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Adelbert Behncke

Adelbert Behncke (7 June 1874-26 October 1919) was a Communist Party of Germany leader who served as the Chairman of the Augsburg Soviet and the Berlin Soviet during the German Revolution.

Biography[]

Adelbert Behncke was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, German Empire in 1874, and he worked as a small arms factory laborer for years. During the early 20th century, he became involved with Communist Party of Germany, becoming a leading figure in its Augsburg branch. In 1919, during the German Revolution, Behncke led a communist uprising in Augsburg, becoming the Chairman of the Augsburg Soviet. He personally commanded the 3,000 Red Guards assembled to fight against the Reichswehr, but his small army was crushed by the numerically superior Reichswehr forces of Hermann Groener. He then led the Berlin Soviet for three days after the Augsburg Soviet was crushed, and Behncke was summarily executed by a Reichswehr firing squad after Berlin was recaptured by the Reichswehr.

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