Johann Most

Johann Most – Life, Ideas, and Notorious Legacy

A complete look at Johann Most (1846–1906): German revolutionary, anarchist propagandist, and proponent of “propaganda of the deed.” Explore his life, writings, ideology, controversies, and lasting influence.

Introduction

Johann Joseph “Hans” Most (February 5, 1846 – March 17, 1906) was a German-born revolutionary, socialist turned anarchist, editor, orator, and agitator. propaganda of the deed — the idea that violent actions (such as assassination or bombings) can catalyze mass uprising or awaken the oppressed to revolution.

His life spanned Europe and the United States; his ideas were controversial then and remain so now. The story of Johann Most intersects with the tensions between parliamentary socialism and radical direct action, the ethics of violence for political ends, and the rise of anarchism in the late 19th century.

Early Life and Background

Johann Most was born out of wedlock in Augsburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, on February 5, 1846.

He suffered a severe medical complication: frostbite in childhood affected his face, developed into infection, and ultimately resulted in the removal of part of his jawbone. This disfigurement remained with him for the rest of his life.

Johann’s formal schooling ended early. As a youth, he rebelled against oppressive teachers, was expelled, and was forced into vocational work. He apprenticed as a bookbinder and traveled across Europe doing manual labour. His early experiences of exploitation, religious strictness, and confrontation with authority shaped his radical views.

Political Journey & Ideology

Socialist Roots & Disillusionment

In his twenties, Most embraced socialist ideas, especially the rising socialist movement in Germany and Austria. He edited socialist newspapers (in Chemnitz, Vienna, Berlin) and became known as an agitator.

He also attempted to popularize Marx’s Das Kapital by producing a condensed version, which was refined with input from Marx and Engels (who however did not fully endorse his summary).

In 1874, he was elected to the German Reichstag (parliament) for the constituency of Chemnitz, representing the Social Democratic Workers’ Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei) until 1878.

However, he grew increasingly disillusioned with parliamentary politics, which he saw as too slow, corruptible, and constrained. He believed systemic change would not come via ballots but through more radical means.

Turn to Anarchism & Exile

By the late 1870s, Most began shifting toward anarchist views, rejecting centralized authority and embracing direct action. He was expelled from the German Social Democratic Party in 1880 for his radicalism.

He was forced into exile — first to France, then to London — as the German authorities cracked down on dissidents under anti-socialist laws. In London, he launched his influential paper Freiheit (“Freedom”) in January 1879.

Most openly celebrated the assassination of Tsar Alexander II of Russia in 1881 and advocated emulation of such acts. For that, he was imprisoned by British authorities for about a year and a half.

Migration to the United States and Radical Advocacy

After prison, in 1882, Most emigrated to the United States, where he re-established Freiheit in New York City among German-speaking émigré communities.

In the U.S., he continued to face legal persecution. He was jailed several times for incitement, publications advocating violence, and his editorial defense of regicides or assassination of rulers.

He remains one of the most notorious figures in anarchist history, associated with propaganda by the deed, bomb manuals, and militant rhetoric.

Key Works & Writings

Some of Most’s important writings and publications include:

• Freiheit (newspaper) — his primary vehicle for propagating radical ideas.

• Revolutionäre Kriegswissenschaft: Eine Handbüchlein zur Anleitung Betreffend Gebrauches … Bomben etc. (The Science of Revolutionary Warfare) — a pamphlet on bomb-making and explosives.

• The Beast of Property: Total Annihilation Proposed as the Only Infallible Remedy — in it, he argued that property itself is a parasitic system to be destroyed.

• Die Bastille am Plötzensee: Blätter aus meinem Gefängniss-Tagebuch — reflections from prison.

• The Deistic Pestilence / Die Gottespest — critiques of religion and atheistic polemics.

• Memoiren: Erlebtes, Erforschtes und Erdachtes — his multi-volume memoirs.

His writings combined fiery rhetoric, satire, harsh criticism of capitalist and religious institutions, and open calls for violence as political tool.

Ideological Controversies & Critiques

Johann Most remains a polarizing figure for several reasons:

• Advocacy of violence: His support of assassination, bombings, and “massacres of the enemies of the people” made him a lightning rod for critics who equated anarchism with terror.

• Propaganda of the deed: He was a leading proponent of this concept, which many later anarchists and socialists abandoned or reinterpreted more cautiously.

• Personal rivalries: His relationships with Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were fraught. Though he mentored Goldman, he later criticized Berkman’s attempted assassination of Henry Clay Frick, accusing him of playing into the hands of capitalists. This caused a falling-out.

• Ethical tension: Many later anarchists, especially in the 20th century, rejected or moderated Most’s extreme views, moving toward nonviolent or mass-movement approaches rather than isolated acts of terror.

• Public perception: The sensationalist press often portrayed him as a “bomb-throwing fanatic,” reinforcing public fear of anarchism, regardless of nuance.

In short, Most’s legacy is entangled with the moral and strategic debates over whether violence can ever be a justified route to social change.

Famous Quotes

Here are several attributed quotations (translated) that reflect his radical views and rhetorical style:

• “The existing system will be quickest and most radically overthrown by the annihilation of its exponents. Therefore, massacres of the enemies of the people must be set in motion.”

• “Anarchists prepare for social revolution and use every means — speech, writing, or deed, whichever is more to the point; to accelerate revolutionary development.”

• “It is the lash of hunger which compels the poor man to submit. In order to live he must sell – ‘voluntarily’ sell – himself every day and hour to the ‘beast of property.’”

• “He who negates present society, and seeks social conditions based on the sharing of property, is a revolutionary whether he calls himself an anarchist or a communist.”

• “Among the beasts of prey, man is certainly the worst.”

• “The god of the Christians ... is a god who makes promises only to break them; who sends them pestilence and disease in order to heal them.”

These quotes show his uncompromising critique of property, religion, and institutional authority.

Legacy and Influence

• Influence on anarchism: Despite controversy, Most was one of the earliest figures to aggressively push militant anarchism and propaganda of the deed. His ideas influenced later radicals like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman.

• Cultural memory: In historical studies of radical movements, Most is often cited as a turning point from militant socialist agitation to more direct-action anarchism.

• Critique in hindsight: Many later anarchist movements distanced themselves from his tactics, favoring mass organization, civil disobedience, or nonviolent direct action.

• Historical caution: Most remains a cautionary figure in debates over violence, ethics, and how radicals engage with state power.

Lessons & Reflections

1. The tension between means and ends
   Most forcefully illustrated how adopting violent means creates moral, strategic, and legitimacy dilemmas—even if one’s ends may be just in one’s view.

2. Radical rhetoric has power and peril
   His speeches and writing were galvanizing but also alienating; rhetoric that crosses into advocating violence often helps authorities justify repression.

3. Evolution of movements matters
   Most’s decline in favor among radical movements shows how ideologies evolve — what was seen as radical in one generation may become untenable in the next.

4. Personality shapes legacy
   His disputes and personal rivalries (e.g. with Goldman, Berkman) reveal how movement dynamics and egos influence historical memory.

5. Historical context is essential
   To understand Most is to see the conditions of late 19th-century industrial capitalism, repression of labor, and the urgency many felt for dramatic solutions.

Conclusion

Johann Most remains one of the most controversial revolutionaries in modern history. He fused militant rhetoric, anarchist ideals, and radical tactics at a time of great social upheaval. While many would reject his violent prescriptions, his life is an important part of the history of political radicalism, serving as both inspiration and warning.