International socialist worker

The Internationale socialist worker is an international organization having gathered the major part of the socialist parties, social democrats and members of the Labor Party between 1923 and 1946. It is the heiress of the Internationale worker (known as Second International ), and of the Union of the socialist parties for the international action (known as Union of Vienna or Internationale Two and half ).

History

The congress of Hamburg (21 May 25th, 1923)

The Congress of foundation of the International socialist worker (IOS) take place in Hamburg in May 1923, the parties which formed the Internationale worker which had not joined the Internationale Communist and the parties which formed the Union of the socialist parties for the international action, as well as parties without former international affiliation. Its seat is fixed at London and its two secretaries are Friedrich Adler and Thomas Shaw. Although made of parties having refused the affiliation with the International Communist, the IOS gives an opinion against the foreign interventions in Russia, and for the recognition of the mode Bolshevik. She proclaims also the need for the fight against the dictatorships and for the amendment of the treaties resulting from the First World War. To died of Lénine, Adler addressed a telegram of condolence to the Internationale Communist in the name of the IOS.

The congress of Marseilles (22 August 27th, 1925)

At the time of its congress, joint effort of SFIO, British Ploughing, and German SPD for the amendment of the treaties are greeted. The IOS reaffirms also its bonds with the international Trade union federation to fight against the economic depression. But if the congress recognizes the need for fighting for the unit of the working class, he refuses to collaborate with the Internationale Communist and the Communist party of the Soviet Union, in addition, he notes the collapse of the party of the IC apart from Russia. He in addition asks the Soviet evacuation of the troops of Georgia. He condemns also the Italy Fasciste, and particularly the murder of the deputy Giacomo Matteotti.

The IOS is then primarily a European organization, since these allies in America, the American Socialist party and the Argentinian Socialist party account less than 30.000 members to them two, whereas the IOS counts a little more than 6 million members, of which almost the half are members of the Labor .

The congress also decides to transfer the seat from London to Zurich, and Friedrich Adler becomes the single secretary.

The congress of Brussels (5 August 11th, 1928)

The congress recognizes the projections of some of its parties members, but also of the labor movement, and adopts a proclamation on the world political situation and the international labor movement and is delighted by advanced towards Peace, in particular the Pacte Briand-Kellogg. But she recalls that a true peace will not be possible that if the workers arrive at the capacity to build the socialist company. Lastly, she denounces the dictatorships reactionaries and fascists.

The IOS condemns the remarks of the Life congress of the Internationale Communist predicting a war inevitable imperialist, and if she has recognized the efforts made for several years by the Soviet masses, she also notes that the Soviet capacity maintains under its domination the workers and of many national minorities. The IOS calls the IC used the democracy like a means for the working emancipation, and renews its calls to the union of the working class.

The congress of Vienna (July 25th - August 1st, 1931)

The economic crisis surprises the IOS which decides to form with the international Trade union federation a common committee to answer the crisis. The report submitted to the beginning of the year 1931 explains the crisis by the incapacity of capitalism to maintain the purchasing power. It invites to fight against the deflationary policies. The congress puts this objective ahead, as well as the fight against the Fascism, whose under the influence of Otto Bauer, the IOS makes its absolute priority. It is particularly anxious situation in Germany.

The arrival of Hitler to the capacity and the weakening of the IOS (1933)

As of on February 18th, 1933, the IOS invites with the unit of the German workmen to fight against the mode Nazi which has just settled, and is declared ready to cooperate on this question with the Internationale Communist. The SPD which was the most powerful party of the IOS is however put at bottom, weakening the action of the International one much.

From August 20th to 25th at the time of the Conference of Paris, three position clashes, that carried mainly by the Labor , but also by the Scandinavians and the Czechs who calls with a socialism humanistic, likely to attract the middle-classes and preventing them from sinking in Fascism, on the other hand, the left carried out by French Jean Zyromski, Italian Pietro Nenni and the Belgian Paul-Henri Spaak invite with the revolutionary fight to precede the fascists in the seizure of power, and call with new discussions with the Internationale Communist. Finally, it is a motion supported by Friedrich Adler, Leon Blum and Otto Bauer which is adopted, appealing with the unit with the Communists on the ground of the antifascism, provided that they cease their attacks against the social democrats, and invites the IOS to keep a revolutionary and proletarian way distinct from that of the IC. Lastly, the conference invites the whole of the socialist parties to express against Fascism in the week of November 9th.

However in spite of this call, the IOS is weakened by the refusal of the IC to collaborate with it, and by the collapse of the social democrat Parti Austria.

The Popular front and the disappearance of the IOS (1934-1940)

Starting from the middle of the year 1934, the Internationale Communist answers favorably at the requests of joint work of the International socialist worker. October 15th, Emile Vandervelde, president of the IOS, and Friedrich Adler, its general secretary, meets with Brussels Marcel Cachin and Maurice Thorez representatives of the executive of the IC. The meeting with for goal to discuss a campaign of solidarity towards the minors the Asturies. The declaration recalls that if the unit of action is already possible in France, the twelve years of cold between the two international ones cannot be unobtrusive in one day, and the IOS considers it regrettable that this bringing together did not take place earlier, in particular before arrived of Hitler at the capacity.

As from 1935, the IOS is pushed by a certain number of its parties members, in particular the French Section of the International worker, the Swiss Socialist party, the Spanish working Socialist party, the Italian Socialist party (in exile), the Parti working social democrat Russia (Menchevik) entered into negotiation for the unit of action with the IC. But the executive is very reticent there, whereas the IC basically did not change its position with respect to social democracy, as Friedrich Adler notes it by commenting on the resolutions of VIIe congress of the IC. Moreover, it considers sufficient the authorization given to the parties members to collaborate with the parties of the IC, and some, as in France, one already made up of the Popular front.

At the beginning of the War of Spain, the IOS and the IC consider a joint work, but the wave of the Procès of Moscow dissuades the IOS to further go. The Accords of Munich deeply divided the IOS between the resistance incarnated by the Labor, the pacifism of SFIO, and the nationalism of the Parti working Belgian, Swiss Socialist party and of the Scandinave S. Friedrich Adler is made vehement in the name of the delegation abroad Austrian Social democrats, to denounce the impotence of the IOS.

April 3rd, 1940, is held the last meeting of the office of IOs which elects a group made up of three former presidents (Louis De Brouckère (1936-1939), Albarda (1939-1940) and Camille Huysmans (1940)) to maintain the flame of IOs during the war. This group settles with London, under the protection of the Labor.

The international socialist activity during the Second world war (1940-1944)

Since 1941, the group of the former presidents makes appear the bulletin International Socialist Forum every month, moreover one international supplement to the Labor Close Service appears as from 1942, and of the meetings of the socialist groups in exile in London meet under the aegis of the Labor. The contacts will take again in the form of international socialist Conférences which will lead in 1951 to the creation of the Internationale Socialist. The IOS was officially dissolved in 1946, with the conference of Bournmouth.

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