. Petersburg and educated in Germany. In 1905, he returned to Russia to participate in the failed revolution against the tsar. For his actions, he was exiled to Siberia. He would eventually escape to Germany and began studying at Heidelberg University and in 1915, married Rose Levine. He would, for a short time, serve in the Imperial German Army during World War I.

After the war ended, he joined the German Communist Party and aided in the creation of a socialist republic in Bavaria. However, this republic lasted a few months and was quickly replaced by a soviet republic after the assassination of Kurt Eisner, then-leader of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD).

The ruling government of the new republic did not last very long, due to poor leadership, and collapsed six days after its formation. Eugen Levine rose to power as the communists assumed control of the government.

Levine attempted to pass many reforms, such as giving the more luxurious apartments to the homeless and giving workers control and ownership of factories. He also planned reforms for the education system and to abolish paper money. He never completed the latter two, though.

Under orders from Levine, the Red Guards began rounding up people they considered to be hostile to the new regime, intending them as hostages to repell an imminent outside attack. As German president Friedrich Ebert ordered to subdue the Soviet Republic and reinstate the Bavarian government under Johannes Hoffmann, the Red Guards executed eight hostages on 29th April.

The German Army, assisisted by Freikorps, with a force of roughly 39,000 men, they invaded and quickly conquereed Munich on May 3 1919. In retaliation for the hostages' execution, the Freikorps captured and executed approximately 700 men and women. Levine himself was arrested and after being found guilty of being involved in the execution of the eight spies, was shot by a firing squad.