HISTORY A LEVEL(FORM SIX) NOTES – THE RISE OF DICTATORSHIP IN GERMANY, ITALY AND JAPAN

THE RISE OF DICTATORSHIP IN GERMANY, ITALY AND JAPAN

A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, a dictator. In this government, the power rests entirely on one person or group of people. A dictator is not restricted by law, constitution, or other social and political factors within the state.

Characteristics of dictatorship

1. Total wipe of democracy. There is no democracy and no right to view or speech.
2. Militarism as a means of achieving political goals.
3. Excessive use of terror and propaganda in order to enforce will and punish, arrest without trial, and threaten opponents.
4. Anti-Semitism – excessive racial segregation.
5. Personality cult. Dictatorship is characterized by excessive worship of a dictator, obeying without question.
6. Mass killings and genocides of opponents.
7. Absence of freedom of the press. The dictator controls newspapers, magazines, books, radios, and TV stations.
8. Extreme nationalism and super patriotism. The glories of the nation are pictured as right and just.
9. Denial of international peace and cooperation to refrain from international peace arrangements.

One of the factors that contributed to the rise of dictatorships was the Great Depression of 1929–1933.

An economic depression refers to a slump in the economy of a country. In 1929, the economy of the entire world was hit by a period of depression; therefore, the Great Depression refers to the worldwide business slump of the 1930s characterized by high unemployment and low business activity.

FASCISM AND MUSSOLINI IN ITALY

Fascism was a political system that existed in Italy during the interwar period, i.e., between the First and the Second World War. The Italian version of fascism was “fascio,” meaning a group or squad of a few determined superior men. In the period after World War One, the word Fascism was used to denote groups of people organized to fight communism and socialism by force.

Basic principles of Fascism:

1. Extreme nationalism
   An emphasis was laid on building up the greatness and prestige of the Italian state, with the implication that one’s own nation is superior to others. Thus, the fascists wanted Italy to become a power in Europe.
2. A totalitarian system of government
   The Fascist party removed all free elections and banned all trade unions. All communications and the press were restricted by the government. All radio programs and newspapers were closely controlled by the state. This was important to protect the interest of the state, which was more important than the interest of the individual.
3. A one-party state
   All political parties except the Fascist party were banned so that Italy became a one-party state like the Soviet Union. All political meetings and associations were forbidden. The Fascist party members were mostly the elite of the nation who would win mass support with thrilling speeches and skillful propaganda.
4. Economic self-sufficiency
   This was seen as a precondition in the development of the state. The government had to direct the economic life of a country, although this was not to be through public ownership of the means of production.
5. Military strength and violence
   Military strength and violence were an integral part of life. Mussolini himself once remarked that, “Peace is absurd, fascism does not believe in it.” Hence Mussolini fostered the myth that they had seized power by revolution.
6. Opposed capitalism
   Fascism was strongly against capitalism, which was associated with exploitation and oppression. The Fascists hated western capitalist countries such as Britain and France.

RISE OF MUSSOLINI AND FASCISM IN ITALY

Mussolini was born in 1883; he was a violent and headstrong boy. He qualified as a teacher but soon he turned to journalism. Mussolini often remarked that Italy needed a dictator who would be able to make “a clean sweep.”

Several factors can be advanced to explain why Mussolini and his Fascist party gained political power in 1922. It should be emphasized that there was an atmosphere of general frustration in Italy.

1. The Italians had been disappointed by the outcome of the Paris peace settlement in 1915. Italy joined the Great War for the Allied powers who had promised her many territories such as Trentino, part of Dalmatia, Trieste, etc. Unfortunately, Italy was not given all the territories she was promised. The Italians felt cheated as the gains from the conference could not match the costs of the war. The leadership was condemned as inefficient because it failed to defend the interests of the Italians.
2. Spread of communism and socialism.
   The growth of communism and socialism in Italy threatened the interests of the rich middle class. The rich middle class was the most powerful group that owned factories and industries in Italy. With the spread of socialist propaganda to nationalize private enterprise, the economic interests of the middle class were threatened; thus, they gave their support to Mussolini whom they believed would stop the spread of communism.
3. Internal insecurity.
   Between 1919 and 1920, there was a wave of strikes accompanied by violence, looting of shops, and occupation of factories by workers. Because of this, it was clear that Italy needed a strong and determined leader, which Mussolini seemed to be.
4. Mussolini’s character and personality.
   Mussolini had a strong character and personality, and his fascist party was attractive to many sections of Italian society. Mussolini promised to restore complete law and order, security, and stability at a time when they were badly needed. In addition, Mussolini also promised to transform Italy into a great world power.

