Wilhelm Liebknecht

Wilhelm Martin Philipp Christian Ludwig Liebknecht ( German: [ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈliːpknɛçt] ; 29 March 1826 – 7 August 1900) was a German social democratic politician and journalist. A principal founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), his political career was a pioneering project in steering a Marxist-inspired workers' party to electoral success and mass membership. Liebknecht served as a member of the North German Reichstag from 1867 to 1871, and of the German Reichstag from 1874 until his death in 1900.

Born in Giessen, Liebknecht was radicalized as a student and became an active participant in the 1848 Revolutions. After the defeat of the uprisings, he spent thirteen years in exile, first in Switzerland and then in London. In London, he became a close associate and student of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. After returning to Germany in 1862, he co-founded the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP) in 1869 with his long-time political collaborator August Bebel. The party, known as the "Eisenachers", was established as a mass-based political party committed to a Marxist program.