RLB - Reichslandbund
National Agrarian League
National Conservative / Authoritarian / Agrarian
At a Glance
- Type: Agrarian Indeterminate (special interest group)
- Founded: Long-established voice of German agriculture
- Reichstag Seats: Part of 135 Indeterminate mandates
- Support Base: Junker elite (Prussian landowning aristocracy)
- Stance on Republic: Opposed - like DNVP, seeks monarchy/authoritarianism
- Key Alliance: Acts as agrarian wing of DNVP; member of Green Front
Who We Are
The small but influential RLB has long been the dominant voice of German agriculture. Although we continue to claim to speak for all German farmers, in practice we are an increasingly isolated venue for the Junker elite.
The Junker Class
We represent the Prussian landowning aristocracy - the Junkers:
Who we are:
- East Elbian aristocrats: Large estates east of the Elbe River (East Prussia, Pomerania, Brandenburg)
- Protestant nobility: Lutheran faith, conservative values
- Military tradition: Officer corps dominated by Junker families
- Social elite: Intermarried with royalty and high nobility
- Political dominance (pre-1918): Controlled Prussian state, German military, civil service
Our estates:
- Thousands of acres of grain fields
- Employ hundreds of agricultural workers
- Produce for export and urban markets
- Capital-intensive, mechanized agriculture
- Deeply in debt (but politically powerful)
Famous Junker: President Paul von Hindenburg - epitome of Junker values
⚠️ The Republic Threatens Everything We Are
The November Revolution (1918) destroyed our world:
What we lost:
- Kaiser Wilhelm II: Abdicated, fled to Netherlands
- Monarchy: Replaced by democratic Republic
- Political dominance: Universal suffrage ended Prussian three-class voting system that gave us control
- Military autonomy: Treaty of Versailles limited Reichswehr to 100,000
- East Prussia: Cut off by Polish Corridor
- Respect and deference: Socialists and democrats mock aristocracy
What threatens us now:
- Land reform: SPD and KPD want to confiscate our estates
- Cheap imports: American grain undercuts our prices
- Democracy: Numbers favor workers, not aristocrats
- Bolshevism: Marxists openly call for expropriation
- Loss of subsidies: State support threatened by fiscal crisis
Our Policies Remain Tied to the Kaiserreich
In most regards, our policies remain firmly tied to the agrarian goals of the Kaiserreich:
- High grain tariffs: Protect estates from foreign competition
- Osthilfe (Eastern Aid): State subsidies for East Elbian agriculture
- No land reform: Estates are private property, sacred and inviolable
- Cheap labor: Keep agricultural workers' wages low
- Authoritarian government: Restore monarchy or establish dictatorship
- Military autonomy: Reichswehr independent of civilian control
Core Beliefs
Aristocratic Order and Hierarchy
We believe in natural aristocracy - society organized by birth and rank:
- Social hierarchy is natural: Some are born to lead, others to follow
- Nobility has duties: Noblesse oblige - we lead, protect, and provide
- Democracy is mob rule: Masses lack wisdom to govern
- Tradition and order: Centuries of Junker leadership served Prussia well
- Land and blood: Connection to soil through generations creates legitimacy
Restoration of Monarchy
The Republic is illegitimate - born of betrayal and defeat:
- November criminals: Socialists stabbed Germany in the back
- Kaisertreue (loyalty to Kaiser): We swore oaths to Wilhelm II
- Restore Hohenzollerns: Or at least establish constitutional monarchy
- King and country: Monarchy embodies nation's soul
- Parliamentary democracy is chaos: Multiple parties create instability
Protection of Junker Estates
Our estates are more than property - they are our heritage and Germany's strength:
Why estates matter:
- Food production: Feed the nation
- Employment: Provide work for agricultural laborers
- Social stability: Paternalistic care for workers
- Military leadership: Officers come from estate-owning families
- Cultural preservation: Maintain traditional German values
What we demand:
- High grain tariffs: Minimum 35-40 marks per ton to block cheap imports
- Osthilfe subsidies: Direct state aid for indebted estates
- No land reform: Confiscation is theft and Bolshevism
- Cheap credit: State-backed loans at low interest
- Labor discipline: Prevent unionization of farm workers
Opposition to "Agro-Bolshevism"
We fight against ANY form of agricultural collectivization or land reform:
What we oppose:
- SPD land reform proposals: "Socialization" of unproductive estates
- KPD expropriation: Confiscation without compensation
- Settlement Law (1919): Authorized redistribution (never seriously implemented, we blocked it)
- Small farmer demands: Breaking up estates to create family farms
- ANY criticism of Junkers: We are Germany's backbone
Our counterargument:
- Large estates are EFFICIENT (mechanized, scientific)
- Small farms are INEFFICIENT (subsistence, backward)
- Confiscation violates property rights
- Land reform = Bolshevism = road to Soviet-style collectivization
- Germany needs strong estates, not peasant plots
Nationalism and Revanchism
We are ultra-nationalist:
- Versailles is criminal: Lost territories must be recovered
- Polish Corridor: Intolerable wound separating East Prussia from Reich
- Lebensraum in the East: Germany needs expansion into Poland, Ukraine
- Stab-in-the-back myth: Jews and Marxists caused defeat, not military failure
- Rearmament essential: Rebuild military to restore German power
Authoritarian Government
Democracy must be replaced or bypassed:
- Presidential government: Use Hindenburg's Article 48 powers
- Rule by decree: Bypass Reichstag entirely
- Ban Marxist parties: SPD and KPD are enemies of state
- Corporatist chamber: Replace Reichstag with estates/professions representation
- Military dictatorship: Acceptable if restores order and protects estates
Key Figure
Eberhard Graf von Kalckreuth
RLB Leader; Junker Aristocrat
He is in all things national conservative, but always with a sharp focus on promoting the interests of the Junker class and opposing any and all efforts at "agro-Bolshevism," regardless of its sponsor.