THE VERSAILLES TREATY OF 1919

The Versailles Treaty refers to the particular clauses (conditions or principles) which were given to Germany and which were accepted and signed by Germany at Versailles in 1919.

The Versailles Treaty was one of the post-war settlements through which the leading powers during the Paris conference hoped to restore peace on the European continent and to avoid another crisis like World War One.

According to the peace makers (Britain, France, and the USA), the Versailles Treaty seemed to be an idea of peace settlement to the Germans. The treaty had a lot of unrealistic terms.

TERMS OF THE VERSAILLES TREATY

1. Germany’s armaments were strictly limited.
   Germany was only allowed a maximum of 100,000 troops just for domestic safety. Germany was not allowed to own military tanks and military aircraft. The intention was to weaken Germany militarily and prevent her from revenging; this would maintain peace in continental Europe.
2. War guilt clause.
   The peace makers blamed Germany for the outbreak of World War One. The war guilt clause fixed the blame of World War One only on Germany and her allies.
3. War reparations.
   Germany was to pay reparations for the damage done to the Allied powers. The actual amount was not decided at Versailles but it was announced later that Germany was to pay 6,600 million US dollars in 1921. This figure was too high to be effectively paid by a single country, especially after the Great War.
4. Loss of territories.
   Germany had to lose territories in Europe and Africa. In Europe, Germany lost Alsace and Lorraine to France. In Africa, Germany lost all her colonies such as Tanganyika, Togo, Cameroon, and present-day Namibia, which were taken and made mandate territories under the supervision of the League of Nations.
5. Establishment of the League of Nations.
   The Allied powers agreed to form an international organ which would maintain lasting peace in Europe. This organ was the League of Nations, established in 1920.

WAS THE VERSAILLES TREATY REALISTIC OR UNREALISTIC?

UNREALISTIC

1. Treaty was imposed on Germany.
   The treaty was forced upon the Germans at Versailles where they were simply presented with terms and told to sign without opposing. The Allied powers, especially France, were given many chances to criticize Germany but the Germans were not given any chance to defend themselves.
2. Disarmament.
   The disarmament was strongly objected by the Germans claiming that 100,000 troops were to maintain law and order at a time of political uncertainty. The Germans became more aggrieved later as it became clear that other powers were not disarming.
3. War guilt clause.
   The war guilt clause was also contested by the Germans on the grounds that Germany alone was to blame for the outbreak of World War One. The Germans argued that if other powers had not acted the way they did, like forming counter alliances, perhaps World War One would have been avoided.
4. War reparations.
   The war reparations were the final humiliation for the Germans. The Allied powers forced Germany to pay 6,600 million dollars. The figure was too high to be effectively paid by a single country, especially after World War One.
5. Repartitioning of Germany.
   Another weakness of the Versailles Treaty lay in the repartitioning of Germany whereby Germany was forced to lose her territories to other European countries. For example, the port of Danzig was given to Poland, therefore subjecting some Germans to Polish control.
6. Dominated by the three big powers.
   The Versailles Treaty was not fair because the resolutions had been dominated by the three big powers, i.e., Britain, France, and the USA. It is clear that the resolutions favored Britain and France at the expense of Germany. For example, France gained 15 years custody of the Saar valley, which was rich in coal, while Britain gained some of the mandate territories like Tanganyika.

REALISTIC

In spite of the above weaknesses and unfairness, one can strongly argue that the Versailles Treaty was fair to some extent.

1. It was fair to the French to regain Alsace and Lorraine, which Germany had forcefully annexed following their defeat in 1871. This region was rich in coal and supported the French industrial revolution.
2. The treaty gave freedom to small nationalities that had been subjected to foreign domination for so long. For example, Poland was given her independence.
3. The treaty forced Germany to disarm because if it was not disarmed, it would have been very difficult to maintain continental peace since Germany was capable of troubling Europe shortly thereafter.
4. It was fair for Poland, a landlocked country, to be given access to the sea if it was to gain economic stability.

NB: It is worth noting that the French representatives had used the treaty not for achieving lasting peace in Europe but to revenge on Germany for defeating France in 1871. It is the unfairness in this treaty that caused future trouble for Europe and the world.

THE ORIGINS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1929–1933

The crisis of 1929–1932 was the most profound crisis of capitalist production. It took European economies four years. The crisis struck deeper in the United States of America.

