The Practice of Socialist Internationalism : European Socialists and International Politics, 1914-1960

__The Practice of Socialist Internationalism__ examines the efforts of British, French, and German socialist parties to cooperate with one another on concrete international issues. Drawing on archival research in twelve countries, it spans the years from the First World War to the early 1960s, paying particular attention to the two post-war periods (1918 to the late 1920s and 1945 to the mid-1950s), during which national and international politics were recast. During these years, European socialists operated simultaneously in national and transnational spaces, and the book explores the ways in which these two spaces overlapped. In addition to highlighting a neglected dimension of twentieth-century European socialism, it provides novel perspectives on two related subjects: the history of internationalism and the history of international politics. Scholars of internationalism focus either on state or on non-state actors (INGOs), but socialist parties constituted something of a hybrid: rooted more firmly in national politics than most INGOs, they were also more self-consciously internationalist than state actors. Just as importantly, European socialists sought to forge a new practice of international relations, one that would emerge from their collective efforts to work out ‘socialist’ approaches to pressing issues of European politics such as post-war reconstruction, European integration, and decolonization. While the extent of their success is debatable, the efforts of European socialists to identify distinct approaches act as a spotlight, illuminating obscure yet vital aspects of an issue. Cover......Page 1 The Practice of Socialist Internationalism: European Socialists and International Politics, 1914–1960......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 List of Abbreviations......Page 10 Introduction: The Practice of Socialist Internationalism......Page 16 The History of Socialism......Page 24 The History of Internationalism......Page 26 International History......Page 29 Structure of The Book......Page 31 1: International Socialism at War, 1914–1918......Page 32 August 1914......Page 33 Wartime Socialist Internationalism : 1914–1917......Page 37 The STILLBORN Stockholm Conference (1917)......Page 43 Renewed Efforts For An International Socialist Conference: 1917–1918......Page 49 Final Efforts For An International Socialist Conference: 1918......Page 55 Conclusion......Page 62 Part I: The Interwar Years......Page 64 2: Reconstituting the International, 1918–1923......Page 66 To Berne: November 1918 to February 1919......Page 67 The Berne Conference, February 1919......Page 72 The Komintern and the Challenge of Comunist Internationalism......Page 77 Developments in Britain, Germany, and France......Page 81 Multiple Internationals......Page 90 Initial Attempts at Unity......Page 97 The Sfio Seizes the Initiative......Page 101 The Failure of Tripartite Negotiations......Page 105 The Reconstitution of the International......Page 111 3: European Socialists and the International Order, 1918–1925......Page 115 Before the Versailes Peace Treaty......Page 117 Initial Reactions to the Peace Treaty......Page 120 The Complexities of National Self-Determination: the Case of Upper Silesia......Page 125 The Brewing International Crisis: Reparations......Page 128 International Socialism and the Occupation of the Ruhr......Page 131 Developments Within the British, German, and French Parties......Page 135 European Socialists and the Dawes Plan......Page 141 European Socialists and European Security: Initial Dificulties......Page 146 European Socialists and European Security: Ongoing Dificulties......Page 151 European Socialists and European Security: Differences Exacerbated......Page 156 European Socialists and Locarno......Page 161 4: The Quest for Disarmament, 1925–1933......Page 166 International Socialism and Disarmament: Initial Views......Page 168 European Socialist Parties and Disarmament......Page 170 Disarmament Moves to the Forefront of International Politics......Page 175 European Socialists and the Paul -Boncour Case......Page 179 The Panzerkreuzer Affair......Page 188 Hopes Shattered: Labour’s Minority Government......Page 194 The Travails of Naval Disarmament......Page 199 The Lsi’s Petition Campaign......Page 204 Separate Paths......Page 207 5: European Socialists and Empire between the Wars......Page 216 The Pre-1918 Legacy......Page 219 1918–1919: The Response to the Peace Treaties......Page 223 The Comunist Chalenge......Page 229 European Socialists and the Rif War......Page 233 Questioning Colonialism......Page 