Socialism in Europe and Russian revolution 1

 Introduction (the age of social change)

 As studied in first chapter French revolution has created possibilities to bring

dramatically change including equality, fraternity & liberty in Europe.

 However, not everyone was in favor of this change of society. Responses varied

from those who want complete change, or wishes for gradual shift or wanted to

restructure society. These variations give rise to liberals, radicals and

conservatives.

Radicals:

 They wanted a nation in which government is based on majority of country’s

population. They were in favor of existence of private property but don’t want

concentration of people in few hands.

 Conservatives:

 They wanted a nation which resists change, but later by 19th century they opened

their mind to need for change. They also wanted to respect past and brought

change through slow process.

 Industrialization and social change

 New cities of industrialized regions developed, railways expanded; men, women

and children brought to factories.

 Liberal and radical searched solution for housing, sanitation and unemployment

issues.

 Socialization in Europe:

 Socialists in Europe were against private property [because (a) Propertied owns

property that gave employment but only concerned with personal gain and not for welfare of others. (b) Some socialization believed in the idea of cooperatives and

others demanded that government must encourage cooperatives.]

 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels added other ideas. Marx argued that industrial

society was ‘Capitalist’, who aimed capital invested in factories and profit was

produced by workers.

 Marx believed that a socialist society would free the workers from capitalism; it

would be a communist society.