The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), sometimes called the First International, was an international socialist organization which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing political groups and trade union organizations that were based on the working class and class struggle. It was founded in 1864 in a workmen's meeting held in Saint Martin's Hall, London. Its first congress was held in 1866 in Geneva. A significant decision at that event was the adoption of the 8-hour work day as one of the Association's fundamental demands. Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... A Trade Union (Labour union) ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Class struggle is class conflict looked at from a Marxist, libertarian socialist, or anarchist perspective. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ...

In Europe, a period of harsh reaction followed the widespread Revolutions of 1848. The next major phase of revolutionary activity began almost twenty years later with the founding of the IWA in 1864. At its peak, it was thought that the IWA had 1.2 million members.^[1] The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a revolutionary wave which erupted in Sicily and then, further triggered by the revolutions of 1848 in France, soon spread to the rest of Europe and as far afield as...

Saint Martin's Hall Meeting, London, 1864

Karl Marx 1818-1883

Mikhail Bakunin

Following the suppression of the January Uprising in Poland, 1863 French and British workers started discussing with each other, to discuss developing a closer working relationship. Tolain, Perrachon, and Limousin visited London in July 1863, attending a meeting held in St. James’ Hall in honour of the Polish uprising. Here there was discussion of the need for an international organisation, which would, amongst other things, prevent the import of foreign workers to break strikes. In September, 1864, some French delegates again visited London with the concrete aim of setting up a special committee for the exchange of information upon matters of interest to the workers of all lands. On September 28, a great international meeting for the reception of the French delegates took place in St. Martin’s Hall, and the positivist, Professor Edward Spencer Beesly, was in the chair. In his speech, pilloried the violent proceedings of the governments and referred to their flagrant breaches of international law and advocated a union of the workers of the world for the realisation of justice on earth. Image File history File links Karl_Marx. ... Image File history File links Karl_Marx. ... Marx is a common German surname. ... Full shot of Mikhail Bakunin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Full shot of Mikhail Bakunin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 18 (30 N.S.), 1814–June 19 (July 1 N.S.), 1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the “fathers of modern anarchism. // In the spring of 1814, Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was born... Polonia (Poland), 1863, by Jan Matejko, 1864, oil on canvas, 156 × 232 cm, National Museum, Kraków. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Edward Spencer Beesly (January 23, 1831 - 1915), English historian and positivist, son of the Rev. ... International law (also called public international law to distinguish from private international law, i. ...

George Odger, (Secretary of the General Trades Council) read a speech calling for international co-operation, to which Tolain responded. The meeting unanimously decided to found an international organisation of workers. The centre was to be in London, with a committee of 21 elected members. It was instructed to draft rules and constitution. Most of the British members of the committee were noted trade-union leaders like Odger, George Howell, Osborne, and Lucraft including some sometime Owenites and Chartists. The French members were Denoual, Victor Le Lubez, and Bosquet. Italy was represented by Fontana. Other members were: Louis Wolff, Johann Eccarius, and at the foot of the list, Karl Marx. George Odger (1813 - 4 March 1877) was a prominent British trade unionist. ... George Howell George Howell (5 October 1833 - 16 September 1911) was a prominent British trade unionist and reform campaigner in the 19th century. ... Owenism is a term used to represent the Utopian socialist philosophy of Robert Owen, and deriviations thereof. ... Chartism is also an alternative term for technical analysis Chartism was a movement for social and political reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century. ... Louis Wolff (born 1898, Boston, Massachusetts — died 28 June 1972) was an American cardiologist. ... Johann Eccarius (1818 - 1889) was a Thuringian tailor and labour activist. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818, Trier, Germany – March 14, 1883, London) was a German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ...

On October 5 the General Council was formed, with co-opted additional members representing other nationalities. Different groups offered proposals for the organisation: Louis Wolff (Mazzini's secretary) offered a proposal based on the rules and constitution of the Italian Workingmen’s Association (a Mazzinist organisation) and John Weston, an Owenite, also tabled a programme. Wolff left for Italy, and Lubez, rewrote it in a way which appalled Marx. Through deft manipulation of the sub-committee, Marx was left with all the papers, and set about writing the Address to the Working Classes, to which were attached a simplified set of rules. October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ... Giuseppe Mazzini (June 22, 1805 – March 10, 1872) was an Italian writer and politician whose efforts helped bring about the modern Italian state, rather than the medley of separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed in the nineteenth century. ... Sir John Weston Sir John Weston KCMG (b. ...

