Reform, Revolution, and Opportunism: Debates in the Second International, 19001910

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An essential record from the Second International, expertly curated by Under the Socialist Banner editor Mike Taber.

At its height, the Second International (1889-1916) represented the majority of organized workers in the world, and the largest of its affiliated parties counted over a million members. Its congresses drew delegates from across the globe, and its major victorieslike the eight-hour work dayhave long outlasted the organization itself.

captures the Internationals vibrancy and gives a snapshot of its strengths, weaknesses, and contradictions. Socialist militants turned to the Second International to deliberate on how best to combat the latest deprivations and excesses of capitalism, which was stretching beyond national boundaries for the first time. These new issues and the debates about how to respond to themsurging immigration; what to say about colonialism; how to relate to burgeoning struggles for womens rights; the drive to intern-imperialist warremain deeply contested over a hundred years later.

offers a rounded view of the Second International and its legacy, showing it to be a living, breathing movement with crucial insights for contemporary radicals.

Reviews

Praise for Under the Socialist Banner Mike Tabers Under the Socialist Banner gives us a sparkling portrayal of working-class thought and action at the dawn of the twentieth century. Collected resolutions of international socialist gatherings convey the quest of working people for democracy, peace, gender equality, and global wellbeing. John Riddell, general editor, The Communist International in Lenins Time An invaluable resource for the new generation of radicals today who are looking to revive the socialist movements best traditions. A must read for anybody looking to understand the politics and promise of the Second International. Eric Blanc, author of Red State Revolt: The Teachers' Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics I wonder if even Mike Taber is fully aware of what he has accomplished by the magnificent job of research and editing needed to put together this collection of authoritative statements by the international congresses of the Second International. Penned by the sharpest Marxist minds of their generation, these resolutions show us a consistent outlook applied to the manifold crises and challenges of two crucial decades. A must-read for anyone interested in the Marxist tradition. Lars Lih, author of Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done In Context

Author Bio

Mike Taber has edited and prepared numerous books on the history of the revolutionary and working-class movementsfrom collections of documents of the Communist International under Lenin to works by figures such as Leon Trotsky, Malcolm X, and Che Guevara. Most recent books include Under the Socialist Banner: Resolutions of the Second International, 18891912; The Communist Womens Movement, 19201922; The Communist Movement at a Crossroads: Plenums of the Communist Internationals Executive Committee, 19221923; and Clara Zetkin: Fighting Fascism: How to Struggle and How to Win.