19th Century Social Classes and Labor Movements
The Aristocracy: This social group did not disappear; its privileges and even some titles of nobility were abolished, while new ones were created. Most aristocrats dreamed of becoming bourgeois landowners and living off income from buildings and farms.
The Bourgeoisie: The social position of the bourgeoisie came from their industrial, financial, and trading businesses. The house became a private space that symbolically reflected their achievements and social position. They were content with gatherings at cafes, although clubs, circles, and drives were common. The richest frequented aristocratic salons and dances.
The Peasants: Peasants were still the majority population group. Their way of life remained traditional and conservative. They were hostile to liberalism, initially, and socialism later. They were considered conservatives and supporters of order and the religion of their elders. Among them were two groups: those who became wealthy landowners and the laborers who had no land and only charged for work performed.
The Labor and Marginalized: The establishment of industrial factories saw a decline in traditional craft production. New workers appeared in the industries. Among these industrial workers were often female and child laborers. The conditions of workers in working life were almost always deplorable, and working-class neighborhoods were in even worse condition. Conditions improved later in the nineteenth century due to urban and social measures.
Socialist Ideologies
Socialist ideologies believed in an irresistible force that led to the elimination of capitalist injustice. They argued that rights and political freedoms were inadequate if there was no social equality and that society created a collective value that belonged to everyone and could not be copyrighted by a few.
Marxism
Marxism is the set of theories broadcast from the 1840s by the Germans Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The contributions of Marxism were:
- History is an unbroken succession of class struggles that act as an engine.
- Socialism is inevitable because it responds to the universal laws of history.
- The contradictions of the capitalist system led to its destruction.
- The working class should lead political action aimed at the conquest of the state.
Anarchism
Anarchism was based on the thought of Pierre Joseph Proudhon. He moved away from socialism when it became Marxist. Anarchists felt that employees should transform society by creating federated communes outside the State. They rejected political action and parties as means of workers’ struggle.
Strike and Union
Direct action was carried out by popular revolt, which threatened to destroy the hated bosses and machines (Luddism). Workers of a company associated permanently, and trade unions emerged. Britain was a pioneer, and reformers gained control of the party. Workers created from them were reformers in Germany but were subject to a party. In France, they were still revolutionary. In Spain, the General Union of Workers (UGT) was modeled after the German National Labor Confederation (CNT) French.
Vote and Party
Until the Paris Commune (1871), the insurrection was the most popular method utilized by the labor movement. The International Workers Association (TIA) was established in London from 1864-1876. In 1872, a split occurred because of the dispute between Marx and Bakunin on political action, the state’s role, and the experience of the Paris Commune (1871). The dissolution of the AIT caused the division between socialism and anarchism. The Second International (1889 – 1914) was led by the German SPD, presented by Karl Kautsky. They condemned revisionism, imperialism, and war. However, the labor movement could not prevent it; during the war, many socialists supported their respective governments.