First They Came for the Communists

Course on Anti-Imperialism, War and Peace, Part 8b

Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1892-1984

First They Came for the Communists

First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing.

Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing.

Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist.

And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did little.

Then when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me.

Pastor Niemöller

The third attached and linked document in this part opens up the double question of who backs the communists, and if the communists are not backed, then what happens to the others?

This is the question of self-defence for the political movement, the importance of the communists, and of the non-communists.

Pastor Niemöller’s story is extraordinary, and unexpected. This German anti-Nazi Pastor survived Dachau.

For revolutionaries it is very moving to record the solidarity of people such as Pastor Niemöller.

The revolutionaries must trust the people. They have no choice.

• The above is to introduce the original reading-text: First They Came For The Communists, Niemoeller.

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