Various causes account for the occurrence of the Great Depression.

1. Wall Street crashes
   Wall Street is a street in New York City where buying and selling of shares takes place. The Wall Street crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression. The prices of shares were increasing rapidly, forcing people to buy more and more shares, but suddenly the prices of shares started to fall drastically and the people who had bought so many shares started to sell them at giveaway prices. A large number of individuals and enterprises who had lent out money to the capitalists to make an interest ran bankrupt because the capitalists failed to pay back the loans.
2. Overproduction in the United States of America
   After World War One, the USA became the leading economic power. In the 1920s, American factories and farmlands produced more and more products expecting world trade to continue to expand. Due to increased production that lacked enough demand, prices of commodities declined reducing profits. Capitalists responded by cutting down production, which led to reduction of the workforce and widespread unemployment.
3. Nature of capitalists’ production
   The capitalists believed in the Laissez-faire policy whereby the government does not intervene in economic activities. Due to the tendency of capitalists to compete with one another, they tend to produce more than the existing demand, which leads to a fall in prices and therefore a fall in profits. This forces the capitalists to reduce production and close their factories, leading to unemployment.
4. Concentration of wealth in the hands of the minority and poverty in the hands of the majority
   This led to disproportion between investment and consumption. Due to poverty, there was inadequate demand which forced prices to fall, leading to reduction in profits. Thus, the capitalists were forced to reduce production and reduce the workforce, which led to widespread unemployment.
5. Interdependence of countries
   Due to the interdependence of countries, a crisis in one country was bound to have serious consequences in another country. This explains why the Wall Street crash in the USA forced her to withdraw the loans that she had lent out to European countries, hence having disastrous consequences in European countries. For example, Germany failed to pay the war reparations.
6. Protectionist policies
   Poor economic policies like protectionism were also a cause of the Great Depression. The USA during the interwar period pursued protectionism whereby it carried out discriminatory policies against world economies. The USA introduced the “McCumber Tariff” in 1922 to shelter her economy against imports from other nations.
7. Effects of World War I
   The effects of World War One also contributed to the outbreak of the Great Depression. World War One led to high production, low prices, and profits, hence contributing to the Great Depression.

IMPACT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION ON EUROPE AND AMERICA

(Factors for rise of dictatorship)

The Great Depression had a tremendous impact on the metropolitan economies for a period of four years. The effects are the following:

1. Massive unemployment
   The Great Depression was characterized by low prices that led to reduction in profit; the decline in profits compelled the capitalists to retrench workers, thus leading to massive unemployment which rose from 3.2% in 1929 to 24.9% in 1939.
2. Decline in production
   There was a massive fall in the level of production activities; the Great Depression was characterized by falling prices and profits which forced the capitalists to reduce production and in some cases to close their industries and factories.
3. Widespread poverty
   The Great Depression led to widespread poverty both in the United States of America and Europe. Poverty was due to low purchasing power caused by massive unemployment.
4. Collapse of the agricultural sector
   The Great Depression contributed to the collapse of the agricultural sector. The fall in production was caused by the rising prices of farm implements such as tractors and fertilizers. Due to the rise in prices, farmers could not purchase the farm implements, thus contributing to the collapse of the agricultural sector.
5. Inflation
   The Great Depression contributed to widespread inflation in both the United States of America and Europe. The Great Depression was characterized by low levels of production which later pushed up prices due to rising demand for goods. In 1929, countries such as Germany and Britain were characterized by hyperinflation that reduced the value of their currencies.
6. Collapse of international trade
   The Great Depression contributed to the decline of international trade because it was associated with hyperinflation which contributed to loss of the value of money, thus discouraging trade among countries. The Great Depression also contributed to the collapse of many commercial banks, which also contributed to the collapse of international trade.
7. Rise of dictatorship in Europe, for example Italy and Germany
8. Decline in working conditions

NAZISM IN GERMANY

The word Nazism comes from the word “Nazi,” which was a popular abbreviation for a member of Adolf Hitler’s political party called the National Socialist Party. Nazism was a dominant political system that arose during the interwar period. It was dominant in Germany.

