Soviet Legal Innovations and the Law of the Western World

This book explains an interaction between Soviet Russia and the West that has been overlooked in much of the analysis of the demise of the USSR. Legislation strikingly similar to the Marxist-inspired laws of Soviet Russia found its way into the legal systems of the Western world. Even though Western governments were at odds with the Soviet government, they were affected by the ideas it put forth. Western law was transformed radically during the course of the twentieth century, and much of that change was along lines first charted in Soviet law. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 11 Preface......Page 15 Acknowledgments......Page 19 PART ONE THE SOVIET CHALLENGE......Page 21 1 The Industrial Revolution and the Law......Page 23 Socialist Ideas in Nineteenth Century Law......Page 24 2 Economic Needs as Legal Rights......Page 29 Worker Rights......Page 31 Labor Laws Protecting Women......Page 34 Housing, Health Care, Education......Page 35 Western Law on Status of Spouses......Page 37 A Revolution in Domestic Relations Law......Page 40 Engels' Analysis of the Family......Page 41 Soviet Reliance on Marx and Engels......Page 43 One Step Backward......Page 44 The Challenge of Soviet Family Law......Page 45 Paternity......Page 47 Legitimacy of Children......Page 48 Parental Leave......Page 49 Abortion......Page 50 5 Crime without Punishment......Page 54 Reducing Punishments......Page 56 Decriminalization of Sodomy......Page 57 Prostitution and Its Origin......Page 60 Eliminating Prostitution......Page 63 6 A Call to "Struggling People"......Page 67 Secret Treaties......Page 69 Colonialism and Imperialism......Page 70 The Regime of Capitulations......Page 71 7 The Withering Away of Law......Page 73 Law as Bourgeois......Page 74 Russia's Past......Page 77 Anti-law Tendency in Russia's Past......Page 79 PART TWO THE WEST ACCOMMODATES......Page 83 8 Panic in the Palace......Page 85 Northern Russia......Page 86 Siberia......Page 88 Southern Russia......Page 89 Controversy in the U. S. Senate......Page 90 Impact of the Intervention......Page 91 Isolating the Bolsheviks......Page 92 Trouble in the United States......Page 94 Labor Law in the West......Page 95 International Labor Organization......Page 97 A Right to Organize in the United States......Page 99 Labor Rights as Constitutional Law......Page 101 Job Security......Page 104 Western Labor Legislation as an Accommodation......Page 105 10 Social Welfare Rights......Page 107 Legal Aid......Page 108 Great Depression......Page 110 Internationally Defined Welfare Rights......Page 111 11 The State and the Economy......Page 115 State Socialism in the West......Page 116 Trading as a Governmental Function......Page 120 12 Equality Comes to the Family......Page 123 Women in Public Life......Page 126 Abortion Policy......Page 128 Communal Child-Care......Page 131 Legitimacy......Page 132 Childbirth Leave......Page 133 The American South at the United Nations......Page 135 The U.S. Brief to the Supreme Court......Page 137 Other Race Issues in the United States......Page 140 Law as Teacher......Page 141 Human Rights Enforcement......Page 143 15 Crime and Punishment......Page 145 Sodomy......Page 146 Prostitution......Page 148 PART THREE THE BOURGEOIS INTERNATIONAL ORDER......Page 151 Public Registration of Treaties......Page 153 Capitulations......Page 155 The Mandate System......Page 157 The Mandate System and Colonialism......Page 160 Wars of National Liberation......Page 163 Compensation for Colonialism......Page 166 18 The Criminality of War......Page 168 Status of Guerrillas......Page 169 International War Crimes Trials......Page 171 War as a Crime......Page 174 Trial of Industrialists......Page 176 Reservations to Multilateral Treaties......Page 178 A New Role for the UN General Assembly......Page 180 Guarding Borders......Page 181 Complicity......Page 182 20 Military Intervention......Page 185 Covert Intervention......Page 186 Overt Intervention......Page 188 Treaties Under the Gun......Page 191 PART FOUR LAW BEYOND THE COLD WAR......Page 193 21 Triumph of Capitalist Law?......Page 195 22 The Moorings of Western Law......Page 200 A Loss of Values?......Page 203 23 The Impact of Change......Page 208 The Route of Change......Page 209 Does an Influence Matter?......Page 211 1. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THE LAW......Page 215 2. ECONOMIC NEEDS AS LEGAL RIGHTS......Page 216 3. EQUALITY IN THE FAMILY......Page 219 4. CHILDREN AND THE LAW......Page 222 5. CRIME WITHOUT PUNISHMENT......Page 223 6. A CALL TO “STRUGGLING PEOPLE”......Page 228 7. THE WITHERING AWAY OF LAW......Page 229 8. PANIC IN THE PALACE......Page 232 9. ENTER THE WORKING CLASS......Page 234 10. SOCIAL WELFARE RIGHTS......Page 237 11. THE STATE AND THE ECONOMY......Page 239 12. EQUALITY COMES TO THE FAMILY......Page 241 13. CHILD-BEARING AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN......Page 242 14. RACIAL EQUALITY......Page 244 15. