Continuation+of+Social+Democracy+and+Primary+Source+Discussion

]] Further Historical Events in the Western Europe (WWI and Post)**
 * [[Social Democracy|BACK TO SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

The continuation of the European World War was creating distress within the Russian people and it was understood that socialist revolutionaries such as Lenin wanted the war to end. Between 1915 and 1917, Nicholas II, the constitutional czar, was leading the war effort against Germany, but was proving no success. It was in February of 1917 that Russian revolutionaries disposed Nicholas II and replaced him with a liberal democratic government, also known as the Russian Provisional Government. This was more or less a social democratic government. The revolution began in February 23rd with an attack on the Russian capital of Petrograd.[1 ] With the success of the revolutionaries, government was formed by the Duma, but the Russian Provisional Government was not as successful as had been planned. Some of the discrepancies between the Russian Provisional Government (RPG) and the Bolsheviks were that the war was still being continued. The RPG was also seen as weak and unproductive. Thankfully for the Bolsheviks, the government only lasted eight months. This is because of Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik party. The Bolsheviks would take over the Russian Provisional Government in only two weeks. With the Lenin in control, the war immediately ceased between Russia and Germany. Along with this, and through the October uprising, political power is given to the proletariat.[2 ] It wasn’t long after the October victory in 1917 that anti-Bolsheviks, which were composed of monarchical leaders and anti-communist countries, attempted to overthrow the Bolshevik party in a civil war in 1918. The Bolsheviks, known as the Red Army, successfully defended against the White Army (Anti-Bolsheviks).[3 ] With this victory, communism was now put in place in 1922 and would continue to be so for the next seventy or so years. For those years, any capitalist and any bourgeoisie were liquidated. As a result, there would be little to no threat to the new (Bolshevik) Russian Communist Party.
 * Russia**

It is thought that the October Revolution was one of the biggest events in 20th century history. Politically, it was an extremely influential revolution, because of the future spread that the Communist Party had with other countries. Social Democratic Western Europe had been under the threat of Communism with the formation of the German Communist Party, but had proved unsuccessful.

Contrasted with Russia, Germany did not experience the violent reform their government rule. This was because Germany already had a social democratic government before the war. With wartime opportunities such as land and power, Germany kind of loosens its grip with the social networking and trade. Germany instead goes in to wartime production and the manufacturing of weapons, ammunition, food, etc. Like most countries in times of war, Germany centralizes somewhat. For example, the Social Democratic Party of Germany actually is supportive of WWI.[4 ] Throughout Europe, including Germany, however, the war has caused a dissolving of the Second International.
 * Germany & Western Europe**

The Second International was a congregation of numerous socialist organizations from different nations in Europe. Its purpose was to provide thoughts and ideas through debate and discussion in order to progress society closer and closer to socialism. The organization was started by the SPD and consisted of any sort of socialists whether they were reformers or revolutionaries. Several well-known figureheads in the International were Liebknecht, Kautsky, and Bernstein. Lenin was among one of these members in support of Marxists revolutionary ideas. The reason why this congregation fell was because of European nationalism during the war. Nationalism was seen as a swear word among socialists and as a result, Lenin, who was opposed to the war, seceded from the Second International and formed the Comintern. It was then, in 1914, that the organization dissolved but was still preserved by numerous social democrats to form the Berne International in 1919.[5 ] Efforts were made to revive the Second International. In 1921, more social democratic parties formed another international called the Second and a Half International. Two years later, both the Berne International and the Second and a Half International joined together and formed the Labor and Socialist International. Both of these organizations were against the Comintern and were against proletarian dictatorship. Bernstein and Kautsky were also leaders in these organizations. [6 ] With the end of WWI, the Social Democratic Party of Germany had sprung back in to action for a short time. The SPD was a large supporter and was active in the Weimar Republic, which is a German political scheme which occurred after the German Revolution in 1918 in which Kaiser Wilhelm II was removed from the throne. The Weimar Republic was the first parliamentary democracy in Germany.[7 ] That is to say, this was the first time in Germany that any form of monarchical control was not in the political picture. It’s some of its aims were to solve key issues going on in Germany such as hunger, communist propaganda, and inflation. This Weimar Republic started in 1919 and ended in 1933. With the arrival of Hitler and his gaining power, the Enabling Bill was announced in 1933. The Enabling Bill was a bill signed in March of 1933. The law allowed Hitler all central powers including the power to change and make new laws without question from the Reichstag. The SPD was the only party in Germany to vote against it. Members of the party were threatened with murder if they were to oppose the bill, but the members voted anyway. However, the bill required two-thirds votes, and the Nazi Party, the German Nationalists, and the rest of the bourgeoisie parties voted in favor of the bill.[8 ] Consequentially, Hitler ended the SPD and any other socialist or social democratic party. From 1933 to 1945, there weren’t any socialist parties present in Germany, but in 1945, after WWII, the SPD formed again, even in a wall-split Germany.