Characteristics of Nazism

1. The destruction of democracy
   The National Socialist Party removed all free elections and banned all trade unions. All communications and the press were restricted by the government. All radio programs and newspapers were closely controlled by the state.
2. Adoption of a one-party state
   All political parties except the National Socialist Party were banned, so that Germany became a one-party state like the Soviet Union. All political meetings and associations were forbidden.
3. Glorification of the military
   There was creation of a large and strong military and police machinery. Hitler created a huge police force and a tough secret police called the “Gestapo”. After 1933, Hitler withdrew Germany from the League of Nations and embarked on a policy of rearmament.
4. Racism
   The Nazi philosophy always emphasized Germany’s hatred for all foreign races, especially the Jews. German textbooks were rewritten to fit in with the Nazi philosophy; the most obvious were History and Biology. History was distorted to reflect Hitler’s views that great things can only be achieved by using force, while Biology was dominated by the Nazi race theory which reflected the greatness of Germans as opposed to other nationalities.
5. Expansionism
   Hitler’s political party had two political aims:
   – Reuniting Germany that had been split by the Allied powers in 1919.
   – Obtaining for Germany a leading role in Europe in the form of overseas colonies.
6. In March 1938, German troops entered Austria without resistance and controlled it for seven years. They again overran Czechoslovakia with little resistance, and in 1939 they invaded Poland with the aim of liberating one million Germans.
7. Dominated by totalitarianism
   Nazism was dominated by totalitarianism. Nazism believed that “nothing should be above the state, nothing outside the state, and nothing against the state.” Hitler used to make remarks like, “Believe! Obey! Fight!”
8. Against capitalism
   Nazism was strongly against capitalism which was associated with exploitation and oppression. The Nazis hated Western capitalist countries such as Britain and France.

REASONS FOR THE RISE OF NAZISM IN GERMANY

1. The effects of the Versailles Treaty
   The treaty was too harsh for Germany, for example, it involved the partitioning of Germany and forcing her to pay reparations that were fixed at 6.5 million pounds. Hitler promised to overthrow the Versailles Treaty and rebuild Germany into a great power again; hence the majority of Germans turned to Hitler and the Nazi party.
2. The effects of the Great Depression
   The economic hardships brought about by the Great Depression shook the basis of the Weimar Republic’s existence. Between 1929 and 1933, the unemployment problem worsened; for example, 6 million Germans were unemployed. The USA withdrew her loan scheme from the Germans, which led to the decline in wages and fall in industrial production. The majority of the Germans turned to Nazism.
3. The weakness of the Weimar Republic
   The Weimar Republic was declared after Kaiser William II fled in 1918. It was the first democratic republic with a democratic constitution. However, the republic had many problems; for example, it lacked support from the Germans because they argued that it accepted the humiliating and unpopular Versailles Treaty with its harsh terms. Consequently, most of the Germans supported the Nazi party.
4. Effects of World War One
   The defeat of Germany in the Great War frustrated many Germans. German nationalists like Hitler often remarked that Germany was not defeated, but simply betrayed by the Kaiser’s government. There was widespread discontent in Germany; there was low production that led to scarcity of goods, therefore contributing to hyperinflation. For example, in 1923 one British pound was equivalent to 20,000,000,000,000 marks whereas in 1918 it was only 20 marks. With all these hardships, the Germans turned to Hitler.
5. The fear of a socialist revolution
   The bourgeoisie supported the Nazi party with the hope that it would keep out communist policies and communism itself. Communism advocates for nationalization of private enterprises and redistribution of wealth; hence the bourgeoisie decided to support Hitler who would protect their enterprises.
6. The role of Hitler
   As soon as Hitler was appointed chancellor, he banned all political parties and declared the Nazi party as the only legal party, thus playing a leading role in the rise of Nazism in Germany.

FACTORS FOR THE RISE OF HITLER INTO POWER IN GERMANY

Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 at Braunau, Austria-Hungary on the border with Germany. Hitler earned his living by painting and selling postcards, which obviously earned him little profit. In spite of this humble beginning and miserable experiences, Hitler became an outstanding politician and dictator on the European continent.

