TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Socialism in Europe 1870-1914
Definition
‘Any of various theories of the ownership and operation of the means of production and distribution by society rather than by private individuals, with all members of society sharing in the work and the products.’
Origins
Doctrines of Rousseau, early ideals of the French Revolution (fraternity) / effects of the industrial revolution (development of huge cities, slums and terrible working conditions.)
Early ‘Utopian’ socialism
(1st half of 19th century)
- Idealist, humanitarian form of socialism.
- Attempts to establish ideal communities in America b/c of despairing conditions in Europe.
- Leaders considered as eccentrics or harmless by most Gov.
Scientific socialism: (from mid-19th century)
- Result of the works of Louis Blanc, Karl Marx.
- Didn’t lead to revolution anywhere in Europe until 1917.
Problems faced by Socialism from 1870 to 1914:
- ‘Accomodating nature of capitalism' - development of free, compulsory mass education, bonus schemes/ promotion through merit. Led to reducing the high degree of class ossification of the past.
- Nationalism: Marx assumed individuals would be loyal to their own class but the masses were more influenced by loyalty to their own nation-state.
- Revolutionary socialism undermined by reforms, i.e.: in Western Europe demands for social/political/economic reform were met by:
- Development of parliamentary Gov.
- Moves towards universal male suffrage.
- Regulation of working conditions.
- Social security provisions.
- Improvement in living standards: (contradicted Marxist view that conditions of the workers would deteriorate)
- Life expectancy increased.
- Decline in food prices.
- Incomes increased.
- Split between Marxists and Anarchists: destroyed First International (international workers’ union)
- Growth of Syndicalism: true freedom could only be won by ‘direct action’ (strikes, paralyzing the economy, etc.)
- Growth of trade unions: didn’t always support political socialist movements.
- In France CGT stated its independence from political parties / Britain: TUC gave birth to the Labor Party / in Italy the Federation of Labour was split btw syndicalist and Catholic unions
- In times of depression the credibility of socialists was high and in periods of prosperity their support declined rapidly.
- Unions more concerned with short term gains for their members vs. Socialists more concerned with long term benefits for society.
- Conflict btw ‘revolutionary socialism’ and ‘revisionism’: Marxists argued all compromise was wrong but there were many socialists willing to work for change within the system.
- Nationalizing of socialism:
- Leaders began to think in terms of general rather then narrow class terms as the right to vote spread.
- Development of political parties - those socialists elected sat in national parliaments and tended to adopt a more national view.
- Workers benefited from laws passed by national parliaments - they had ‘more to lose than their chains’.
The position of the socialists in the main European states at the turn of the century
Gt. Britain
- Fabian Society: believed in gradual, evolutionary change / society of intellectuals.
- Trade unions: (1871 attain legal status) sought to obtain better pay and working conditions through industrial action, eventually, many united to form the Trades Union Congress.
- Independent Labor Party (formed in 1893) aim of ensuring that socialist candidates were elected to parliament to pressure for reform.
Before WWI, the many branches of socialism had united behind the Labor Party and had abandoned almost all of the Marxist elements.
France
- After Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 there was an attempt to seize power by the Communards (revolutionary socialist elements) - failed, crush violently in ‘La Semaine Sanglante'.
- Moderate socialist remained weak for much of post-1870 b/c trade unions adopted a ‘direct’ approach to bringing about desired social reforms.
- Existed a parliamentary group called the Independents (middle class intellectuals with little appeal to the working class)
- Following the Dreyfus Affair the socialists did unite under the leadership of Juares in 1905 - weakened by refusal of the main trade union (CGT) to support them and assassination of Juares (1914).
Germany
- Some degree of formal unity w/ August Babel under name of Social Democrats. By 1912, it was the largest political party in Germany with 11 deputies in the Reichstag. Despite this it had little influence b/c:
- German parliament did not have the same authority as those in Britain or France.
- Bismarck protected German workers and this ‘pulled the carpet out from beneath the Social Democrats’.
- Serious internal contradiction
Austro-Hungary
- United under the leadership of Vitor Adler to form the Austrian Social Democratic Party
- Gained considerable votes in parliament.
- Limited Power b/c:
- Not a democratic state. Most power lay outside parliament.
- Multi-national state: clash between socialism and nationalism.
Russia
Socialism developed differently b/c of differences with the other states discussed above. These include:
- Autocratic system of Gov. did not allow the formation of political parties (when Duma was finally formed remained weak and could be dismissed by the Czar)
- Industry did not really begin to develop until after 1890.
- As a result, Russian socialist groups tended to be more committed to violent revolutionary overthrow of the system.
Important groups were:
- Social Democratic Labor Party: (1898 on Marxist principles)
- Bolsheviks: in favor of a small, highly disciplined group of professional revolutionaries seeking complete overthrow of Czarist system.
- Mensheviks: favored a more open approach w/ wider member participation in decision making.
- Social Revolutionary Party.
Note: trade unions were illegal so no development there. Although this was to have tremendous implications after 1917, no group had made much progress before 1914 and when war broke out the Czarist system seemed as secure as ever.
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