The International Workingmen's Association, at its founding, was an alliance of diverse groups, including French Mutualists, Blanquists, English Owenites, Italian republicans, followers of Mazzini, and other socialists of various persuasions. Over its short life it grew into a major movement, with local federations in many countries developing strong bases of working class activism. Karl Marx was a constant, and leading, figure from the start - he was elected to every succeeding General Council of the association. Mutualism is an economic theory or system, largely associated with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, based on a labor theory of value which holds that in extreme laissez-faire, market competition will cause the market values (prices) of commodities and services to align with the amount of labor embodied in those things. ... Louis Auguste Blanqui (February 8, 1805 _ January 1, 1881) was a French political activist. ... Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, with an emphasis on Liberty and ruled by the people. ... Giuseppe Mazzini (June 22, 1805 – March 10, 1872) was an Italian writer and politician whose efforts helped bring about the modern Italian state, rather than the medley of separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed in the nineteenth century. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818, Trier, Germany – March 14, 1883, London) was a German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ...

Due to the wide variety of philosophies present in the First International, there was conflict from the start. The first objections to Marx's came from the Mutualists who opposed communism and statism. However, shortly after Mikhail Bakunin and his followers (called Collectivists while in the International) joined in 1868, the First International became polarised into two camps, with Marx and Bakunin as their respective figureheads. Perhaps the clearest differences between the groups emerged over their proposed strategies for achieving their visions of socialism. The anarchists grouped around Bakunin favoured (in Kropotkin's words) "direct economical struggle against capitalism, without interfering in the political parliamentary agitation." Marxist thinking, at that time, focused on parliamentary activity. For example, when the new German Empire of 1871 became the first country to introduce manhood suffrage, many German socialists became active in the Marxist Social Democratic Party of Germany. Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownership of the means of production. ... Statism (or Etatism) is a very loose and often derogatory term that is used to describe: Specific instances of state intervention in personal, social or economic matters. ... Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 18 (30 N.S.), 1814–June 19 (July 1 N.S.), 1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the “fathers of modern anarchism. // In the spring of 1814, Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was born... Peter Kropotkin Prince Peter Alexeievich Kropotkin (Пётр Алексе́евич Кропо́ткин) ( December 9, 1842 - February 8, 1921) was one of Russias foremost anarchists and one of the first advocates... Motto: Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Polish (Posen, Lower Silesia,Upper Silesia, Masuria) French (Alsace-Lorraine) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or economic or social status. ... SPD redirects here. ...

The Geneva Congress, 1866

The Geneva Congress of 1866 consisted of three hundred and seventy four homosexual men, all related to John Armstrong, who decided to create a set of rules for times of war called The Geneva Convention. One of the main rules stated that "He who includes with all due respect, sir" with a comment, can say anything he or she feels necessary.

The Lausanne Congress, 1867

The Lausanne Congress of the International was held on September 2-8, 1867. Marx was unable to attend, as he was working on the final proofs of Das Capital. The Congress was attended by 64 delegates from Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. The reports delivered recorded the increased influence of the International on the working classes in various different countries. The Proudhonist delegates, primarily from France, influenced the orientation of the International’s activity and its programmatic principles. Despite the efforts of the General Council’s delegates, they succeeded in revising the resolutions of the Geneva Congress, passing a number of their resolutions, in particular on cooperation and credit, Das Kapital (Capital) is a treatise of political economy written by Karl Marx. ... This article is about cooperation as used in the social sciences. ... Look up credit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, the Congress confirmed the Geneva Congress resolutions on the economic struggle and strikes and passed a resolution on political freedom which emphasised that the social emancipation of workers was inseparable from political liberation. The Proudhonists also failed to seize the leadership of the International, as the Congress re-elected the General Council in its former composition and retained London as its seat. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

However, the Lausanne Congress ignored the General Council’s resolution and, resolved officially, to take part in the Congress of the League of Peace and Freedom. However, this Congress was attended by several General Council and some other International members and failed to resolve its political differences. Bakunins membership card of the League of Peace and Freedom The Inaugural Congress of the League of Peace and Freedom was originally planned for September 5, 1867 in Geneva. ...

