International, First

International, First

▪ labour federation [1864]
formally  International Working Men's Association 

      federation of workers' groups that, despite ideological divisions within its ranks, had a considerable influence as a unifying force for labour in Europe during the latter part of the 19th century.

      The First International was founded under the name of International Working Men's Association at a mass meeting in London on Sept. 28, 1864. Its founders were among the most powerful British and French trade-union leaders of the time. Though Karl Marx (Marx, Karl) had no part in organizing the meeting, he was elected one of the 32 members of the provisional General Council and at once assumed its leadership. The International came to assume the character of a highly centralized party, based primarily on individual members, organized in local groups, which were integrated in national federations, though some trade unions and associations were affiliated to it collectively. Its supreme body was the Congress, which met in a different city each year and formulated principles and policies. A General Council elected by the Congress had its seat in London and served as the executive committee, appointing corresponding secretaries for each of the national federations; organizing collections for the support of strikes in various countries; and, in general, advancing the International's goals.

      From its beginnings, the First International was riven by conflicting schools of socialist thought—Marxism, Proudhonism (after Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who advocated only the reform of capitalism), Blanquism (after Auguste Blanqui, who advocated radical methods and a sweeping revolution), and Mikhail Bakunin's (Bakunin, Mikhail Aleksandrovich) version of anarchism, which dominated the International's Italian, Spanish, and French-Swiss federations. The First International split at its Hague Congress in 1872 over the clash between Marx's centralized socialism and Bakunin's anarchism. In order to prevent the Bakuninists from gaining control of the association, the General Council, prompted by Marx, moved its headquarters to New York City, where it lingered until it was formally disbanded at the Philadelphia Conference in July 1876. The Bakuninists, assuming leadership of the International, held annual congresses from 1873 to 1877. At the Ghent Socialist World Congress in 1877, the Social Democrats broke away because their motion to restore the unity of the First International was rejected by the anarchist majority. The anarchists failed, however, to keep the International alive. After the London anarchist Congress of 1881, it ceased to represent an organized movement. The International was early proscribed in such countries as Germany, Austria, France, and Spain. French and German proposals that it be outlawed by concerted European action failed, however, because of British reluctance to suppress the General Council in London. It should be noted that the International's renown at the time as a formidable power with millions of members and almost unlimited resources was out of proportion with the association's actual strength; the hard core of its individual members probably seldom exceeded 20,000. Although so accused, it did not organize the wave of strikes that swept France, Belgium, and Switzerland in 1868, but its support and rumoured support of such strikes was very influential.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • First Chechen War — Russian helicopter brought down by Chechen fighters near the capital Grozny in 1994 …   Wikipedia

  • First Bank — is the name used by various financial institutions worldwide. The term, either as whole or as part of a combination of names, may refer to:International* First National Bank, a name used by various banks worldwide * First Interstate Bank, a name… …   Wikipedia

  • International Durastar — An International DuraStar in use as a moving van Manufacturer Navistar International Corporation Also called International 4000 Series Production 2002 present …   Wikipedia

  • First class (aviation) — First class is a luxury travel class on some airliners that exceeds Business Class , Premium Economy Class and Economy Class . On a passenger jetliner first class refers to a limited number (rarely more than 16) of seats or cabins located in the… …   Wikipedia

  • International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union — The International Ladies Garment Workers Union was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. The… …   Wikipedia

  • first — firstness, adj. /ferrst/, adj. 1. being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president. 2. Music. highest or chief among several voices or… …   Universalium

  • International aid to Palestinians — International aid has played a major role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict as it has been used as a means to keep the peace process going. [Keating (2005), 2] Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip receive one of the highest levels of… …   Wikipedia

  • International Workers' Day — (a name used interchangeably with May Day ) is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labour movement. May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations and street marches by millions of working people and… …   Wikipedia

  • International Marxist Tendency — Founded Split from the CWI in 1992. Headquarters London, United Kingdom Newspaper Marxist International …   Wikipedia

  • International Rules Series — Current season or competition: 2011 International Rules Series Sport International rules football Founded 1967 (Australian Football World Tour) Inaugural season …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”