Background:
- Graf (Count) - hereditary nobility
- Owns large estate in East Prussia
- Family served Prussian kings for centuries
- Officer in Imperial Army during WWI
- Bitter about November Revolution and Republic
Political philosophy:
- Uncompromising reactionary: Wants to restore pre-1918 order completely
- Class consciousness: Junkers are Germany's natural rulers
- Anti-democratic: Universal suffrage was a mistake
- Anti-Marxist fanatic: SPD and KPD are mortal enemies
- Pro-authoritarian: Supports presidential dictatorship or monarchy
On the agricultural crisis:
- Grain tariffs: Must be HIGH to protect estates
- Osthilfe: State MUST subsidize Junker estates
- Land reform: Absolutely opposed under all circumstances
- Small farmers: Should accept their subordinate position
- Cheap labor: Keep agricultural wages low
Allies:
- DNVP: Natural allies; RLB acts as agrarian wing
- Camarilla: Hindenburg is fellow Junker; von Oldenburg connects us
- Reichswehr: Officer corps filled with Junker families
- Green Front: Leads agrarian coalition but dominates it for Junker interests
Strategy:
- Use Green Front to pressure government for tariffs and subsidies
- Block all land reform attempts
- Work with Hindenburg to establish presidential dictatorship
- Support DNVP or even NSDAP if necessary to destroy Republic
- Protect Junker estates at all costs
The Junker Crisis
⚠️ Estates Drowning in Debt
Despite political power, Junker estates are in economic crisis:
The problems:
- Postwar grain price collapse: Prices fell after WWI ended
- Failure to modernize: Many estates still use outdated methods
- East Prussia cut off: Polish Corridor disrupted markets
- Cheap imports: American, Argentine grain floods market
- High debt loads: Borrowed during good years, can't repay now
- Labor costs rising: Workers demand higher wages
- Lost wartime profits: WWI created demand; peacetime doesn't
Result: Without high tariffs and Osthilfe subsidies, many estates would go bankrupt.
The Osthilfe Scandal
State Subsidies for Indebted Estates
Osthilfe (Eastern Aid): Government program providing subsidies to East Elbian agriculture
Official justification:
- Support struggling farmers in border regions
- Maintain food production
- Prevent depopulation of East Prussia
- National security (border defense)
Reality:
- Money goes overwhelmingly to LARGE estates, not small farmers
- Junkers use subsidies to pay debts and maintain lifestyle
- Little productive investment
- Inefficient estates propped up artificially
- Costs taxpayers millions while unemployment soars
Growing scandal: Urban voters and small farmers increasingly angry that state subsidizes aristocratic estates during economic crisis while cutting unemployment benefits.
The Grain Tariff Debate
RLB Position (High Tariffs)
Demand: Tariffs of 35-40 marks per ton on imported grain
Beneficiaries: Large estates producing for market
Argument: Autarky (self-sufficiency); national security; protect German agriculture
Opposition (Lower Tariffs)
Position: Lower tariffs to 10-15 marks per ton
Beneficiaries: Urban workers (cheaper food), small farmers (lower costs)
Argument: High tariffs help Junkers, hurt everyone else; workers can't afford expensive bread
The contradiction: High tariffs help large estates but:
- Raise food prices for workers (political backlash)
- Don't help small farmers much (they don't produce for export)
- Actually HURT small farmers (raise their costs for feed, equipment)
- Economically inefficient (protect unproductive estates)
But we demand high tariffs anyway because they protect OUR estates.
