the International

INTERNATIONAL, THE. A number of international as sociations or congresses of Labour and Socialist bodies have at various times adopted the title of the "International," and three of them are of historic importance. The first of these, having for its full title the International Working Men's Association, was established in 1864, and came to an end ten years later after a troubled existence. This was commonly known as "The Interna tional," and is thus termed historically. Founded under the leader ship of Karl Marx and Engels—Marx himself drew up its pro gramme in 1866—it was in some of its elements a revolutionary body and as such is revered by the Communists of the loth century.

The Second (Socialist) International, was founded 15 years after the demise of the International, and constituted, down to the outbreak of the World War, a body representative of the world's Labour-Socialists. The war brought irreconcilable differ ences and consequent secessions, and the establishment of a Bol shevist Government in Russia led to the formation in 1919 of the Third (Communist) International, also known as the Komin tern, which now leads the world's revolutionary forces, the Sec ond (Socialist) International adhering to moderate views and the parliamentary principle. The Second and Third Internationals thus exist (1928) contemporaneously. In the following sections, the history of these three bodies is described in some detail.

THE (FIRST) INTERNATIONALThe(FIRST) INTERNATIONAL The International Working Men's Association, commonly called "The International," was formed in London in 1864. It was a so ciety of working men of all nations, somewhat like a cosmopolitan trades union, but bearing a still closer resemblance to an interna tional social science association for discussing and furthering the rights of labour. The occasion of its formation is commonly al leged to be the visit of some French workmen to the London Ex hibition of 1862. In the course of their visit the labour question was discussed, and a desire for the further interchange of ideas expressed. Nothing decisive was done till 1864, when a great public meeting of working men of all nations was held at St. Martin's hall, London, and a provisional committee was appointed to draft the constitution of the new association.

The first four congresses of the International, held at Geneva (September 1866), Lausanne (1867), Brussels (1868) and Basle (1869), marked the rapid development of the association. It gained its first triumph in the effectual support of the bronze workers at Paris during their lock-out in 1867 ; and it repeatedly aided the English trade unionists by preventing the importation of blackleg labour from the Continent. It soon spread as far east as Poland and Hungary, and it had affiliated societies with journals devoted to its cause in every country of western Europe.

Anarchism v. Socialism.

It was supposed to be concerned in all the revolutionary movements and agitations of Europe, gain ing notoriety as the rallying point of social overthrow and ruin. Its prestige, however, was always based more on the vast possi bilities of the cause it represented than on its actual power. Its organization was loose, its financial resources insignificant ; the Continental unionists joined it more in the hope of borrowing than of contributing support. At the successive congresses its So cialist tendencies became more and more pronounced ; it declared its opposition to private property not only in railways but in mines and the soil, holding that these should revert to the com munity. The principle of inheritance was saved only by a narrow majority. In 1869 M. Bakunin, the Russian anarchist, with his immediate followers, joined the association, and at once asserted his character as the "apostle of universal destruction." The relation of the association to the Communard rising at Paris in the spring of 1871 has been the subject of much dispute. It is now agreed that the International as such had no part in originating it, but its French members joined in it heartily. Af ter the fall of the Commune the general council of London, Karl Marx included, issued a long and trenchant manifesto, approving its action and extolling the "glorious vanquished." From the fall of the Commune the decline of the association is to be dated. The English trade unionists, intent on more practical concerns at home, never took a deep interest in its proceedings; the German Socialists were hindered by law from corporate action ; America was too remote. But it found its worst enemies within its own ranks; there was a deep division between the Socialists led by Marx and the anarchists led by Bakunin and the Swiss Federation of the Jura at the congress of 1872, held at The Hague, when Bakunin, being expelled by the Marx party, formed a rival Inter national, which found its chief support in Spain and Italy. The old International now transferred the seat of its general council to New York; but it survived only long enough to hold two more congresses (Geneva 1874, Philadelphia 1876) and then quietly expired.

The party of Bakunin, styling themselves "autonomists," had a bloodier history. The programme of this party concentrated on the violent destruction of the State, passing over subsequent diffi culties. It endeavoured to realize this in the great communal ris ings in southern Spain in 1873, when its adherents took part in the general insurrection, and at Alcoy, San Lucar de Barrameda and elsewhere were for a short while in power. They failed in leadership and organization, and were suppressed, though not with out difficulty, by the national troops. The "autonomists" lingered on till 1879, when the collapse was complete of an association which once extended from Hungary to San Francisco, and alarmed the minds of men with visions of universal ruin. (X.)