Carl AEL and Neo-Pagan Revolutionary Nationalism

Introduction to Carl AEL

• Carl AEL led the Group of Social Revolutionary Nationalists (GSRN).
• Worked closely with KPD (Communist Party of Germany).
• Anti-fascist and anti-NSDAP.
• His nationalism was different from bourgeois nationalism; focused on proletariat leadership and rebirth of the nation.

Nationalism in Carl AEL's Thought

• Nationalism distinct from bourgeois nationalism.
• Advocacy for a genetic rebirth of the nation with proletariat leadership.
• Critique of Germany’s status under Versailles and Young Treaty as a debt colony.

Historical Context

• National Bolshevism: convergence of nationalist youth and proletariat in Germany.
• Opposition to both Western imperialism and capitalism.

Task of National Bolshevism

• Provide a form of statehood for Germany beyond previous regimes.
• Revolutionary nationalism versus orthodox Marxism.

Youth and Revolutionary Nationalism

• Push for a revolutionary national struggle among German youth.
• Critique of youth movements for not understanding urban political realities.

War and Peace

• War seen as necessary for future freedom and viability, not as abstract values.
• Critique of abstract love for war (e.g., Ernst Junger).

Nation as Highest Value

• Nation viewed as utmost value beyond material manifestations.
• Critique of Marxist view on nationalism favoring internationalism.

Marxism and the National Question

• Marxism’s ideal of a classless, borderless world juxtaposed with nationalism’s emphasis on sovereignty and national identity.
• Notion of sovereignty essential for national existence.

Critique of Fascism

• Failed to incorporate proletarian leadership and reform capitalism.
• Fascism viewed as a tool for bourgeois self-preservation.

Council State vs Corporate State

• Advocacy for a council state rooted in Germanic democracy.
• Opposition to the corporate state as perpetuating interest groups over collective life.

Socialism in Carl AEL’s Thought

• Nationalization of land, industry, and a state-planned economy.
• Revolutionary alliance with Soviet Union against Versailles.

Peasantry and Rural Question

• Peasantry revolutionary due to hardship, not a sense of mission.
• Need for integration of peasant economy within socialist framework.

Conclusion

• Carl AEL's nationalism and socialism are rooted in a revolutionary vision distinct from orthodox Marxism and fascism.
• Advocates for a council-based socialism with national sovereignty.