[Back to Modern Europe Syllabus]
Modern Western Civilization
Class 20: Socialism, Marxism, and Trade Unionism
A. What is Socialism ?
What is Marxism ?
What is Communiism ?
B. Refer back to Lecture on 1848 -
Socialism as another product of 1848
Workers and m/c liberals part company.
C. Importance of Socialism in Europe cf USA - Reasons
1. Trust of immigrants for American system.
-democracy from an early period.
-cf. governments in countries of origin.
-Franklin Roosevelt, a patrician liberal dispersed quite
strong socialist feeling in the early part of the 20th
century - by New Deal policies.
2. The fact middle class is majority of the population.
-America is much wealthier than Europe.
-In a profound/real sense America is less class-ridden.
-Socialism is a response to poverty and the belief
society must be and can be organised better.
3. The Myth of getting on
-idea that if one is poor, one is still potentially rich
rather than a member of the working class
-despite statistics which show perhaps 15% of people ever
change their class.
II. Origins of Socialism
A. French Rev did not include workers
Basically a liberal revolution. It protected the rights of
property. It supported Lassiez-faire economics, and opposed
These ideas were carried on by liberals in the 19th Century.
B. Industrial Revolution
1. The Oppression of the Working Class
Industrialisation and Pop. growth created poverty on a new
and much more visible scale.
It also created wealth on a scale hitherto unknown.
This created a new possibility - that poverty might
actually be abolished if only we organise society better.
Socialism is a response to poverty, and the belief it can
2. The Creation of class conciousness
As Ind. Rev. progresses working people come to be conscious
of themselves as a class. Middle class people shared the
intense class consciousness of the 19th Century.
Creates possibility of working class political action,
from the 1830's.
C. Judeo-Christian ideas of Justice
1. Give the labourer his due
One of Four Sins crying out to heaven for Vengence
is depriving a labourer of his wages.
2. Blessed are the poor
Jesus' condemnation of wealthseekers and option for the
3. Profit motive and usury condemned.
4. Apostolic Community - In Acts all the disciples of Jesus
live, selling all they own for the community.
5. Christian Idea of history having a goal.
III. Utopian Socialists
A. French Utopians
Tend to promote a system of greater economic equality
organised by the goverment.
1. Count Claude Henry de Saint-Simon (1760-1825)
Planned economy - he believed modern society requires
Government by a board of directors.
Was not keen on wealth redistribution, but of making all
not-poor by good management.
He had followers known as Saint-Simonians who organised a
little cult around him.
2. Charles Fourier (1772-1837) - Socialist Communities
He dealt with problem of tedium by suggesting that
each worker have several jobs and wander around from
one to anoth so as to avoid tedium.
Phalansteres - communities, 200 acres, 1500 people
(compare to kibbutzim) - also called Phalanxs.
One in US - Brook Farm, Mass, 1842-1847
3. Louis Blanc (1811-1882) - (Not really a Utopian.)
In the Cabinet in France in 1848.
State should promote socialist programmes and guarantee
employment - National workshops.
4. Pierre Joseph Proudhon (more an Anarchist)
Claimed worker was source of all wealth
What is Property (1840) -"Property is theft"
Ended up working for Louis III Napoleon
5. These Utopian Socialists do not talk about class struggle.
They see something is wrong, but feel paternal action is
the appropriate response.
They also lacked any meaningful political following.
However they have certain features which remain
common to socialism
-Interest in eradicating poverty.
-a belief in industrialisation, and its proper
use to eradicate poverty.
-profound disbelief in the liberal idea that person is
basically an atom in society. Socialists always look at
a person's place in a community. (some link here with
-many of there ideas continue in European socialism,
which is never only Marxist. [emphasise]
IV. Early English Socialism
Sometimes lumped in with Utopian socialism. But it had a much
larger following early on, and tended to be less doctrinaire
A. Robert Owen (1771-1858)
1. Life: Born poor, Became a self made man.
2. New Lanark - A small town in Scotland
Built houses and schools for children.
Did not pay workers off during a depression.
Made a Profit.
Organised an unsuccessful copy in the US - New Harmony.
-He thought people could be made better by better
conditions (goes back to Locke).
-Shows no need for bad conditions or low wages.
4. He ended his long life as a spiritualist/
B. The Grand National Consolidated Trade Union
Founded by Owen in 1830s - treid to bring all unions into
one. But it suffered a collapse in the 1830s.
C. Chartism- In the late 1830s.
1. 1836 William Lovett (1800-1877) forms London Working
2. The Charter - The Six Points:
Universal male suffrage,
Equal electoral districts,
Abolition of property qualifications for MPs,
Payments of members (all but one now accepted)
3. Fergus O'Connor made speeches. There was a chartist press.
It was radical and quite sophisticated.