1. Popularity of the Nazi party
   The Nazi party was popular in Germany, especially between 1932 and 1933. The party raised hopes for national unity, revising a prosperous economy, and improving living conditions, particularly for the unemployed. The party got support from the rich middle class, namely the professionals, merchants, civil servants, and other white-collar workers.
2. Antipathy against the Versailles Treaty
   Hitler became popular among the German nationalists because he promised to overthrow the Versailles settlement. Hitler reminded the Germans that the treaty would not be morally accepted because it discounted Germany, yet it cost Bismarck time and blood to build.
3. The communist threat
   The big capitalists of Germany saw in Hitler the protection of their interests against the communists and the socialists. Communism and socialism had grown too strong in Germany because they advocated for nationalization and redistribution of wealth.
4. Economic problems
   The economic hardships brought about by the Great Depression and World War One had disastrous effects on the Germans. There was general discontent and frustration which undermined people’s confidence in the Weimar Republic because it had no solutions; hence the Germans turned to Hitler.
5. Strong personality
   It must be borne in mind that Hitler had a strong character in relation to his political opponents in 1933. He was the most powerful diplomatic figure in German politics and an orator of the 20th century. He was so attractive to the Germans by his propaganda and political speeches. He exploited the corruption and mismanagement of the Weimar Republic.
6. The weakness of the Weimar Republic
   The Weimar Republic was declared after Kaiser William II fled in 1918. It was the first democratic republic with a democratic constitution. However, the republic had many problems; for example, it lacked support from the Germans because they argued that it accepted the humiliating and unpopular Versailles Treaty with its harsh terms. Consequently, most of the Germans supported the Nazi party.
7. Effects of World War One
   The defeat of Germany in the Great War frustrated many Germans. German nationalists like Hitler often remarked that Germany was not defeated, but simply betrayed by the Kaiser’s government. There was widespread discontent in Germany; there was low production that led to scarcity of goods, therefore contributing to hyperinflation. For example, in 1923 one British pound was equivalent to 20,000,000,000 marks whereas in 1918 it was only 20 marks. With all these hardships, the Germans turned to Hitler.

EFFECTS OF FASCISM AND NAZISM IN EUROPE

1. Outbreak of World War Two
   The expansionist policies pursued by Mussolini had a great role to play in the outbreak of the Second World War. Hitler and Mussolini wanted to control the whole world. Hitler attacked Austria, Czechoslovakia, and finally Poland. The attack on Poland forced Britain and France to drop the appeasement policy and declare war on Germany, causing World War Two.
2. Rise of dictators on the European continent
   The political systems of Nazism and Fascism contributed to the rise of dictators on the European continent. The governments of Germany and Italy were characterized by the absence of democracy. The press was under state control, political meetings and associations were prohibited. There was no freedom of speech.
3. Collapse of the League of Nations
   The policies of Hitler and Mussolini contributed greatly to the collapse of the League of Nations. The two leaders ignored the resolutions of the league; Italy attacked Ethiopia in 1935, and Germany attacked Austria in 1934 and Poland in 1939. The actions of Hitler and Mussolini weakened the League of Nations and accounted for its eventual collapse in 1945.
4. Weakened the economies of Europe
   Nazism contributed to the decline of the economy of Germany and other European nations. Nazism contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War that caused widespread insecurity and disrupted economic activities. The European powers also invested many resources in the war, which contributed to their decline as world powers.
5. Terror and violence
   The policies of Nazism and Fascism brought terror and violence in Europe. Nazism was associated with racial segregation. The Germans believed that their race was the most superior race; they argued that the Jews were contaminating their race, hence there was a need to eliminate them. Hitler killed many Jews in concentration camps; it is believed that six million Jews died in Nazi hands.
6. Abolition of free market economy
   The policies of Hitler and Mussolini contributed to the abolition of the free market policy in Germany and Italy. The state controlled the economy through price controls and quotas. There was also creation of massive public works as a strategy to address the unemployment problem.
7. Rise of Zionism
   The actions of Hitler to kill many Jews in concentration camps led to the formation of the Zionist movement. This movement aimed at uniting all the Jews and settling them in Palestine. This movement started in the late 19th century and reached its peak in 1948 after Hitler’s Holocaust. This led to the establishment of the state of Israel. The movement’s name is derived from Zion, the hill on which the temple of Jerusalem was located.

THE RISE OF SOCIALISM

Socialism refers to the fifth mode of production proposed by Karl Marx (1818–1883), whereby all major means of production like land, banks, industries, etc., are publicly owned and there should be no exploitation between man and man. The highest stage of socialism is called Communism. Therefore, socialism began in Europe after the industrial development led to the rise of two antagonistic social classes: the proletariat (workers) and the capitalist or factory owners. Especially after the industrial revolution, there was intensive exploitation of workers, leading workers to form their unions/trade unions to demand their rights. For example, in Britain, there was the rise of Chartism and Luddism, and in France, the inspiration of socialism was brought by the French Revolution of 1789, which advocated for liberty, equality, and fraternity to all. Hence, socialism was practiced in every part of the world, such as in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and it was most successful in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe, China, North Korea, Cuba, and Africa.

