Towards Rapallo: The Prospect of German-Soviet Rapprochement in the Conservative Opinion Journalism of Moeller van den Bruck

Abstract

In the article the author considers the problem of defining the political perspective of German-Soviet rapprochement from the perspective of one of the leading representatives of the Conservative Revolution in Germany, Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, and his assessment of the “Rapallo turn” of German policy during the Genoa Conference. He also explores the evolution of the conservative forces' views on the role and place of the communist movement in Germany and its relationship with Bolshevism and the Comintern. He examines aspects of political contacts between the political clubs of German Communists and Bolshevik emissaries in Berlin and the conservative association the June Club. The author analyses Soviet Bolshevism as the most likely partner in overcoming the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and explores the prospects for political cooperation between it and conservative forces. The supporters of the Conservative Revolution saw cooperation with Soviet Russia as a prerequisite for joint action against Poland, which met with understanding from the leadership of the German Reichswehr, led by Hans von Seeckt, who also sought the possibility of concerted action, which was rendered meaningless after the failure of the Red Army at Warsaw, yet laid the foundation for political rapprochement in the future. At the same time, the ongoing debate on political strategy between Arthur Moeller van den Bruck and Karl Radek exemplifies the dominance of the nationalist vision of the Conservative Revolution over the internationalist one, which was the hallmark of New Conservatism compared to the imperial conservative monarchism.