The Fascist Colonel Bauer and the Bolsheviks

The German fascist Colonel Max Bauer (former head of department of the OHL1 ), who even had to live illegally in the Ebert and Hindenburg Republic, writes in his book “The Land of the Red Tsars”:

"In the spring of 1923, I was asked by a high-ranking figure in the Russian Soviet government whether I would be prepared to come to Russia to discuss economic (??) and industrial (??) matters... But since I was notorious as a reactionary and nationalist, at least according to the news spread about me, the invitation to come to Russia was surprising, at least for the moment. Even more surprised than I was, however, were many of my friends, most of whom felt obliged to warn me against the trip. They were of the opinion that they were only trying to lure me into a trap and get rid of me. I mention this in order to show what kind of ideas still haunt Russia today and, to anticipate this, I would like to add that I not only felt very comfortable in Russia, but also absolutely safe, which I cannot exactly say about the rest of my previous exile."

"I readily agreed that I would like to come to Russia... After all, it was fall when I was able to start my journey. It was a little awkward, because since not only Germany, but also Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia were closed to me for transit, I could only choose the route via Constantinople. And so, at the end of November, I took the steamer from Italy to Constantinople... Odessa finally came into sight in the evening... At noon, we arrived in Moscow..."

"In Odessa I had already received instructions as to which state hotel I was to visit; so I went there, but found it under repair. It was the palace where Count Mirbach had resided and had also been murdered... As I couldn't find accommodation here, I went straight to the military office to which I had been assigned. (Colonel Bauer had not been invited to Moscow for meetings on “economic and industrial” matters, but on military matters)... The next day I again visited the military delegation, which had received instructions to support and advise me during my stay in Moscow, and here I learned for the first time authentically how things stood with the two leading men, Lenin and Trotsky (Lenin and Trotsky were ill at the time — ed.)... At first it was rather unpleasant for me that these two leading men were missing, because if at all possible I naturally wanted to speak to them first..."

"I had a whole series of interesting discussions in various fields up to the Christmas period, but the main thing was still postponed in the expectation that Comrade Trotsky would return, whom nobody wanted to hurry... After Lenin's death and the end of the holidays, it was now possible to return to regular activity. I continued my discussions, and now that it was certain that Comrade Trotsky would not return to office before March, and that Lenin had also been replaced in his various duties by other members of the government, I came into contact with a large number of leading personalities..."

"February was slowly drawing in. I had essentially completed my mission, so I could have thought about the journey home. But that was not so easy, as the weather had become milder, but there were now heavy storms, especially in southern Russia, and shipping in the Black Sea was suspended. As it was still impossible for me to travel via Germany, I had to be patient. Finally, I received the news that a steamer was leaving at the end of February. So I started the return journey, where I arrived after a pleasant trip without any particular incidents... In the afternoon I had handed over my passport to one of the officers on the staff there, who we asked for the exit visas. The shipment was more unpleasant. Here I encountered two very unfriendly customs officers, who rummaged through my luggage from top to bottom, of course nothing was found, because I had sent everything important by courier from Moscow to Vienna. So in itself the matter was indifferent, except that some of my things were stolen on this occasion.” (From page 16-47)

The fascist Colonel Bauer, as you can see, calls the Bolshevik leaders “comrades”; he speaks of them in his book with the same respect with which he speaks of the Danish emperor and the tsarist family, but of communism he writes the following: “It will nevertheless be clear to every attentive reader that I am completely opposed to communism, since it violates the laws of nature and is therefore unsuitable to lead humanity to higher development. It too — no less than the materialistic view of the world — leads to the downfall of the peoples it afflicts.” (S. 13/14.)

Incidentally, the remarks of the fascist Colonel Baner are a valuable contribution to the “Soviet” grenades and to the policy of the Bolsheviks and the KPD in 1923 — namely to the cooperation between the Reichswehr and the fascists on the one hand and the Bolsheviks and the KPD on the other.

• 1Oberste Heeresleitung, aka the Supreme Army Command. The highest echelon of command of the army (Heer) of the German Empire.