Däumig, Ernst

(1866-1922)

   politician; chief advocate for founding a Räterepublik rather than a parliamentary democracy. Born in Merseburg, he failed to learn a trade in his youth and during 1887-1898 served consecutively in the German army and the French Foreign Legion. In 1898, having returned to Germany, he joined the SPD. For several years he assisted with socialist educational programs while working for the SPD press. When he was offered a position in 1911 with Vorwarts,* he relocated to Berlin* and focused his pen on militarism and the need to educate German workers. An opponent of Party policy from the outbreak of war, he resigned his post in 1916 and became editor of Mitteilungs-Blatt, a substitute weekly published before the official founding of the USPD. A member of the USPD's radical Left, he won growing influence during 1917-1918 as he agitated for a Bolshevik solution in Germany; he argued that no discussion could discount the new Russia where the "proletariat has captured political power, has the powers of the government in its hands, and is proceeding to realize all the great socialist and democratic goals." After serving during March-November 1918 as USPD secretary, he sat with the executive of the Berlin Workers' and Soldiers' Councils.*

   Although Daumig was earmarked for cochairman of the USPD in March 1919, his selection was blocked by Hugo Haase,* only to be confirmed in De-cember 1919 after Haase's assassination. After Daumig entered the Reichstag* in June 1920, he represented the USPD in Moscow at the second congress of the Comintern. His subsequent counsel at the October 1920 Party Congress that the USPD accept Lenin's provisions for entering the Comintern inspired a Party split. Daumig thereupon joined the United Communist Party (VKPD) and served as cochairman with Paul Levi.* Despite his prestige, he soon lost influence due to conflicts over Party tactics. In January 1922 he resigned and rejoined the USPD in April. He died three months later.

   REFERENCES:Morgan, "Ernst Daumig" and Socialist Left; NDB, vol. 3.