236 European Socialists and the League Against Imperialism......Page 244 Preparations For the Lsi’s Congres......Page 249 The Lsi’s Brussels Congres, August 1928......Page 255 European Socialists and Colonial Appeasement......Page 258 Entr’acte: Socialist Internationalism during the 1930s......Page 266 Responses to Fascism......Page 267 Developments Within the Parties......Page 271 The Lsi’s Final Crisis......Page 274 PART II: The Post-War Years......Page 276 6: Reconstituting the International, 1940–1951......Page 278 Early Wartim e Cooperati on......Page 279 The Revival of Socialist Internationalism......Page 284 Developments Within the Parties, 1945–1947......Page 289 Forging an International: The Initial Steps, 1946–1947......Page 297 Practical Cooperation: European Socialists and The Marshal Plan......Page 307 The Development of Practical Cooperation, 1949–1950......Page 311 Advancing Towards an International......Page 315 The Founding of the Socialist International......Page 321 7: Constructing Europe, 1945–1960......Page 324 Initial Support for European Unity......Page 326 Practical Issues I: The Ruhr......Page 328 Practical Issues II: The Marshal Plan......Page 333 Practical Issues III: The European Movement and The European Council......Page 338 The Schuman Plan......Page 346 1951–1955: From The Schuman Plan to The Rome Treaties......Page 352 The Rome Treaties and The Common Market......Page 362 Labour, European Socialists, and The Eec......Page 367 8: The Cold War and European Security, 1950–1960......Page 374 The Persistence of Third Force Thinking......Page 377 The Pleven Plan and German Rearmament: Initial Reactions......Page 379 Developments at The Party Level......Page 382 The Edc and The Practice of International Socialism......Page 392 Socialist Responses to The Paris Accords......Page 396 The Emergence of Disengagement, 1955–1957......Page 401 1957–1958: The Labour–Spd Axis......Page 407 The Spd, International Socialism, and The Deutschlandplan, 1959......Page 413 Labour and Disarmament......Page 416 The Sfio and The End of Disarmament......Page 419 9: The Stakes of Decolonization, 1945–1960......Page 424 The Persistence of The Trusteeship Framewor......Page 426 European Socialists Champion Development, 1950–1952......Page 432 European Socialists and The Asian Socialist Conference......Page 437 European Socialists and Minority Rights......Page 444 International Socialism and The Algerian War......Page 447 The Sfio, Algeria, and Socialist Internationalism......Page 455 The Sfio, Minority Rights, and Eurafrique......Page 459 The Asc’s Decline......Page 461 French Socialists and Minority Rights......Page 463 The Spd, National Rights, and Development......Page 469 Labour, Minority Rights, and The Comonwealth......Page 473 Conclusion......Page 478 The Fate of Socialist Internationalism......Page 480 The Lost Promise of Socialist Internationalism......Page 483 France......Page 486 Germany......Page 487 Netherlands......Page 488 United Kingdom......Page 489 United States......Page 490 Index......Page 492 The Practice of Socialist Internationalism examines the efforts of the British, French, and German socialist parties to cooperate with one another on concrete international issues. Drawing on archival research from twelve countries, it spans the years from the First World War to the early 1960s, paying particular attention to the two post-war periods, during which national and international politics were recast. In addition to highlighting a neglected dimension of twentieth-century European socialism, the volume provides novel perspectives on the history of internationalism and the history of international politics. By practicing internationalism, European socialists sought to forge a new practice of international relations, one that would emerge from their collective efforts to work out 'socialist' approaches to pressing issues of international politics such as post-war reconstruction, European integration, and decolonization. How did the early-twentieth century socialist parties of Britain, France, and Germany cooperate with each other to create a united vision on international issues? Talbot Imlay offers a new perspective on how European socialists 'practised internationalism', addressing issues such as post-war reconstruction, European integration, and decolonization. How did the early-20th century socialist parties of Britain, France, and Germany cooperate with each other to create a united vision on international issues? Talbot Imlay offers a new perspective on how European socialists 'practised internationalism', addressing issues such as post-war reconstruction, European integration, and decolonization