On Socialism

1. On Socialism Ms Leslie History 12

2. Has never been a single movement • Have the same core values but some ideas and political tactics will vary • Has been around for thousands of years eg Jesus Christ, Plato’s republic

3. Utopian Socialists • France saw modern socialism developing in the late 17th century. • People getting fed-up with the traditional way things are run. • Start thinking of utopian ideals where everyone looks after each other. And there’s less capitalist greed sucking profits out of workers

4. In Britain: Robert Owen (1771 - 1858) A capitalist who was appalled at the working and living conditions provided by other capitalists. Believed healthy and happy workers were better for society and profit. He built communities for his Scottish workers, encouraged trade unions and fathered the Co-operative movement, which encouraged workers to improve their economic lot by fostering education.

5. Early Radicals • Louis-Auguste Blanqui (1805-1881) an Atheist revolutionary who spent half his adult life in jail. Labeled his movement as communist. He felt that capitalism would eventually be replaced by co-operative associations and wanted to help move things along. His organization was tight, hierarchical and bent on seizing power for the working class. Some argue that Lenin was not a ‘Blanquist’ then a Marxist.

6. Pierre- Joseph Proudhon (1807-1865) The father of Anarchism. Wanted to eliminate all institutions including private property (property was seen as theft). Opposed political parties, as they were authoritarian. His movement was as popular as Marxism and remained so in Spain until the 1930’s.

7. Karl Marx 1818-1883 • His theories had 2 basic assumptions • 1. Economics determine how all societies evolve. The key things to know about all societies were who owns the means of production and where were the production levels

8. 2. 1. Societies evolve. He developed clean stages of development by studying history. a. Primitive communist: No rulers, few available goods shared. Low productivity. b. Society based on slavery. Classes are antagonistic to wards each other. Slaves work and have no rights. Government is formed. c. Feudal Society. Lords exploit and live off their peasants. Production is higher than previous forms of society

9. a. Capitalist Society. There are 2 major classes. Most of society was workers with a small percentage of society being capitalists who profit from the work of others. Capitalists are always trying to increase their profits at the expense of the workers who will be reduced to poverty and will ultimately fight back. First will come riots and strikes, then unionization and political parties, finally there would be revolution.

10. b. Socialism. Characterized by the dictatorship of the Proletariat, where the workers consolidate their power. State would control the means of production until class conflict was gone. After gaining power, the state would have to fight a counter-revolution by the deposed capitalists and neighbouring capitalist states. c. Communism. With class struggle gone, there would be no need for government. All ownership would be shared and when an increased level of production is reached, communism would be achieved

11. Marx felt that a socialist revolution would only happen in industrial countries, as it would be the workers who would seize power. These ideas were outline in his The Communist Manifesto, which he wrote with Friedrich Engels, and Das Capital. Marx was eventually exiled form Germany and had to live abroad. He was buried in London, England.

12. Socialism After Marx • Not much happening around the world • In Germany Marxists started to interpret his teachings differently • Believed society progressing naturally and didn’t need to be pushed along. • German Socialist Democratic Party believed capitalists and socialists could live together

13. WWI brought further division and the Party split into the radical Sparticist group and the KPD (German Comminist Party)

14. Russian Socialists • Some believed that Russia could skip the step of Capitalism and build socialism on peasant tradition. But when Czar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 the system did not collapse.

15. Gregory Plekhanov who placed his faith in the growing factory proletariat. He rejected the idea that Russia was different and sought to bring Russian Socialism closer to the rest of Socialism in Europe. • This theory was refined further by none other than Vladimir Ilich Ulyanoc (1870-1924) better known as Lenin. He believed that one small group of professional revolutionaries was all that was needed to lead the masses into action.

16. In Russia, the Mensheviks attracted the educated class and skilled trade workers. The Bolsheviks attracted the less advanced elements. After the first revolution the Bolsheviks extended their organization to the urban masses as well.

17. By 1917, Lenin did not believe in waiting for revolution to come. He wanted to give history a push. He also believed that a German Revolution would follow a Russian Revolution. • The End