In Germany and the rest of Europe, the emphasis of politics was democracy. Although in the name seems to contradict it, social democratic parties had leeway toward private businesses and ownership of land. For the most part, though, social democracy is a people-powered government.

__[|Gotha Program]__ [9 ****]** The Gotha Program is an address to the German Congress by the Social Democratic Party in 1875. Its purpose was to explain the economic objectives of the SPD. It is named the Gotha Program because it was presented in the town of Gotha. The Gotha Program was an important stepping stone for the advancement of socialism. Another objective of the Gotha program was to compromise the differences between Marxists and non-Marxists socialistic parties of Germany, and it also attempted to address, and hopefully, fix differences between conventional and revisionist Marxists. It lists some key principles about the social and economic objectives, and some of these points can be noticed in today’s economy and society. It also illustrates how the bourgeoisie will be balanced with the proletariat. In summary of all the eight points of the document, it says that in order for the country to progress, the importance of the working people comes first, and then the state is supported. This combative with capitalism at the time where government comes first and the working class comes second. It also combats any exploitation against the working class and that the working class is the under the pain and misery of capitalism. The Gotha Program also calls for a change in social regulations and rules concerning the working class. Some of these are very similar to what modern day governments have such as the graduated income tax. This was implemented in order to raise the economic stability of the proletariat. A key point of the program is the method of change within the country. Rather than have any government interference to change society, social associations are involved in the social change of Germany. This program was criticized and critiqued by Karl Marx in a response letter called the [|Critique of the Gotha Program] which was written in 1875. One of the counterpoints of the letter is that social change should be done by government social programs rather than social associations. This program was obviously not liked at all by the bourgeoisie because of the capitalistic benefits they were making because of the industrial revolution, because the bourgeoisie were factory owners, businessmen, etc. The Proletariat, however, would have been really interested in this, and with the implementation of these regulations, it would provide an opportunity for the working class to become economically stronger and rise up in the rankings and perhaps become middle class as well. The Erfurt Program was a program written 1891, 16 years after the Gotha Program. By this time, the Social Democratic Party of Germany had become officially a Marxist party. Therefore, economic, social, and political reform and regulation would be sculpted to Marxist views and ideologies. This can be read in the Erfurt Program. The program was written by several German social democrats such as August Bebel, Eduard Bernstein, and Karl Kautsky. Compared to the Gotha Program, there are many similarities as far as regulation principles of the treatment of the working class. However, the Erfurt Program provides a more radical view of land ownership and privatization. The Gotha Program has a pretty broad term of the capitalistic, monopolistic class. One can perhaps assume that the document meant large land owners and really large businessmen. It’s hard to tell, but in the Erfurt Program, the definition is clearer. It denounces of any type of land ownership. Other points that the document makes is the abolition of all classes. This would mean that there are no bourgeoisie and no working class. Like the Gotha Program, the Erfurt Program seeks to eliminate any form of working class exploitation by the upper-middle to upper class. The document suggests that legislation should come right from the people through voting for magistrates. The Erfurt Program was another stepping stone in the equality of the working class and the advancement of socialism. It also points out key issues about worker mistreatment, and has fairly specific regulations to solve these problems. Overall, many of these work regulations can be found in today’s society, but the program itself is very orthodox in its Marxist ideas.
 * Important Primary Source Documents**
 * [|Erfurt Program[10]]**

[1] Jozef Wilczynski, //A////n Encyclopedic Dictionary of Marxism, Socialism, and Communism// (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1981), 470. [2] WIlczynski, 219. [3] Wilczynski, 639 [4] Julius Braunthal, //History of the International Volume II: 1914-1943// (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1967), 6-14. [5] Wilczynski, 40. [6] Wilczynski, 510. [7] Ernest E. Rossi, Barbara P. McCrea, “The Eruopean Political Dictionary,” (1985), 234. [8] Braunthal, 380-385. [9] "The Gotha Program," University of Hanover http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111gotha.html [10] "The Erfurt Program," Modern History Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1891erfurt.html

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