The Brussels Congress, 1868

The Brussels Congress of the International in 1868, approved Marx’s tactics in regard to the League, opposing official affiliation to the League but calling upon the working class to combine efforts with all progressive anti-military forces.

The Hague Congress 1872

After the Paris Commune (1871), Bakunin characterised Marx's ideas as authoritarian, and predicted that if a Marxist party came to power its leaders would end up as bad as the ruling class they had fought against (notably in his Statism and Anarchy.) In 1872, the conflict in the First International climaxed with a final split between the two groups at the Hague Congress. This clash is often cited as the origin of the long-running conflict between anarchists and Marxists. From then on, the marxists and anarchists currents of socialism had distinct organisations, at various points including rival 'internationals'. Le Père Duchesne looking at the statue of Napoleon I on top of the Vendome column: Eh ben ! bougre de canaille, on va donc te foutre en bas comme ta crapule de neveu !… (Here! savage rascal, we will put you down just like your crook of a nephew!…) The... The term authoritarian is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population, generally without attempts at gaining the consent of the population. ... The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that societys political policy. ... The Hague Congress of the International Workers Association (September 1872) marked the end of this organization as a unitarian alliance of all socialist factions (Anarchists and Marxists). ... Anarchism and Marxism Even communist anarchism and Marxism are two very different political philosophies, although there is some similarity between the methodology and ideology of some anarchists and some Marxists, and the history of the two have often been intertwined. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and to the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ... Anarchism is a political philosophy or group of doctrines and attitudes centered on rejection of any form of compulsory government (cf. ... In politics, The International — such as, the First International, the Second International, or the Socialist International — may be short for any league of communist, radical, socialist, or union organizations from multiple countries. ...

In 1872, the organization was relocated to New York City. The First International disbanded 4 years later, at the 1876 Philadelphia conference. Attempts to revive the organization over the next five years failed. However, the Second International was established in 1889 as its successor. Meanwhile, the anarchists continued to consider that they were unfairly ejected from the IWA, and finally decided to refound it themselves in a congress held at Berlin in 1922 as the International Workers Association. Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... The phrase Second International has two meanings: For the international association of socialist parties of the late 19th century, see Second International (politics) and a successor organization, the Socialist International For one of the Merriam-Webster dictionaries of American English, see Websters New International Dictionary, Second Edition This is... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... The International Workers Association (IWA) (Spanish: AIT - Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores, and in German: IAA-Internationale ArbeiterInnen Assoziation) is an international anarcho-syndicalist federation of various labour unions from different countries. ...

Notes

See also

• Second International and Socialist International
• Third International (Comintern)
• Fourth International and Trotskyist internationals
• The Internationale
• International Workers Association
• List of left-wing internationals
• Victor Considérant (utopian socialist, member of the International)

The Second International was an organization formed in 1889 (after several years of preparation) by socialist and labour parties who wished to work together for international socialism. ... The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of social democratic, labor, and democratic socialist political parties. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including... The Fourth International (FI) is Trotskyisms international organization. ... This is a list of the many Trotskyist international tendencies. ... The Internationale (LInternationale in French) is the most famous socialist (and anarchist, communist and social democratic) song and one of the most widely recognized songs in the world. ... The International Workers Association (IWA) (Spanish: AIT - Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores, and in German: IAA-Internationale ArbeiterInnen Assoziation) is an international anarcho-syndicalist federation of various labour unions from different countries. ... In politics, The International — such as, the First International, the Second International, or the Socialist International — may be short for any league of communist, radical, socialist, or union organizations from multiple countries. ... Victor Prosper Considerant (1808–1893) was a French utopian Socialist and disciple of Fourier. ... Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern Socialist thought. ...

External links

• International Worker's Association official site
• History of the International Workingmen's Association, at Marxists.org
• [http://libcom.org/library/international-working-mens-association-iwma Libertarian Communist Library
• [International Working Men's Association (IWMA) Archive]

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1864/10/27.htmMarx's Inaugural Address] The Marxists Internet Archive (also known as MIA or Marxists. ...