| Ruhr Red Army | |
|---|---|
| German: Rote Ruhrarmee | |
 Members of the Ruhr Red Army in Dortmund, 1920 | |
| Dates of operation | 13 March – 6 April 1920 |
| Active regions | Ruhr Valley |
| Ideology | Communist Socialist |
| Size | 50,000 – 80,000 |
| Allies | |
| Opponents |  Weimar Republic
 Freikorps |
The Ruhr Red Army, also Red Ruhr Army (German: Rote Ruhrarmee), was an impromptu army of 50,000 to 80,000 left-wing workers that fought in the Ruhr uprising of 13 March to 6 April 1920 in Germany's Ruhr region. The uprising was sparked by the right-wing Kapp Putsch in Berlin and had as its goal the establishment of a soviet-style council republic in Germany.
After an agreement to end a general strike in the region failed, the German government sent in Reichswehr (regular army) and Freikorps (paramilitary) units to put down the rebellion. They acted with considerable brutality, including summary executions of prisoners and the killing of wounded fighters. The government victory cost the lives of over 1,000 workers and about 600 Reichswehr and Freikorps soldiers.