Second International

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Second International / International Socialist Congress - an International Organisation consisting of Working Class Socialist Parties, mainly from Europe, successor to Marx & Engels' International Workingmen's Association

The first meeting towards the formation of the Second International was held in Chur, Switzerland, in 1881. It consisted of a small number of activists from the German SPD the Belgian Socialist Party, some French, Polish, American and Russian Delegates.

A further Conference in Paris in 1886 consisting of delegates from Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries, France, and the United States made progress towards the formation of the International.

The Second International was formally formed in 1889 in Paris at a Conference of delegates from 20 countries. It formally adopted the founding principles of Marx's First International Workingmen's Association, making it a Marxist International.

The next meetings of the International were: 1891 (Brussels), 1893 (Zürich) Where Friedrich Engels was elected as the honorary president of the International Socialist Congress, but died in 1895. This Congress established the International Metalworkers Federation, uniting metalworkers across the world to this day. 1896 (London) Which affirmed right of nations to self-determination and opposition to colonialism. 1900 (Paris) Which established a standing International Socialist Bureau. 1904 (Amsterdam) 1907 (Stuttgart), where there were 884 delegates from 25 nations also the First International Conference of Socialist Women was held just prior to the opening of the Congress. 1910 (Copenhagen). Second International Conference of Socialist Women held prior to opening of Congress, set International Women's Day for March 8 every year. 1912 Extraordinary Congress (Basel) which unanimously determined to oppose any War between the Capitalist Nations with working class unity.

The final session of the International Socialist Bureau was held at Brussels on July 29, 1914 and “resolved unanimously that it shall be the duty of the workers of all nations concerned not only to continue but to further intensify their demonstrations against the war, for peace, and for the settlement of the Austro-Serbian conflict by international arbitration, ...”

At the outbreak of War, however, the majority of the Party leaderships went against their former declarations and supported their Bourgeois Governments in going to War, thereby causing a complete collapse of the International.

A handful of representative stuck to their opposition to the Imperialist War and met in 1915 at Zimmerwald, near Berne, Switzerland to organise opposition to the War. Manifesto signed by Georg Ledebour, Adolf Hoffmann (Germany); A. Bourderon, A. Merrheim (France); G.E. Modigliani, Constantino Lazzari (Italy); Lenin, Pavel Axelrod, M. Bobrov (Russia); St. Lapinski, A. Warski, Cz. Hanecki (Poland); for the Inter-Balkan Socialist Federation Rakovsky (Rumania), Wassil Kolarov (Bulgaria); for Sweden and Norway Z. Hoglund, Ture Nerman, H. Roland-Holst (Holland); Robert Grimm, Charles Naine (Swiss).

1916 April (Kienthal) follow-up to Zimmerwald Conference.

1917 July - August (Stockholm) did not convene due to delegates being prevented from attending. Final meeting of Zimmerwald group at Stockholm