MIA > Archive > Wilhelm Liebknecht > Socialism: What It Is and What It Seeks to Accomplish
Socialism to a certain extent must inevitably bear the mark of the time and country in which it is evolving. Behind and around this, however, is its primarily cosmopolitan nature. Due to this fact of its international character, that it is a movement of the world’s proletariat, a pamphlet like the following will contain matter of interest for all socialists.
The entire work consists of two articles, the first of which was prepared in 1875, the second in 1891.[a] Viewed historically, the opening article gives an excellent idea of socialist philosophy at that time. The fundamental principles of socialism are set forth with great clearness and a study of it cannot help but strengthen the sense of the certainty of those doctrines that have endured the attacks of a century.
Some few minor points will be noticed in which the position then taken differs from that of the German movement of to-day.
These are mostly attributable to the influence of Lassalle and will be seen to disappear in the second article, where the reasons for their acceptance at that time and their later rejection are explained.
The final article is a powerful summing up of the argument for socialism, with an exposition of its present philosophy, principles and tactics.
A few passages of local interest only have been omitted in the translation.
The translation of the Erfurt programme is taken from Dr. R. T. Ely’s “Socialism and Social Reform” and is his adaptation of the translation to be found in the “Blue Book,” giving the report of the Royal Commission on Labor in Germany, published in London, 1893.
The author, Wilhelm Liebknecht, born in 1826, was a student of the Universities of Giessen, Marburg and Berlin. He early became identified with the German labor movement and in 1850 lived in exile with Marx in London for seeking to unite the labor unions on a socialist basis.
On his return he was made editor of the party organ which eventually grew into the Vorwärts. At the outbreak of the Franco-German war, 1870-71, both he and Bebel wrote and spoke fearlessly against the iniquity of the struggle and pointed out to the German and French workingmen that there was no quarrel between them. For this they were arrested and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in the fortress of Hubertusburg.
On his release Liebknecht, now editor of the Vorwärts, became instrumental in bringing about a union between the Lassallians and Eisenachers on the basis of the Gotha platform adopted in 1875.
During the twelve years from 1878 to 1890 Liebknecht was the most powerful instrument that helped to foil the anti-socialist legislation of Bismarck.
Since this time his history as a leader in the German parliament is well known to the reading public.
In his entire career it can be said of him that “he would sacrifice no principle for the sake of personal gain or advancement.” He is satisfied with the merest necessities of life, so long as he can serve his cause.[b]
[a] The original pamphlet mistakenly reads “1894”.
[b] While for much of his life Wilhelm Liebknecht did indeed live in poverty and did indeed resign from lucrative editorial posts on account of his principles, by 1899 he was positively wealthy, owing to early investments in the socialist press, royalties from his writings, and multiple well-paid posts at Vorwärts and in the Reichstag. According to Raymond Dominick’s 1982 biography of Liebknecht, he spent more than double the annual wage of the median German worker (700 marks) solely on the annual rent for his upscale Berlin apartment (1,750 marks), and had a total income of roughly 10,000 marks a year. A motion to limit the salaries of party functionaries at the 1892 Berlin congress was voted down after defensive speeches by Liebknecht and Bebel, and future party leaders prospered without having spent a day in poverty.
Last updated on 24 July 2023