The Red Millionaire: A Political Biography of Willy Münzenberg, Moscow's Secret Propaganda Tsar in the West, 1917-1940

408 Pages·2004·6.22 MB·English

by  Mr. Sean McMeekin

THE RED MILLIONAIRE

THE RED
MILLIONAIRE
A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF
WILLI MÜNZENBERG,
MOSCOW’S SECRET PROPAGANDA
TSAR IN THE WEST
SEAN MMEEKIN
Yale University Press New Haven & London
Copyright © 2003 by Sean McMeekin.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 ofthe U.S. Copyright Law and except
by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.
Designed by James J. Johnson and set in Monotype Walbaum by Duke & Company.
Printed in the United States ofAmerica.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McMeekin, Sean, 1974–
The red millionaire : a political biography ofWilli Münzenberg, Moscow’s secret
propaganda tsar in the West / Sean McMeekin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-300-09847-2 (alk. paper)
1. Münzenberg, Willi. 2. Communists—Germany—Biography. 3. Propaganda,
Communist—History. 4. Communism—Germany—History—20th century.
5. Communism—Soviet Union—History—20th century. I. Title.
HX273.M376 2003
327.1247′0092—dc21 2003011828
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability ofthe Committee
on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity ofthe Council on Library Resources.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Note on Transliteration and Translations vii
List of Initials of Organizations and Publications viii
Introduction: Who in the World Is Willi Münzenberg? 1
PART 1. A Call to Arms
1. Erfurt 7
2. Zurich 18
3. Stuttgart 74
4. Berlin 86
5. Moscow 91
PART 2. The Red Millionaire
6. Selling the Famine 103
7. Building Socialism 123
8. Germany Red or Black 144
9. Follow the Money 163
10. Hollywood East 174
11. Preempting the Peace 193
12. The Red Millionaire 204
13. Tango with the Devil 222
vi Contents
PART 3. Flight
14. The Fire This Time 255
15. Reckoning 270
16. A Paris Exile 295
Notes 309
Select Bibliography 371
Acknowledgments 381
Index 385
NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION
AND TRANSLATIONS
For Russian-language words, I have used the Library of Congress transliter-
ation system throughout, with the exception of commonly used spellings
of famous names (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Gorky, and so on).
I have left well-known foreign-language periodicals, especially news-
papers, in their original languages (Pravda, L’Humanité, Rote Fahne, Welt
am Abend, Berlin am Morgen). I have rendered lesser-known titles of Münzen-
berg-controlled publications into English when doing so helps illuminate
their meaning (Soviet Russia in Pictures, Hammer and Sickle, Propaganda
as a Weapon). For ease of reference for those wishing to pursue future re-
search, I cite these periodicals by their original titles in the endnotes.
Unless otherwise indicated, translations are my own.
vii
INITIALS OF ORGANIZATIONS
AND PUBLICATIONS
AIZ Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung
ARA American ReliefAdministration
Cheka All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-
Revolution and Sabotage
ECCI Executive Committee of the Communist International (Comintern)
FSR Friends of Soviet Russia
IAH Internationale Arbeiterhilfe (International Worker Relief)
KPD Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (German Communist Party)
MOPR Mezhdunarodnaia Organizatsia Pomoshchi Revolutsioneram
(International Red Aid)
M-Russ Mezhrabpom-Russ (Mezhdunarodnaia rabochaia pomoshch’—
International Worker Relief)
NDV Neue Deutsche Verlag
NEP New Economic Policy
NKVD People’s Commissariat of International A¤airs
NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist
German Workers’ Party)
PCF Parti Communiste Français (French Communist Party)
Pomgol All-Russian Public Committee to Aid the Hungry
SA Sturmabteilung (Storm Troop Section)
SOPADE Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German Social
Democratic Party—acronym used by the party in exile after
1933)
SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German Social
Democratic Party)
SPS Sozialistische Partei der Schweiz (Swiss Socialist Party)
USPD Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
(Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany)
WEB Western European Bureau (of the Comintern)
viii
THE RED MILLIONAIRE