People of the Revolution and the USSR

Activity
Any Political and party leadership 2
Affiliation(set)

Most people

Any France state institutionsstate 7 Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 7 International Workingmen's Association (First International) 5 Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) 4 Mensheviks (RSDLP) 3 French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) 3 Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) 3 French Workers' Party (POF) 2

All 20 affiliations

Austria

Austria state institutionsstate 1

Belgium

Belgium state institutionsstate 1

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP) 1

France

France state institutionsstate 7 French Workers' Party (POF) 2 French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) 3

Germany

Germany state institutionsstate 1 Communist Party of Germany (KPD) 1 Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 7 Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) 3

International organizations

International Workingmen's Association (First International) 5 Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) 2

Italy

Italy state institutionsstate 1

Mongolia

Mongoliastate 1

Russia

Mensheviks (RSDLP) 3 Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) 4

United Kingdom

Labour Party (United Kingdom) 1

United States

Communist Party USA (CPUSA) 1 Democratic Party (United States) 1 Socialist Party of America 2
Position
Any Non-Bolshevik socialists 2
Citizenship
Any France 2
Background
Any Cuba 1 France 1
Era(set)
Any

People of the wider world

The age of the Internationals and empires1820–1917 2 The revolutionary wave and the world war1917–1945 1
French Workers' Party (POF) The age of the Internationals and empires 1820–1917 Clear all
GlossaryFrench Workers' Party (POF)

Paul Lafargue

Paul Lafargue
French Workers' Party (POF) Non-Bolshevik socialists France Cuba 1842–1911 ✕ Suicide

Marx's son-in-law, author of The Right to Be Lazy, first socialist deputy in the French parliament

"Healthy in body and mind, I end my life before pitiless old age which has taken from me my pleasures and joys one by one." — Suicide letter, 25 November 1911

French Marxist theorist born in Cuba. Co-founded the French Workers' Party (POF) with Jules Guesde and systematized economic determinism as a historical method. In his later years, defended revolutionary Marxism against Jean Jaurès's reformism.

Career timeline
  • 1864–1865Studied medicine in Paris; joined French section of First International as a Proudhonian anarchist
  • 1866–1868Moved to London, frequented Marx household; General Council member, corresponding secretary for Spain
  • 1868Married Laura Marx, Karl Marx's second daughter
  • 1871–1872Fled to Madrid after Commune's fall; propagated Marxism via La Emancipación, fought anarchist dominance in Spanish section
  • 1880Co-founded French Workers' Party (POF) with Jules Guesde; serialized first draft of The Right to Be Lazy in L'Égalité
  • 1882–1891Returned to Paris as POF's leading theorist; led strikes and electoral campaigns, repeatedly imprisoned
  • 1891Elected from Lille as first socialist deputy in French parliament — campaigned from prison
  • 1890s–1905Defended orthodox Marxism against Jaurès's reformism; published major works on economic determinism, origins of property
  • 1908–1911Retired from active politics after Toulouse unity congress; wrote memoirs of Karl Marx

Jules Guesde

Jules Guesde
France state institutions Non-Bolshevik socialists France France 1845–1922 ○ Natural causes

Veteran founder of French Marxist socialism who entered the Union sacrée government in 1914

After war began in 1914, Guesde left the socialist antiwar camp and entered the French government as minister without portfolio. At Stuttgart in 1907 he had rejected special antiwar measures apart from the socialist struggle; wartime office brought that position into government practice.

A journalist exiled for supporting the Paris Commune, he drafted the programme of the French Workers’ Party with Marx in 1880 and became the standard-bearer of French Marxism. He long opposed the reformist Jaurès and took part in founding the unified Socialist Party (SFIO) in 1905. At Stuttgart in 1907 he argued that class struggle would abolish war and that no special anti-war action was needed. In August 1914, seeing France itself in danger, he joined the Union sacrée government as a minister without portfolio and stayed until 1916.

Career timeline
  • 1880Drafted the French Workers’ Party programme with Karl Marx; the party adopted it at its founding congress in November.
  • 1907At the Second International’s Stuttgart Congress, presented the French minority’s resolution rejecting special antiwar measures apart from the general socialist struggle.
  • 1914–1916Entered the French government as minister without portfolio after war broke out and served until 1916.