AIMS / GOALS / OBJECTIVES OF SOCIALISM

1. Fulfilling its aim by placing all major means of production in the hands of the people directly or through government ownership.
2. Making resources available, i.e., oil, natural resources like minerals, etc., to be used according to the needs of the people.
3. Replacing capitalism with socialism, where capitalism was seen as an evil mode of production in society which prevented people from enjoying their life.
4. To create a strong workers’ party; this will control the government on behalf of all people in society.
5. Eliminating exploitation of man by man, humiliation, segregation, and oppression in society.

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM

UTOPIA

This means somewhere, nowhere land imaginary which individuals think of doing but it is not; therefore, Utopia is like Smith’s imaginary where things should be obtained imaginatively and not practically, while Utopian socialism thought.

Refers to early ideas of socialism that developed in Europe, particularly in Britain and France. Motivated mainly by the problems of the industrial class resulting from the industrial revolution of the first phase, the proponents/founders of Utopian socialism were people like Count Henry de Saint Simon, Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, Louis Blanc, Thomas More, and Tommaso Campanella.

THE MAIN IDEAS OF THESE SOCIALIST THINKERS

1. COUNT HENRY DE SAINT SIMON (1760–1825)
   He advocated the state ownership of production and distribution of goods, and the state should pay according to one attribute, i.e., paying based on experience, skills, and profession.
2. CHARLES FOURIER (1772–1837)
   He proposed the re-organization of society into a democratic self-governing unit of about four hundred families which should be self-sufficient economically, and that distribution of the profit must be done in liberal minimum, i.e., the profit must be given to each in definite proportion to the community depending on labour, talent, and capital.
3. ROBERT OWEN (1771–1838)
   He advocated the re-organization of society in a group of about 500–3000 people; these societies should own and use in common all major means of production for the well-being of all members of the community or group. Such community should be agricultural and also carry out other occupations so as to render it near self-sufficient.
4. LOUIS BLANC
   He proposed that the state should be reconstructed or re-organized on a democratic base, should supply working men with instruments of labour, and every individual had a natural right to work for his own benefit but he cannot find employment on just terms at the hand of private individuals. Rather, the state should be its help, i.e., the state is responsible to find a job for its people and replace or eliminate the private individuals/capitalists; so if the state eliminates the private individuals, there should not be competition among workers.
5. THOMAS MORE (1478–1535)
   He was an English statesman and philosopher who saw capitalism as an exploitative system. More concluded that equality and happiness were not possible for women under capitalism. He also advanced the ideas that the private ownership of the major means of production should be abolished and the society should be reorganized with collective ownership of means of production and collective labour.
6. TOMMASO CAMPANELLA (1568–1639)
   He named his imaginary society as “the city of the sun,” where in this society there should be no exploitation of man by man, people should not be slaves but the owners of capital, and social progress would be based on science and the rules of such society and to be scientists too.

NOTE: Utopian socialism was a view which opposed class struggle and revolutionary means because they believed that negotiations between the capitalist and workers would be the solution for the capitalist to change the way of exploitation to workers and be a friendly mode of production to workers.

CONTRIBUTION OF UTOPIAN SOCIALISM TO THE RISE OF SOCIALISM

1. They criticized capitalism by showing that capitalism was not a good mode of production because it is too exploitative of workers and the majority who do not own means of production. The Utopianists argued workers to reorganize to a mode which will fit their life.
2. They proposed a move of human economic setup. The Utopianists wanted reorganization of society and mostly liked a society characterized by collectivism.
3. Utopianists expressed the features of an ideal society for the good future of society in which such ideal society must not be oppressed by exploitation, humiliation, segregation and should maintain natural rights.
4. They conscientized and awakened society to protest against capitalism because capitalism is a bad mode of production which cannot fit in society due to its evils like humiliation, exploitation, and segregation.
5. They laid a foundation for the rise of scientific socialism which came into existence after learning the failure of utopian socialism, e.g., the failure to use class struggle and revolutionary means to overthrow capitalism.

