Socialism in Europe

The Idea of Socialism

• Socialists were against private property, viewing it as a source of societal problems.
• Socialists advocated for collective control of property rather than individual ownership.
• They believed that collective ownership would foster a more just and equitable society.
• Robert Owen, an early socialist, aimed to establish a cooperative community known as New Harmony in Indiana.
• Louis Blanc in France promoted government support for cooperatives to replace capitalist enterprises.
• Karl Marx posited that industrial society was capitalist, with capitalists exploiting workers for profit.
• Marx argued that workers needed to overthrow capitalism to create a socialist society.
• Marx envisioned a communist society characterized by social control of all property.

Support for Socialism

• Socialist ideas gained traction across Europe by the 1870s.
• Workers in England and Germany formed associations to advocate for better living and working conditions and reduced working hours .
• These associations also campaigned for voting rights.
• The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany was established and secured seats in parliament.
• Socialist parties emerged in various European countries.
• Socialist parties coordinated their efforts through the Second International, an international body.

The Russian Revolution

• The Russian Revolution marked the rise of socialism in a major world power.
• Early 20th-century Imperial Russia was an autocracy under Tsar Nicholas II.
• Russian peasants constituted the majority of the population.
• Industry was developing, but it was concentrated in specific regions.
• Workers were divided into social groups, some maintaining strong connections to villages.
• Peasants periodically pooled land, with the commune redistributing it based on family needs.
• Socialists, especially through the Socialist Revolutionary Party, were active in rural areas.
• Aristocracy, the Orthodox Church, and bureaucracy dominated the economy.
• Russia's involvement in World War I placed significant strain on the economy and led to shortages.
• The Russian army suffered considerable losses in World War I.

Social unrest

• The February Revolution of 1917 resulted in the Tsar's abdication.
• A provisional government, consisting of liberals and socialists, was established.
• Workers and soldiers formed soviets (councils).
• Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Party, returned to Russia.
• Lenin called for an immediate socialist revolution and withdrawal from World War I.
• The Bolsheviks gained support by promising land to the peasants, peace to the soldiers, and control to the soviets.

Lenin's Bolshevik party

• The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in October 1917.
• The Bolsheviks nationalized banks and industries.
• Land was declared social property, allowing peasants to seize it.
• Russia was withdrawn from World War I by the Bolsheviks.
• The Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik).
• A one-party system was established.
• The Bolsheviks suppressed political opposition.
• A civil war erupted between the Bolsheviks ("Reds") and their opponents ("Whites").
• The Bolsheviks emerged victorious in the civil war, establishing control over most of the former Russian Empire.
• Political autonomy was granted to numerous non-Russian nationalities within the Soviet Union.

Impact

• The Russian Revolution inspired socialist movements globally.
• Communist parties were established in numerous countries.
• The Soviet Union rose to prominence as a major power and a symbol of socialism.
• Simultaneously, the Soviet Union evolved into an authoritarian state.
• The Russian Revolution's legacy remains complex and debated.
• Socialist ideas were re-evaluated in the early 20th century.
• Some contended that socialist goals could be achieved through gradual reforms and parliamentary democracy.