4. It was split - some would not accept violnce.
5. Once conditions improved in late 1840s it lost
some of its force. Had the support of 1/2 the people.
But it was a mass w/c movement - before Marxism.
V. Socialist Philosophy - Marx and others
Only one idea amongst many in 1848, but now the major philosophy
in the world rated by number who live under its influence.
All modern political science, sociology and history effected
by its ideas, either by adopting them, rejecting them, or
looking at questions in an entirely new way.
A. Karl Marx(1818-1883)
German. Born in Trier in Rhineland.
Father Jewish convert to Lutheranism for employment
reasons. Marx often anti-semitic.
Went to Universities of Bonn, Berlin and Jena.
Published radical papers in Koln and Belgium,
[Rheinische Zeitung] until 1849 when he came
to live in London for many years.
Married to an aristocrat's daughter.
Buried in Highgate Cemetary, where each Sunday
pious people come and lay red carnations on a grave
tomb which reads "Philosophers want to explain the
world, but the thing is to change it".
B. Fredrich Engels(1820-1895)
German manufacturer's son.
Managed factory in Manchester
Condition of the Working Class in England (1845)
Supported Marx for many years
Was Marx's only real friend. They met 1844.
C. The Communist Manifesto 1848
Great Book - no actual communist party at the time.
D. Other Works
Das Kapital [Magnus Opus] 1867 on.
a. German Philosophy - Hegel
Idealism - Thesis-Antithesis etc
Concentration on History.
Idea of some possible end of series.
b. English Economics - Adam Smith/ Ricardo
ideas of how economics works
Theory of money and labour theory of Value
c. French Politcs - French Revolutions
Marx was effected by idea a revolution could
bring about change in a few days.
d. Marx claimed he was new in proving classes
were bound up with dev. of modes of production.
2. Philosophy - Dialectical Materialism
Thesis - Antithesis
| =History has meaning
Worked out materialistically.
Spirit and consciousness are products of matter.
3. Theory of History
Economics is at the Heart of History.
All ideologies and actions are structured by the time in
which they take place. Theses structures are based
ultimately on the economic basis of society, although
they do not lack reality.
The economic basis of society is the organisation
of the means of production. [explain the phrase]
All History is a history of class struggle.
4. Theory of Economics
Labour theory of value
Workers produced surplus value which was collected by
capitalists. = Marx's explanation of how workers were
5. View of Past History
Feudalism - creates bourgeoisie
Capitalism - creates proletariat
-Socialism (does not say what will happen)
6. View of Current (19th Cent.) Events
Capitalism contains seed of inevitable destruction
-tendancy to create two classes - Bourgeoisie and
-Proletariat is workers depreived of ownership of the
means of production
-Deprived of any reason to keep society, they will
Marx does see current society as evil, but it
is also inevitable, and equally it will change.
7. Political Theory
a. Revolution - Based on French experience.
b. Democratic Change
Marx and Engels were both effected by the changes that
took place in there lifetime, and thought socialism
may be established through democracy.
F. Marx and the First International 1864-1876
(The International Working Men's Association)
Marx worked to unite all the socialist
organisations it one international co-operation.
It included, Trade unionists, socialists, anarchists,
and polish nationalists.
He made an accommodation to the evolutionary trends in
Socialism. Marxism emerges as the single most important
strand of socialism all over Europe after this, especially
amongst German socialists.
Marxism was written for Germans, by a man living in England.
But the ideas were picked up in Russia - where they were to
have there greatest effect. Lenin significantly develops
Marxism. We will look at this in the section on Russia.
H. The Appeal of Marxism
1. Authority of Science - its claim to be scientific
Marx said he had proved his doctrines. There was the
belief what he said would inevitably come about.
(Karl Popper's attack on historicism and
Marx's claim to be scientific.
a). Marxism not science as it does not propose a model to
be tested by experience, but tries to fix experience
to its model.
b). Technology effects history. Technology is based on
knowledge. We cannot predict future technology, since
future technology is based on future knowledge, which
by definition we don't yet have. Therefore we cannot
predict the future course of events.
- an example would be the impact of TV on politics)
2. Emotional Appeal
Marxism decried ethics, but had an emotional appeal,
especially when it talks about oppression.
Also Marx tacitly assumes the Proletariat are better than
other classes - more altrusitc and deserving.