CONTRIBUTION OF UTOPIAN TO THE RISE OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM

1. Utopianists concerned the evils of capitalism such as exploitation, humiliation, oppression, and segregation and exposed its weakness to society that capitalism is a bad system and it should be fought in society by all people in order to end its evils like exploitation, humiliation, oppression, and segregation.
2. Utopianists led to a foundation for the beginning of scientific socialism whereby Utopianists provided the groundwork for scientific socialism, especially the idea of Utopian thinkers which was re-organization of society. Once scientific socialism came in, it was based on such theories.
3. Utopian socialism created awareness and consciousness among the workers of the world by guiding and directing them on the directions to be taken in order to fight capitalism in the future, e.g., workers were conscientized to unite together and fight for their common enemy until they win because workers have nothing to lose except to gain.
4. Utopianists provided some ideologies like command economy whereby the state should control the economy and organize the economy, but also the state should be able to organize the formation of organizations to the ideal society. Hence scientific socialism came into existence because of those ideologies like the state should be the one that controlled the economy on behalf of the people.
5. Utopianists provided lessons to the capitalist to get prepared in the future as exploitation of workers would continue because workers would not tolerate such exploitation; rather, they have to protest such exploitation and if possible overthrow the system. Hence scientific socialism came to be based on such lessons provided by Utopianists.
6. Utopians developed a theory of scientific socialism out of an experience of utopian thinking; hence socialism became scientific socialism when the two variables were adopted in its value, i.e., dialectics and historical materialism.
7. Utopian socialism feared bloodshed and that is why they depended on moral persuasion to bring about socialism because they feared war as the only alternative way to remove capitalism system in society.
8. Utopians were too theoretical and idealistic without any clear means to achieve and implement the ideology and theories.
9. Utopians lacked mass support because they occurred during the premature workers period of the early phase of the industrial revolution when most workers were still illiterate/ignorant to know and fight for their rights, e.g., during Luddism where majority of workers were ignorant.

SOURCES OF UTOPIAN SOCIALISM

The source of Utopian socialism was due to industrialization and its effects during the development of capitalism in Europe as follows:

1. Poor conditions of the factory system, e.g., there were long working hours, absence of model service, low wages, poor transport, child labor, etc.
2. Poor working and living conditions. People lived in congested houses with poor ventilation, sleeping on the floor, a socialist theory of Michael Hegel, a German philosopher.

THE FAILURE / WEAKNESS OF UTOPIAN SOCIALISM

Utopian socialism had pointed out many social, economic, and political problems which faced society but had no solutions or answers to those problems. Therefore, utopian socialism failed to achieve their goals, which they aimed for, as discussed below.

1. The use of wrong methods of reforming the system. This was because Utopianists preferred the use of discussion, morality, negotiation, or persuasion. It could be practically impossible to achieve socialism by using negotiations because capitalism is based on exploitation, limitation, oppression, and segregation and it could not totally be removed or reformed by using wrong methods unless through class struggle and revolution. Likewise, Utopian socialists hated class struggle and revolutionary means as one of the ways to achieve socialism.
2. Utopian socialists had a false hope of attaining a better society by relying on the goodwill of the rich or capitalists to change the life of poor people in society and sometimes on the landlord. But they were faced with problems of famine and hunger while living in acute poverty.
3. Advancement in science and technology removed many workers from their employment during the industrial revolution. Many workers lost their jobs and the chances of getting back their employment were limited.
4. Mass dispossession. Majority of people were deprived of owning the major means of production and were made laborers for industrial owners.
5. Refer to the effect of industrial revolution on workers.

OBJECTIVES / AIMS OF UTOPIAN SOCIALISM

Utopian socialists addressed themselves to the problems which were created by the industrial revolution. Therefore, the general objectives were to reform the capitalist system and make it possible to meet the needs of poor people in society as elaborated below:

1. It aimed at elimination of private property which instigates exploitation, oppression, and segregation of the majority in society.
2. It aimed at creation of a society under which exploitation and oppression do not exist but people in such society will live in harmonious life.
3. It aimed at provision of social welfare to the people, especially the poor people. This can be verified when the utopians wanted the owners of capital to care for the poor people by providing them with social welfare such as free meals, free settlement, free medicine, free education, etc.

In short, the major aim of utopian socialism was to reform capitalism by eliminating all evils created in society by capitalism and make people in society live in harmonious life full of happiness and equality.

SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM

This was advocated by Karl Marx (1818–1883) and his friend Frederick Engels (1820–1895) who aimed at destroying capitalism and establishing a dictatorship state of workers (proletarians). Hence, scientific socialism was the one which put socialism into practice in the world, as the case study was in Russia after the Russian revolution of October 1917. Scientific socialism contained scientific principles of building socialism and philosophical basis of the class struggle and revolution (e.g., acts and means). These founders of scientific socialism believed that socialism can be attained through class struggle and revolutionary means, so there should be a struggle between the workers and the capitalists in which workers should struggle to take control of the state and the major means of production while the capitalists wanted to remain dominant.

