19th-Century Labor Movements and Economic Concepts
Luddites
British workers (1779-1802) who destroyed machines that threatened their jobs.
Historical Materialism
Marx’s theory: the economy drives history. Modes of production define eras: from primitive societies to capitalism (bourgeoisie vs. workers) and ultimately socialism (a classless society).
Class Struggle
History is a conflict between social groups. It ends with revolution and abolishing social differences. Workers fight for economic gains and against the bourgeois state.
Dictatorship of the Proletariat (DOP)
A contested socialist idea: the proletariat seizes the state to eliminate social classes and achieve egalitarianism.
Communism
A social system where the state owns the means of production. Modern communism, based on Marx’s Communist Manifesto, advocates abolishing inheritance, expropriating land/factories, nationalizing banks, and mandatory work.
Bakunin
Russian revolutionary and anarchist theorist. Advocated abolishing the state and collectivizing tools, but not the fruits of labor. Opposed institutional political action.
Anarchism
A diverse ideological movement believing in a society of free individuals. Key figures include Bakunin.
Communes
Small, self-managed communities electing authorities by universal suffrage. They can be independent or federated.
Anarcho-collectivism
Collectivization of production means, but not fruits (Bakunin: “to each according to his work”).
Anarcho-communism
Kropotkin’s theory: collectivization of both production means and fruits (“to each according to their needs”).
Paris Commune
Socialist uprising in Paris (1871) against the Franco-Prussian War peace and the conservative French Republic.
Labor Party
British political party from the union movement (est. 1906). Represents socialist trends in the UK.
SPD
German Social Democratic Party, founded in 1875.
Cartel
Agreements between firms to fix prices, eliminate competition, and create monopolies (e.g., oil).
Economic Concentration
Horizontal Concentration
Merging companies in the same sector (e.g., banks, TV stations).
Vertical Concentration
Merging companies in related industries (e.g., mining, steel, car manufacturing).
Holding
A company controlling other companies’ stock, creating large business empires (e.g., PRISA group).
The 19th century saw increased demand for precious metals, leading to gold rushes in California (1848), Australia (1849), and Alaska.