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT......Page 246 16. EQUALITY OF NATIONS......Page 248 17. THE END OF COLONIES......Page 249 18. THE CRIMINALITY OF WAR......Page 251 19. PROTECTING SOVEREIGNTY......Page 254 20. MILITARY INTERVENTION......Page 255 22. THE MOORINGS OF WESTERN LAW......Page 257 23. THE IMPACT OF CHANGE......Page 258 Bibliography......Page 259 Index......Page 271 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Abbreviations 11 Preface 15 Acknowledgments 19 PART ONE THE SOVIET CHALLENGE 21 1 The Industrial Revolution and the Law 23 Socialist Ideas in Nineteenth Century Law 24 2 Economic Needs as Legal Rights 29 Worker Rights 31 Labor Laws Protecting Women 34 Housing, Health Care, Education 35 3 Equality in the Family 37 Western Law on Status of Spouses 37 A Revolution in Domestic Relations Law 40 Engels' Analysis of the Family 41 Soviet Reliance on Marx and Engels 43 One Step Backward 44 The Challenge of Soviet Family Law 45 4 Children and the Law 47 Paternity 47 Adoption 48 Legitimacy of Children 48 Parental Leave 49 Abortion 50 5 Crime without Punishment 54 Reducing Punishments 56 Decriminalization of Sodomy 57 Prostitution and Its Origin 60 Eliminating Prostitution 63 6 A Call to "Struggling People" 67 Secret Treaties 69 Colonialism and Imperialism 70 The Regime of Capitulations 71 7 The Withering Away of Law 73 Law as Bourgeois 74 Russia's Past 77 A Society without Law 79 Anti-law Tendency in Russia's Past 79 PART TWO THE WEST ACCOMMODATES 83 8 Panic in the Palace 85 Northern Russia 86 Siberia 88 Southern Russia 89 Controversy in the U. S. Senate 90 Impact of the Intervention 91 Isolating the Bolsheviks 92 9 Enter the Working Class 94 Trouble in the United States 94 Labor Law in the West 95 International Labor Organization 97 A Right to Organize in the United States 99 Labor Rights as Constitutional Law 101 Job Security 104 Western Labor Legislation as an Accommodation 105 10 Social Welfare Rights 107 Legal Aid 108 Great Depression 110 Internationally Defined Welfare Rights 111 11 The State and the Economy 115 State Socialism in the West 116 Trading as a Governmental Function 120 12 Equality Comes to the Family 123 Women in Public Life 126 13 Child-Bearing and Rights of Children 128 Abortion Policy 128 Communal Child-Care 131 Legitimacy 132 Childbirth Leave 133 14 Racial Equality 135 The American South at the United Nations 135 The U.S. Brief to the Supreme Court 137 Other Race Issues in the United States 140 Law as Teacher 141 Human Rights Enforcement 143 15 Crime and Punishment 145 Sodomy 146 Prostitution 148 PART THREE THE BOURGEOIS INTERNATIONAL ORDER 151 16 Equality of Nations 153 Public Registration of Treaties 153 Capitulations 155 The Mandate System 157 The Mandate System and Colonialism 160 17 The End of Colonies 163 Wars of National Liberation 163 Compensation for Colonialism 166 18 The Criminality of War 168 Hostage-taking 169 Status of Guerrillas 169 International War Crimes Trials 171 War as a Crime 174 Trial of Industrialists 176 19 Protecting Sovereignty 178 Reservations to Multilateral Treaties 178 A New Role for the UN General Assembly 180 Guarding Borders 181 Complicity 182 20 Military Intervention 185 Covert Intervention 186 Overt Intervention 188 Treaties Under the Gun 191 PART FOUR LAW BEYOND THE COLD WAR 193 21 Triumph of Capitalist Law? 195 22 The Moorings of Western Law 200 A Loss of Values? 203 23 The Impact of Change 208 The Route of Change 209 Does an Influence Matter? 211 Notes 215 PREFACE 215 1. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THE LAW 215 2. ECONOMIC NEEDS AS LEGAL RIGHTS 216 3. EQUALITY IN THE FAMILY 219 4. CHILDREN AND THE LAW 222 5. CRIME WITHOUT PUNISHMENT 223 6. A CALL TO “STRUGGLING PEOPLE” 228 7. THE WITHERING AWAY OF LAW 229 8. PANIC IN THE PALACE 232 9. ENTER THE WORKING CLASS 234 10. SOCIAL WELFARE RIGHTS 237 11. THE STATE AND THE ECONOMY 239 12. EQUALITY COMES TO THE FAMILY 241 13. CHILD-BEARING AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 242 14. RACIAL EQUALITY 244 15. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT 246 16. EQUALITY OF NATIONS 248 17. THE END OF COLONIES 249 18. THE CRIMINALITY OF WAR 251 19. PROTECTING SOVEREIGNTY 254 20. MILITARY INTERVENTION 255 21. TRIUMPH OF CAPITALIST LAW? 257 22. THE MOORINGS OF WESTERN LAW 257 23. THE IMPACT OF CHANGE 258 Bibliography 259 Index 271 The government of Soviet Russia wrote new laws for Russia that were as revolutionary as its political philosophy. These new laws challenged social relations as they had developed in Europe over centuries. These laws generated intense interest in the West. To some, they were the harbinger of what should be done in the West, hence a source for emulation. To others, they represented a threat to the existing order. Western governments, like that of the Tsar, might be at risk if they held to the old ways. Throughout the twentieth century Western governments remade their legal systems, incorporating an astonishing number of laws that mirrored the new Soviet laws. Western law became radically transformed over the course of the twentieth century, largely in the direction of change that had been charted by the government of Soviet Russia.