Strategic Position in the Game
You Are Small But Powerful
You have political influence far beyond your numbers:
- Hindenburg is one of you: President is Junker; protects class interests
- Camarilla connections: Von Oldenburg, von Schleicher sympathetic
- Reichswehr links: Officer corps dominated by Junker families
- DNVP alliance: Act as agrarian wing of largest conservative party
- Green Front: Dominate unified agrarian coalition
- Wealth: Large estates = economic power
Your Leverage Points
What You Can Demand
Use political connections to extract:
Agricultural policy:
- High grain tariffs: 35-40 marks per ton minimum
- Osthilfe subsidies: Hundreds of millions in state aid
- Block land reform: Prevent any confiscation of estates
- Cheap credit: State-backed loans at favorable rates
- Labor discipline: Prevent unionization of agricultural workers
Political goals:
- Presidential government: Bypass Reichstag; rule by decree
- Exclude SPD: No socialists in government
- Authoritarian coalition: DNVP-Centre-DVP without left
- Military autonomy: Reichswehr independent of civilians
Coalition Options
Support DNVP Coalition
Allies: DNVP, Centre, DVP, BVP
Benefits: Conservative; protect estates; high tariffs; Osthilfe maintained
Costs: DNVP split (Hugenberg radical); coalition unstable
Support Presidential Government
Allies: Hindenburg, Camarilla, DNVP
Benefits: Bypass Reichstag; Hindenburg protects Junkers; authoritarian stability
Costs: End democracy (but we don't care); uncertain long-term
Flirt with NSDAP
Allies: NSDAP, DNVP
Benefits: Nazis promise to destroy Marxism; energetic anti-Republic force
Costs: Nazis unpredictable; Strasser wing wants land reform; vulgar and radical
End-Game Alliance Requirement
At the start of the final session, you must declare alliance with a major party:
- DNVP (most likely): Natural allies; share monarchism, conservativism, nationalism
- Camarilla: Presidential dictatorship; Hindenburg protects us
- Centre: Possible if they exclude SPD and protect estates
- NSDAP: Dangerous but possible if desperate to destroy Republic
- SPD/KPD: Never - they want to confiscate our estates
Relationships with Other Factions
| Faction | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DNVP | Natural allies | Act as agrarian wing; share monarchism, nationalism, anti-Marxism; Hugenberg sometimes too radical |
| Camarilla | Closely allied | Hindenburg is fellow Junker; von Oldenburg represents our interests; von Schleicher pragmatic |
| CNBP | Complicated Green Front allies | Both agrarian but they represent small farmers; clash on tariffs, land reform; uneasy coalition |
| DBP | Green Front allies but opposed | They're liberal republicans; we're authoritarian monarchists; only unite on agrarian pressure |
| Centre | Potential partners | Conservative; could work together if SPD excluded; but Catholic (we're Protestant) |
| NSDAP | Complicated | Share anti-Marxism, nationalism; BUT Strasser wing wants land reform; vulgar upstarts; desperate alliance? |
| DVP / BVP | Workable | Conservative coalition partners; both bourgeois parties |
| SPD | ENEMIES | Marxists want land reform; confiscate estates; destroy aristocracy; November criminals |
| KPD | MORTAL ENEMIES | Bolsheviks want to expropriate all land; hang aristocrats; existential threat |
| DDP | Enemies | Liberals, republicans, support land reform; everything we oppose |
Playing the RLB
Your Position
You are Eberhard Graf von Kalckreuth - aristocratic count, Junker landowner, reactionary nationalist:
- Your family ruled Prussia for centuries
- November Revolution destroyed your world
- Democracy is mob rule; monarchy was legitimate
- Marxists are existential enemies who want to confiscate your estate
- You have direct access to Hindenburg through class solidarity
Your Goals
Protect Junker Estates at All Costs
Priority 1: Block land reform
- Any confiscation is theft and Bolshevism
- Use Hindenburg's veto if necessary
- Threaten to collapse any coalition that proposes it
- Rally DNVP, Camarilla, Reichswehr to oppose
Priority 2: Maintain high tariffs and Osthilfe
- Without subsidies, estates go bankrupt
- High tariffs protect against cheap imports
- Don't care if this hurts workers or small farmers
- Junker estates are national priority
Priority 3: Destroy Republic or establish authoritarian government
- Parliamentary democracy threatens aristocracy
- Support presidential dictatorship
- Or restore monarchy
- Or even support NSDAP if destroys Marxism
Green Front Dynamics
You Dominate But Don't Represent Green Front
You claim to speak for all farmers but actually serve only Junkers:
What happens on specific issues:
- Grain tariffs: You want HIGH; small farmers want LOW → clash
- Land reform: You oppose absolutely; small farmers support → clash
- Osthilfe: You demand subsidies go to estates; small farmers want relief for themselves → clash
Can Green Front hold together? Only if you can keep small farmers focused on united agrarian front and prevent them from seeing that your interests oppose theirs.
Key Decisions
- Grain tariffs: Demand highest possible; fight any reduction
- Land reform: Block absolutely; use Hindenburg veto if necessary
- Osthilfe: Demand continuation and expansion of subsidies
- Coalition choice: Support DNVP, presidential government, or even NSDAP?
- Green Front: Keep small farmers in line or let them split off?
- If Republic survives: Work within system or support coup?
Remember
You are a reactionary aristocrat fighting for survival of your class. Democracy, workers' rights, equality - these are threats to the natural order.
Your estate has been in your family for 300 years. Your ancestors served Prussian kings. You will NOT let Marxist rabble steal what is rightfully yours.
You have Hindenburg. You have the Reichswehr. You have wealth and connections. Use them all to protect Junker interests and destroy the Republic that threatens you.