- Guesde, Jules
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orig. Mathieu Basileborn Nov. 12, 1845, Paris, Francedied July 28, 1922, Saint-MandéFrench labour organizer.He consulted with Karl Marx in 1880 on a socialist program, adopted by a French labour congress, that called on workers to elect representatives who would "conduct the class struggle in the halls of parliament." He was opposed by "possibilists," who advocated collective bargaining and support for progressive candidates regardless of party affiliation. He founded the socialist weekly L'Égalité, served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1893, and was minister without portfolio (1914–15).
Guesde, 1906BBC Hulton Picture Library* * *
▪ French socialistpseudonym of Mathieu Basileborn November 12, 1845, Parisdied July 28, 1922, Saint-Mandé, Franceorganizer and early leader of the Marxist wing of the French labour movement.Guesde began his career as a radical journalist and in 1877 founded one of the first modern Socialist weeklies, L'Égalité. He consulted with Karl Marx and Paul Lafargue (a son-in-law of Marx) in 1880 on a socialist program for the French labour movement. Adopted by a national labour congress in 1880, the program called on workers to elect representatives sworn to “conduct the class struggle in the halls of parliament”; i.e., to stand uncompromisingly for the establishment of a socialist state. Guesde was opposed by members of the labour movement who were known as possibilists and who sought to win labour gains by economic and political pressure-group action. The possibilists advocated aggressive collective bargaining and strikes and argued that workingmen should vote for progressive political candidates regardless of their party affiliations.A prolific author and powerful orator, Guesde served in the Chamber of Deputies beginning in 1893 and as minister without portfolio in 1914 and 1915.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
