A New Discussion on the Historical Contributions of the First, Second International and the Third International: How To Develop Internationalism Today
June 2017
About the author: Lin Jianhua, male, from Shenxian County, Shandong Province, Dean of the School of Marxism at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Honorary Professor of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Beijing Universities, Executive Deputy Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Research on the World Influence of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
Source: “Journal of China Pudong Cadre College” (Shanghai) 2017 Issue 20174, Pages 59-73
Abstract: In the world socialist-communist movement, the activities of international organizations constitute its important content. Among many international organizations such as the League of Communists, the First International, the Second International, the Third International, the Communist International, the Socialist Workers’ International, the Fourth International, the Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers’ Parties (Cominform), the Socialist International, etc., had a huge and far-reaching influence. Most of the trade unions, social democratic parties (or socialist parties), and communist parties in major countries in the contemporary world were established and carried out their activities under the guidance and help of these three socialist-communist international organizations. The origins of many major contemporary theoretical and practical issues can almost be traced back to directly or indirectly traceable to these international organizations of the working class. Today in the 21st century, it is an important realistic issue to make a new era review of the historical contributions of the First International, the Second International, and the Third International in order to generate new enlightenment and thinking.
International organizations played a critical part in world Socialist and Communist movements. Among various organizations such as Communist League, Socialist Workers International, the Fourth International, and Communist Information Bureau, the First, Second and Third Internationals had an enormous impact on worldwide movements. Labor unions of major countries, socialist democratic socialist parties and Communist Parties had been set up under the assistance of the First, Second and Third Internationals. The theoretical breakthrough in ideas and foundations can also be traced back to these international organizations. In the 21st century, studies on the historical contribution of the First, Second and Third Internationals have reality-oriented meaning and practical value under new historical circumstances.
This article is the final research result of the 2015/121 project supported by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and also supported by the Collaborative Innovation Center for the Study of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the Higher Education Institutions in Beijing (Beijing Foreign Studies University).
In the entire 170 years of the world socialist communist movement to date, there have been many international organizations, such as the Communist League (1847-1852), the First International (1864-1876), the Second International (1889-1914), the Third International, or the Communist International (1919-1943), the Socialist Workers’ International (1923-1940), the Fourth International (1938-), the Communication Bureau of the Communist and Workers’ Parties (1947-1956), the Socialist International (Democratic socialism,1951-)… Among these international organizations, the First, Second and Third Internationals have had a great and far-reaching impact.
Most of the trade unions, social democratic (or socialist) parties and communist parties in the major countries of the contemporary world were established and carry out their activities under the guidance and with the help of these three international organizations, and the origins of many of the major theoretical and practical issues of our time can be traced, directly or indirectly, to these international organizations. As Marx once observed: ” “Man’s reflections on the forms of social life and consequently also his scientific analysis of those forms, take a course directly opposite to that of their actual historical development Man begins post festum (begins from the aftermath) with the results of the process of development ready to hand before him..” Marx wrote: “The Anatomy of Man Is a Key to the Anatomy of the Ape.” Engels also wrote: “The point where this history begins must also be the starting point of the train of thought, and its further progress will be simply the reflection, in abstract and theoretically consistent form, of the historical course. Though the reflection is corrected, it is corrected in accordance with laws provided by the actual historical course, since each factor can be examined at the stage of development where it reaches its full maturity, its classical form”. https://www.marxists.org/subject/dialectics/marx-engels/review-political-economy.htm
To date, it has been more than 140 years since the dissolution of the First International, more than 100 years since the bankruptcy of the Second International and more than 70 years since the dissolution of the Third International. But all history is contemporary history. The contemporary ecology of the world socialist-communist movement can be seen through the historical raking of the world socialist-communist movement. Therefore, today, in the twenty-first century, it is an important and realistic issue to summarize the lessons of history with an understanding that reflects the “laws of the historical process itself”, to make a new contemporary assessment of the historical contributions of the First, Second and Third Internationals to the world socialist-communist movement, and to give rise to new reflections and inspirations. We call it “learning from history”.
Chapter I. Historical contribution of the First International to the world socialist communist movement
World socialism and capitalism are closely related, and the world proletariat and the world bourgeoisie are closely related, they even coexist. Therefore, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, and their mutual relations, constitute the basic proposition in the evolution of capitalist society. In the vision of Marx and Engels, the communist cause should be international or worldwide. This is because the economic situation of the proletariat throughout the world is international, the class enemies they face are international, and the conditions of their liberation are international.
