Second International: History, Objectives, and Impact
The Second International (1889-1916)
The Second International was founded in 1889, with its headquarters in Brussels. While the First International initially encompassed a wide range of trends, the Second International, after expelling the anarchists in 1893, adopted a clear Marxist socialist direction. It comprised a federation of socialist parties from different nations.
Key Objectives
The association emphasized the pursuit of legislation to improve workers’ living conditions, including unemployment benefits and social protection. A key commitment was the establishment of the eight-hour day. Distinctive features of the Second International included the institution of May Day as a protest festival (Labor Day), March 4 (International Women’s Day), and the famous hymn, the Internationale.
Ideological Controversies
The Second International faced ideological controversies between two groups:
- Radical Orthodox Marxists: Proponents of a revolution to dismantle capitalism and transform society. A leading figure was Rosa Luxemburg.
- Moderate Reformists (Revisionists): They, like Eduard Bernstein, questioned aspects of Marxist theory, such as class struggle and historical materialism. They advocated achieving socialism through peaceful means and worker participation in parliament.
Dissolution
The outbreak of the First World War dealt a final blow to the Second International, which it was unable to prevent. The working class, divided by patriotic sentiments and abandoning the ideal of international solidarity, enlisted in the contending armies. Unable to resolve this contradiction, the International dissolved in 1916.
The Third International
In 1917, following the triumph of the Russian Revolution, the theses of figures like Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, who advocated more radical Marxist theses, were imposed. In 1919, the Third International, the “Comintern” of communist character, was founded, distancing itself from revisionist and reformist theses strongly influenced by the interests of the USSR.
Anarchism
With a philosophical individualist-rationalist and associative foundation, anarchism developed in the contemporary age (19th and 20th centuries). Continuously involved in contemporary issues, anarchism in the 21st century is presented as a current option for radically changing human life. The foundations of free inquiry and critical thinking developed with the Enlightenment and Romanticism, based on reason and freedom, respectively, forming the basis for anarchism. Radical Liberals, along with utopian socialists, are considered forerunners of modern anarchism. With thinkers and activists such as William Godwin and Gustave de Molinari, anarchism developed in the 19th century, first with the work of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and then expanded and strengthened, reaching the early discussions on the First International, especially with the active thought of Mikhail Bakunin, among others.