International Workers Congresses of Paris, 1889

The International Workingmen's Congress was held in Paris between 14 and 21 July 1889. On it, among other things, the Second International was founded. The celebration of the first of May go back to the Congress.

Prehistory

The First International had dissolved in 1876. Against the backdrop of a growing socialist movement from parties and trade unions, and large strike movements, such as the Haymarket Riot in Chicago, the dock strike in England and the miners' strike of 1889 in the Ruhr region intensified the desire for a renewal of cross-border cooperation. Some emissaries of European socialist parties decided on 28 February 1889 in The Hague, the convening of an international labor congress in July of the same year in Paris. Tradition-conscious of the beginning of the Congress was set to the centennial anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1889.

Ahead there was a dispute between different streams. A strong, especially in France group Possibilist that merely advocated an aligned on the economic dispute labor movement and the British Trade Unions split from the Socialist Congress. Therefore, found in Paris two parallel events with the same agenda instead.

Congress beginning

On the socialist congress was attended by some 400 delegates from 20 countries. In addition to the Represented the European socialist parties delegates also came from Russia, the U.S., Argentina and even Egypt. From the German Empire took part 81 delegates. Among them were Eduard Bernstein, Clara Zetkin, and Georg von Vollmar, Carl Legiens. Head of the German delegation was August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht. Although Friedrich Engels was heavily involved in the preparation, he stayed away from the meeting in order to devote himself again to the publication of the third volume of Capital by Karl Marx. Congress of Paul Lafargue, the son of Karl Marx was opened. Chairman were Wilhelm Liebknecht and Édouard Vaillant, a veteran of the Paris Commune.

Agenda

• Situation of the workers and the socialist movement in the different countries (Rapporteur: including Victor Adler, August Bebel )
• Abolition of standing armies and the general arming of the people (Rapporteur: Edourd Vaillant and others);
• Ways and means to implement the requirements of labor protection (Rapporteur, inter alia, August Bebel )
• International rally on May 1, 1890 (application of Felix Raymond Lavigne ).

Negotiations

August Bebel pointed out in his lengthy report on the German labor movement back in the party some criticism of the unions as a threat to the socialist movement. He thought that could only by the occurrence of practical measures to improve the working and living conditions are awakened in the mass of the working class consciousness. The emissaries of the miners from the Province of Westphalia Dieckmann reported on the great miners' strike in the Ruhr.

The Congress excluded from the socialist movement from anarchism. It called for the strengthening of the socialist parties, with the aim to gain political power. The standing armies should be in favor of " arming the people " that is, a militia system along the lines of Switzerland to be abolished. The peace among nations was seen as a key condition of the labor movement.

In the center was the demand for the eight-hour day. The Congress adopted a motion for holding in all countries the same day held rallies to enforce the eight-hour day. A similar campaign was planned from the American Workers' Union in memory of the victims of the massacre on the Haymarket Chicago for May 1, 1890. This date took over Congress for the whole international movement.

In addition, the delegates called for international regulation of occupational health and women and child labor. Employment of children under the age of 14 should be prohibited as well as night work for women. Similarly, the Congress called for a contiguous period of rest of at least 36 hours per week. He also called for a national work safety.

Clara Zetkin gave a speech on the situation of the workers. This was translated by Eleanor Marx for the English delegates. The Congress decided to see the workers as " equal women guerrillas " and demanded equal pay for equal work. Emma your argued for a stronger organization of the workers.

On July 20, 1889, the Congress was officially closed and the delegates submitted the next day a wreath to commemorate the dead of the Paris Commune of 1871 down.