Marx and Engels once noted: ” Although not in substance, yet in form, the struggle of the proletariat with the bourgeoisie is at first a national struggle”. Communist Manifesto [2]43 However, “the communist revolution will not be a revolution in one country alone, but a revolution that will take place simultaneously in all civilized countries, at least in England, the United States, France, and Germany”. Communist Manifesto [3]687 Marx and Engels also paid close attention to the interactive features of the Chinese and Russian revolutions with the European and even world revolutions. They argued that the Chinese revolution “would be followed by political revolutions on the European continent” and that the Russian revolution would “be the beginning of social revolutions all over the world.” https://www.marxists.org/archive/rosdolsky/1965/workers.htm
In its essence, the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie will be a world revolution and will have a world venue for its activities. [3] 687 In his later years, Engels emphasized: “Neither the French, nor the Germans, nor the English, alone can win the glory of destroying capitalism. “The liberation of the proletariat can only be an international endeavor.” [4]655,656
The organizational embodiment of the above ideas of Marx and Engels is the emergence of many international organizations, such as the Communist League and the First International, in the history of the world socialist communist movement. Marx and Engels also pointed out that “the organization of proletarians into classes, and thus into political parties, is constantly undermined by workers’ rivalry. But this organization always arises anew, and is stronger, firmer, and more potent, time after time.” [5]281 Thus, “Proletarians of the world, unite!” was the call and the vision of both Marx and Engels. The League of Communists, founded in June 1847 with the participation of Marx and Engels, was not only the world’s first Communist Party, but also the world’s first international organization of a communist nature. Its birth marked the emergence of the international communist movement. “The aims of the League of Communists were: the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, the establishment of proletarian rule, the destruction of the old bourgeois society based on class antagonisms and the establishment of a new society free of classes and private ownership.” [6]200 Lenin wrote that the League of Communists was “a small but truly proletarian party”. [7] 384 With regard to the democratic-socialist parties, the League took care to unite them against the conservative and radical bourgeoisie, while at the same time adopting a critical attitude towards their ideals and fantasies. In February 1848, the Communist Manifesto, the programmatic document written by Marx and Engels for the Communist League, was published, marking the birth of Marxism. The Communist Manifesto not only eloquently elaborates the basic theory of scientific socialism, but also puts forward a series of important ideas and principles for proletarian political parties. During the period of the League of Communists, Marx and Engels not only took part in the European revolutions of 1848-1849, but also founded the Neue Rheinische Zeitung newspaper to guide the revolutionary movement.
After the failure of the revolutions, they founded the Neue Rheinische Zeitung-Politische Wirtschaftsrechtsblatt (New Rheinische Zeitung-Politische Wirtschaftsrechtsblatt) in London. They theoretically summarized the lessons learned from the revolutions and wrote important works such as The Class Struggle in France in the Period of 1848-1850, The Revolutions and Counter-Revolutions in Germany. Louis Bonaparte’s Eighteenth Brumer “, and put forward such important doctrines as the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the theory of the proletarian allies. Although the League of Communists was dissolved in November 1852, its theories and practices were an important guide and reference for the subsequent development of the international socialist-communist movement. As late as 1887, Engels insisted: “‘Communists,’ – that was the name we adopted then and would never want to give up now.” [6]395 The communist parties born in the 20th century were took the Communist League as model. Therefore, June 2, 1847, should be a day to be commemorated together by contemporary Communists.
The First International arose in the context of the renewed upsurge of the workers’ and democratic movements in Europe in the late 1850s and early 1860s. After the revolutions of 1848, European capitalism developed rapidly in an atmosphere of relative peaceful way, the capitalist world market was formed, and the links between the capitalist countries became more and more international in character. At the same time, the oppression of working people all over the world had increased, and the resistance of the proletariat and the oppressed people was intensifying. The practice of the struggle against oppression and exploitation has made the proletariat of all countries realize that they have common interests and common enemies, and that the scattered struggles of the past have often led to defeats, and that the proletariat must unite on an international scale and use the international unity of the proletariat to counter the international unity of the bourgeoisie. This sense of internationalism contributed to the emergence of the International Workers’ Association.
Taking the solidarity with the Polish people’s uprising of 1863-1864 as an opportunity, representatives of the workers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Ireland and other countries assembled at St. Martin’s Hall, London, on September 28, 1864, and founded the International Workingmen’s Association (IWA), or the International Association for short, as the proletariat’s first international organization of a mass character. During its existence from 1864 to 1876, it never called itself or never was called the “First International”. It was not until the establishment of the Second International that it became known as the “First International”.
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