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{"id":7010,"date":"2020-04-11T23:27:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-11T21:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balkantimes.press\/?p=7010"},"modified":"2020-04-12T15:17:50","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T13:17:50","slug":"marxism-and-the-fall-of-the-ottoman-khilafah-the-curious-case-of-alexander-israel-helphand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balkantimes.press\/en\/marxism-and-the-fall-of-the-ottoman-khilafah-the-curious-case-of-alexander-israel-helphand\/","title":{"rendered":"Marxism and the Fall of the Ottoman Khilafah: The curious case of Alexander Israel Helphand"},"content":{"rendered":"
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1867 -1923<\/p>\n
Sometimes called a real life James Bond and described by his biographer as the Merchant of Revolution and at various points in his life an Undesirable Eastern Immigrant in the heart of the West, Marxist Intellectual, Starving Journalist, Theater Producer, Millionaire (Billionaire in modern terms) Capitalist arms dealer, playboy, Revolutionary, Free Mason, White Color criminal unafraid of stealing from his own colleagues, Western Expatriate in the heart of the Islamic Khilafah, Shadowy Government Adviser, Secret agent trusted by neither his Revolutionary Colleagues nor his German employers and a major player in the first quarter of the twentieth century whose deeds continue to impact the modern world . Alexander Parvus was all that and more, but known to all who met him including one time friends and students as a scoundrel.<\/p>\n
Born in the Russian Empire in 1867 in a Jewish family at birth he was named Israel Lazerevich Helphand (also spelt Gelfand) by his parents later on in life he would take on the name Alexander. \u00a0His importance to modern history including that of the Islamic world as well as Russia and Germany is matched only by his obscurity.<\/p>\n
Parvus upbringing was similar to many Russian Jews during his era, born in a Shetl or Ghetto in the Pale of Settlement at a young age Parvus moved with his family to Odessa, then the center of Jewish cultural life in the Russian empire, growing up he felt that he had\u00a0being persecuted by the Tsarist regime for his Jewish origin due to the regime turning a blind eye to anti-Jewish programs \u00a0due to this he became\u00a0lifelong enemy of the Tsarist regime.<\/p>\n
Russian Nobleman of Christainised Tatar origin Georgi Plekanov was the first Russian to self identify as Marxist. Until 1917 Plekhanov was Russia\u2019s leading Marxist. During World War he foreshadowed Stalin in turning toward Nationalism<\/p>\n
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At age 19 after encountering the writings of Russian Marxist intellectuals Parvus migrated to Switzerland in order to study with Russian emigre dissidents like Georgi Plekhanov and Pavel Axelrod. While in Switzerland Parvus earned a PHD in Philosophy and Political Economy from the University of Basil. After graduation he migrated to Germany where he became a leading member of the SDP a leading Marxist organization, during this time he supported himself by writing for various Marxist publications including Lenin\u2019s Iskra.<\/p>\n
When the SDP split between the followers of Karl Kautsky an Orthodox Marxist nicknamed the Pope of Marxism who advocated a Communist government and Eduard Bernstein a Social Democrat who advocated an early version of Liberal Progressive Marxism with a belief in Democracy and Liberal values like Freedom of speech as well as being among the first socialists to write positively about Homosexuality.<\/p>\n
During this time Parvus mentored a number of famous Marxists drawn to his Orthodox interpretations in particular his views on\u00a0 the Permanent Revolution which had largely being ignored by Marxists until that point. These students included Lenin, Rosa Luxembourg (whom he formed an informal romantic relationship with), Kurt Eisner and Karl Radek.<\/p>\n
Eduard Bernstein was the founder of the Social Democratic or Liberal Marxism which would\u00a0 later evolve into the progressive movement and one of the first supporters of Homosexual Rights<\/p>\n
The most important of Parvus students however was Leon Trotsky. Trotsky\u2019s unique interpretation of Marxism can be traced to Parvus in particular the idea of permanent revolution. Like Parvus Trotsky born Leiba Bronstein was born in a Jewish family and raised in Odessa before migrating overseas to link up with Russian Marxist living outside Russia.<\/p>\n
Following the split between the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions of the Russian communist party Trotsky spent almost two years with Parvus in Munich before the pair returned to Russia in 1905 to participate in the\u00a0St Petersburg Soviet which had being established in the wake of\u00a0mass demonstrations against the Tsar. The pair was arrested together when order was reestablished in St Petersburg although both managed to escape soon after. Parvus would never return to Russia, although he maintained a strong interest in its affairs until the end of his life.<\/p>\n
Leon Trotsky the leader of the Communist Revolution in Russia and Founder of the Red Army was Parvus\u2019s main student<\/p>\n
After returning to Germany Parvus continued with his Journalistic activities but also began to look towards other means of making money and subsequently became a involved in German Theater industry. In 1908 however he was accused by the famous Russian author Maxim Gorky of stealing royalties and to avoid controversy he fled to the Ottoman Empire.<\/p>\n
In the Ottoman Empire Parvus soon became an agent for the Vickers firearms company and the famous arms dealer Basil Zahraoff. This work as an arms dealer would cause Parvus to become a billionaire in modern terms. While living in Constantinople\u00a0Parvus was contacted by the Young Turks movement who asked for his help in their plot to overthrow Sultan Abdul Hamid II.\u00a0 Parvus accepted and would play a key role as an adviser to the Young Turks from 1908 \u2013 1915 rising in 1912 to become editor of their official newspaper Turk Yulcu.<\/p>\n