3. Analogy with Christianity
Holy Book (The Manifesto/Das Kapital)
Chosen People (Proletariat)
Clergy (Intellectual Leaders)
Church (Communist Party)
The Sinful (The Bourgeiosie)
The Promised Land (Communist society)
VII. Edward Bernstein and Revisionism
A. Edward Bernstein (1850-1932), was involved with the German
SPD, which as we shall see was both a marxist party, but
one which did not in practice advocate revolution.
B. In Evolutionary Socialism 1899 Bernstein noted that
Capitalism did not seem to be about to collapse, and change
might even theoretically be brought about by parliamentray
action. He called for more democracy and reform. NOTE Marx
had accepted this in GB and US, but it was not clear it
would work in authoritarian Germany.
VIII. Fabianism 1884
From (mythical) Roman general whose techniques had been
to avoid conflict to avoid defeat - ie gradualism.
British intellectuals - GB Shaw (1856-1950),
Sidney (1859-1947) and Beatrice Webb.(1866-1946).
Aim was gradual social change, backed up by accurate arguments.
Were keen on state control of means of production.
IX. Trade Unions
A. The Workers Movement - perhaps had more to do with Unions.
Generally the Working class becomes stabilised after
1850/1870. But it continues to grow in numbers and importance
as the 2nd indutrial revolution takes hold.
Unions organise to get better conditions for members.
Face Combination Acts/Anti-Union Laws. There were some very
long strikes. But in general no violent uprisings.
In fact workers begin to have a stake in society. Marx was
wrong. Workers conditions did improve. Workers have some
possessions. Many are quite conservative.
B. Britain - From Chartism to Craft Unions
1. Failure of Grand National Consolidated &
Failure of Chartism.
EMPHASISE. Unions in GB organise from the bottom up.
Gradualism is the way. The failure of these overblown
attempts prepares the way for the smaller union to evolve.
Less political agitation and more practical work.
Unions become legal 1871. Repeal of Combination Acts.
Protection to Trade Unions in 1875 in Parliament,
under Disraeli. [Allowed to picket]
3. Craft Unions -
a. Tolpuddle Martyrs
b. Conservatism of Unions
4. General Unions
Less skilled workers beging to organise, miners, railway
workers. dockers (longshoremen).
Before WWI they never include a majority of the
labour force. [they do afterwards]
5. Increasing place for Workers in Britain
a. Reform Bills of 1867 and 1884 - extend Franchise
[by Disraeil and the Tories]
b. Liberal Party - moves to social welfarism,
esp in 1906-1914 Government
Old Age Pensions, Free Schooling, National Insurance
C. European Trade Unions
Trade Unions flourish as German Industry grows after 1870.
Only fully legal after 1890.
2. France - Syndicates
-Unions legalised in 1884.
-Confederation General de Travail - 1895
Unions influenced by anrachism - and uninterested by
The idea of syndicalism - by having a general strike,
to generate unity and workers power.
X. Socialist Parties
A. Later 19th Century - They depend on a broad suffrage.
-Not quite universal in GB 1867, 1884.
-Universal in Germany in 1871,
B. France - Third Republic
Paris Commune 1871 - -The Internationale
But it frightened people. This was last time Paris dominated
Had 5 socialist parties, but not strongly organised.
France was still a much more rural country.
The Communist Party after 1918 was to be the party of
French workers. Same in Italy.
C. The SDP [SPD] in Germany and Bismarck
1. SDP [SPD]- A Marxist Party.
The strongest in Europe. Founded by Ferdinand Lasselle
in 1875. Another main leader was the marxist Auguste Bebel
Had difficulty due to the keeping of power by the Junker
class in Prussia, and a voting system which gave 1/3rd of
seats to 5% of the taxpayers.
The party was composed of radicals who advocated,
revolution, refomists, and Marxists.
2. Bismarck tried to outlaw socialist parties. 1878-91
Attacked meetings, newspapers and organisation.
Introduces an impressive social welfare system
-in fact the first such system in Europe.
3. William II dismissed Bismarck to stem rising
tide of socilism, but could not stop it
Repression did not work - more and more SPD deputies
4. Social Democratic Party becomes largest party in
Reichstag, but it is nationalist not revolutionary,
although it professes to be so.
Lenin despised it.
D. Labour Party in Britain
1. First socialist in Parliament - Keir Hardie 1892
2. Independant Labour Party
3. 1901 - Taft Vale Decision - Unions can be sued
4. TUC launches Labour Represenataion Committee
5. Labour Party
This was a militant party calling for the betterment of
workers conditions. It was offically socilist, but the
theoretcial side was left to individuals, and the Fabians.
The Labour Party rank and file were more concerned with
E. In late 19th C. the socialist movements within each
country became different from one another.