Independent Workers' Party (German Socialists)

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Independent Workers' Party (German Socialists)
Unabhängige Arbeiter-Partei (Deutsche Sozialisten)
LeaderUlrich Villmow (1995-2014)
Founded21 January 1962; 62 years ago (1962-01-21)
Dissolved1 November 2014; 9 years ago (2014-11-01)
Split fromGerman Social Union
HeadquartersEssen
NewspaperReichs-Arbeiter-Zeitung
Youth wingBlaue Adler-Jugend
Membership (2005)ca. 100
IdeologyStrasserism
Neue Rechte
European federalism
Democratic socialism
Revolutionary nationalism
Colours  Cyan
Website
www.uap-online.de (archived)

The Independent Workers' Party (German Socialists) (German: Unabhängige Arbeiter-Partei (Deutsche Sozialisten)), short-form: UAP, was a minor Strasserist political party in Germany. The UAP split from the German Social Union of Otto Strasser in 1962 under the district leader of the Arnsberg section of the DSU, Erhard Kliese.[1] The party can be considered the DSU's successor due to existing until 2014.

History[edit]

The UAP started as the "Socialist Workers-Centralist-Faction" under Erhard Kliese, district leader of the Arnsberg section, within the German Social Union. This faction would later split from the DSU over disagreements about a proposed merger with the German Peace Party (DFP) since an alleged letter from Otto Strasser was said to have been discovered, where Strasser promised to give up Strasserism (German Socialism) in order for the merger to take place. The Socialist Workers-Centralist-Faction around Kliese strongly disavowed this move, naming the remaining DSU "civil workers' enemies" (Bürgerliche Arbeiterfeinde) and splitting off from the party after an unsuccessful internal DSU election.[2]

The UAP would officially be founded on the 21 January 1962 by Erhard Kliese, Horst Bosbach, and Wolfgang Hülsmann. It planned to focus first and foremost on the workers, especially hoping to attract those who were disappointed with the SPD.[3][4]

Until 1967, the UAP had only existed in North Rhine-Westphalia, its home state. From September onwards however, several new state sections would be founded in Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate. During the year 1971, the UAP counted a membership of around 400 in all of the aforementioned state sections.[2] As of 1999, only the North Rhine-Westphalian, Hessian, and Bavarian sections remained.[5]

After 1967, the UAP started opening itself up to the new right.[3]

Membership development[edit]

The highest confirmed membership count of the UAP was during 1970, where it had 600 members.

Year Members
1963 60[6]
1964 400[1]
1970 600[2]
1971 400[2]
1999 120[5]
2005 100[3]

Ideology[edit]

The UAP viewed itself as a nationalist and socialist workers' party and based its program primarily on the brothers Otto and Gregor Strasser. It saw itself as the only German party to stand in the tradition of Ferdinand Lassalle and Kurt Schumacher who it claimed were national revolutionaries.[7]

Action program[edit]

The UAP proclaimed its ten most important points in a 1962 'Action program'. Directly translated, these points are as follows:[6][8]

  1. A new form of economic organisation!
  2. Collectivization of all large private and state-owned business!
  3. Management of firms in the hands of the workers!
  4. Equal distribution of dividends!
  5. A unionized form of management!
  6. Simpler trade between intermediaries!
  7. Introduction of an index currency by a...
  8. Bank without interest gain!
  9. Creation of a central insurance equalization bank...
  10. For all socialized large companies and small private entrepreneurs!

Youth wing[edit]

The UAP's youth wing was the Blue Eagle-Youth (German: Blaue Adler-Jugend), abbreviation: BAJ, founded on the 10th December 1967 in Hattingen. While officially an independent organisation, it acted as the de facto youth wing of the party. The Blue Eagle-Youth claimed a membership of 2,400 in 1971, independent observers however estimated the membership of the organisation to consistently be below 100 and up to as low as 20. The BAJ issued its own newspaper named "barricade" around the 1970s.[1][9]

Leaders of the BAJ[edit]

  • Ulrich Villmow (?-2014)
  • Wolfgang Strauss (1971-1973)
  • Hans Peter Schreiner (1969-1971)

Elections[edit]

Federal elections[edit]

The UAP participated in six federal election from its founding in 1962 until its dissolution in 2014. The party achieved its highest ever election result in the 1969 West German federal election with 5.309 votes or 0.005% in all of Germany, or 0.055% in just North Rhine-Westphalia.[1]

Year Constituency Party list
Votes % Votes %
1994 302 0.0006
1987 352 0.0009
1980 159 0.0004
1976 499 0.002 765 0.001
1969 1,531 0.016 5,309 0,005
1965 1,127 0.012 3,959 0,003

State elections[edit]

The UAP only ever participated in North Rhine-Westphalian state elections. It achieved its highest result in the 1966 election, with 3,175 votes or 0.04%.[10]

Year NW
Votes %
2010[11] 108 0.00
2005[11][12] 523 0.01
2000[13] 139 0.00
1995[14] 152 0.00
1980[15] 180 0.00
1975[16] 648 0.01
1970[17] 1,504 0.02
1966[10] 3,175 0.04
1962[6][18] 426 0.01

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "UAP UNABHÄNGIGE ARBEITER-PARTEI". www.parteienlexikon.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  2. ^ a b c d Manfred, Rowold (1974). Im Schatten der Macht : zur Oppositionsrolle der nicht-etablierten Parteien in der Bundesrepublik (in German). Droste. ISBN 3770004035.
  3. ^ a b c "apabiz.de - Profil - Unabhängige Arbeiter-Partei (UAP)". www.apabiz.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  4. ^ "UAP - Homepage". 2013-10-01. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  5. ^ a b "Verfassungsschutzbericht 1999" (PDF). verfassungsschutzberichte.de.
  6. ^ a b c "Extremismus-Berichte des Innenministeriums NRW an den Landtag oder Landesbehörden 1963 (archived)" (PDF). 2007-06-04. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  7. ^ "UAP - Homepage". 2013-12-09. Archived from the original on 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  8. ^ "UAP Maximalprogramm on parteienlexikon.de". www.parteienlexikon.de.
  9. ^ "apabiz.de - Profil - Blaue Adler-Jugend (BAJ)". www.apabiz.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  10. ^ a b "Ministerialblatt 1966" (PDF). www.landtag.nrw.de.
  11. ^ a b "Landtagswahl in Nordrhein-Westfalen am 9. Mai 2010". www.wahlrecht.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  12. ^ "Nordrhein-Westfalen". alt.wahlergebnisse.nrw.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  13. ^ "Wahlkreis- und Landesergebnis". alt.wahlergebnisse.nrw.de. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  14. ^ "Ministerialblatt 1995". recht.nrw.de.
  15. ^ "Ministerialblatt 1980" (PDF). www.landtag.nrw.de.
  16. ^ "Ministerialblatt 1975" (PDF). www.landtag.nrw.de.
  17. ^ "Ministerialblatt 1970" (PDF). www.landtag.nrw.de.
  18. ^ "Ministerialblatt 1962" (PDF). www.landtag.nrw.de.

External links[edit]

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