LIEBKNECHT, WILHELM (1826-1900), German social ist, was born at Giessen on March 29, 1826, and educated at the universities of Giessen, Bonn and Marburg. His political activities which resulted from socialistic convictions acquired in his youth, led to his expulsion from Berlin, and in 1846 he left Ger many for Switzerland where he earned his living by teaching. Re turning in 1848, he endeavoured to found a republic in Baden and after suffering eight months' imprisonment, was again forced to flee the country. He went to Geneva, where he came into inter course with Mazzini ; but being expelled from Switzerland he went to London, where he lived for 13 years in close association with Karl Marx. He endured great hardships, but secured a livelihood by teaching and writing; he was a correspondent of the Augs burger Allgemeine Zeitung. The amnesty of 1862 opened for him the way back to Germany, and in 1862 he accepted the post of editor of the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. Only a few months elapsed before the paper passed under Bismarck's influence, but Liebknecht remained faithful to his principles and resigned his editorship. He became a member of the Arbeiterverein, and after the death of Ferdinand Lassalle he was the chief mouthpiece in Germany of Karl Marx, and was instrumental in spreading the influence of the newly-founded International. Expelled from Prus sia in 1865, he settled at Leipzig, and it is primarily to his activity in Saxony among the newly-formed unions of workers that the modern social democrat party owes its origin. Here he conducted the Demokratisches W ochenblatt. In 1867 he was elected a mem ber of the North German Reichstag, where he opposed Lassalle's policy of compromise.
Liebknecht was strongly influenced by •the "great German" traditions of the democrats of 1848, and distinguished himself by his attacks on the policy of 1866 and the "revolution from above," and by his opposition to every form of militarism. His adherence
to the traditions of 1848 are also seen in his dread of Russia, which he maintained to his death. His opposition to the war of 1870 exposed him to insults and violence, and in 1872 he was con demned to two years' imprisonment in a fortress, for treasonable intentions. The union of the German Socialists in 1874 at the con gress of Gotha was a triumph of his influence, and from that time he was regarded as founder and leader of the party. From till his death he was a member of the German Reichstag, and for many years also of the Saxon diet. He was one of the chief spokes men of the party, and he took an important part in directing its policy. In 1881 he was expelled from Leipzig, but took up his residence in a neighbouring village. After the lapse of the Socalist law (1890) he became chief editor of the V orwdrts, and settled in Berlin. If he did not always find it easy in his later years to follow the new developments, he preserved to his death the ideal ism of his youth, the hatred both of liberalism and of state social ism ; and though he was to some extent overshadowed by Bebel's greater oratorical power, he was the chief support of the orthodox Marxian tradition. Liebknecht was the author of numerous pam phlets and books, of which the most important were : Robert Blum and seine Zeit (Nuremberg, 1892) ; Geschichte der Fran zosischen Revolution (Dresden, 1890) ; Die Emser Depesche (Nuremberg, 1899) and Robert Owen (Nuremberg, 1892). He died at Charlottenburg on Aug. 7, 1900.