Ultimately, there should be a revolution by workers (proletarians) to take control of the state and major means of production. Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, and later Vladimir Lenin succeeded to make a revolution and build socialism in Russia in October 1917 after the Bolshevik revolution. Following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in October 1917, socialism came into reality/existence through class struggle and revolutionary action in which the capitalists were overthrown in Russia.

Marx and Engels wanted workers to make revolution and establish a dictatorship state of workers in which workers could seize or get political power and establish socialism. Later, socialism should transform to its highest stage of communism, hence Marx, Engels, Lenin, and other socialist theorists saw socialism as a transitional stage. They wanted a society to establish communism in which society would be classless, stateless, and there would be no private ownership of the major means of production. Society under communism would be provided with all needs and each individual will contribute according to his talent or ability. Also, under communism, there should be an ideal society whereby there would be no exploitation of man by man, labor power of workers would stop being a commodity because workers will be working for themselves and for their society as a whole. The private property under socialism after proletariat revolution must be nationalized by the state controlled by workers, and the major means of production such as banks, mines, transport and communication, industries, and plantations must be under the control of workers through state supervision.

Large scale import-export should also be under public control in a society for the benefit of all people, especially poor people. Under socialism after scientific socialism, property must be divided into two: personal property and public property. Public property must include all nationalized properties from the capitalists like banks, factories, etc., while personal property must include products and labor intended for personal consumption.

KARL MARX’S MAJOR IDEAS

In his analysis, Marx observed the following:

1. Exploitation of man by man was a feature of capitalism.
2. It could not be possible to persuade the capitalist to stop its evils like exploitation, humiliation, oppression, and segregation.
3. What was to be done to put an end to capitalism was to put the major means of production under the control of workers for their benefit, and this was only possible through class struggle and revolutionary actions.
4. History has been a process of change through class struggle, so workers and other people in society should struggle to end the system of capitalism and write a new history in society.
5. Capitalists are to be overthrown by the exploited class who are oppressed, humiliated, and exploited, in order to establish socialism.
6. All wealth and property in society is created by the labor of the working class who in capitalism own neither factories nor tools of production; hence workers should unite together to own and control wealth and property created by labor power.
7. Personal greed and selfishness among people must be replaced by religion and other ideas of an ideal society.
8. Workers own only their labor power which they sell to the capitalist as a commodity, so they live only by working for capitalism; hence they must unite together to fight capitalism and eliminate all like banks, industries, etc., in order for workers to enjoy their life. Marx argued that capitalism was creating conditions for socialism to exist because of the evils of capitalism in society. He also argued that once all capitalist class had been broken and overthrown, then no longer any exploitative class in society; rather socialism would have reduced in climax (peak) and dictatorship of proletariat would not be necessary in society. Rather, socialism had to transform to its highest stage known as communism in which the following characteristics, features, or elements should be observed.

1. Production is at the highest stage and according to needs.
2. Classless society would come into existence.
3. Manual and intellectual labor would have no difference.
4. The difference between town and country (rural) would be eliminated.
5. All other qualities produced by capitalism would be eliminated.
6. There must be high science and technology in society.
7. There would be no law, police, prison, or army because under communalism there is no need of having state and instruments of force.

MARX AND PROLETARIATS (WORKING CLASS)

Socialism propounded by Karl Marx became attractive to the working class more than other socialists in the world. Hence, the following were the suggestions of Marx to the workers:

1. Marx organized the first group of socialists from different countries which was known as the International Workingmen’s Association (First International) formed in 1864 in London.
2. Marx’s manifestos became widespread as socialist documents in the world, calling all workers of the world to unite together and fight capitalism with its evils until they win because labor is in chains.
3. From 1848, there were many revolutions in the world including France, China, etc., where workers were demanding their rights. Fifteen years after the end of the First International, the Second International was founded under Frederick Engels because Marx had died. In 1893, the Second International was put into practice in Switzerland, attended by socialists from different countries who represented their countries. For example, in Russia, there was the Social Democratic Party which was under V.I. Lenin. Later on, V.I. Lenin carried out the first socialist revolution in Russia.

Generally, Marx’s interpretation of history indicated that socialist revolution could take place first in the most highly developed countries like Britain and France. However, this did not happen due to many reasons such as:

1. Improvement of working conditions of workers.
2. Introduction of collective bargaining.
3. Introduction of Western democracy.

With those factors, the first socialism occurred in Russia in October 1917 after the Bolshevik revolution.