The Internationalists
This organization was easily the most important socialist organization in Europe for many years. Their influence was spread throughout all of Europe, and their assistance to the Commune caused socialism to become much more prevelant in the Commune. Alongside the Blanquists, they spread communism into and throughout France and the rest of Europe. Lesson they taught were well learned by men like Lenin, who took them to heart and used them during the Russian Revolution.
The Internationalists were members of the
International Working MenŐs Association, which was founded in London in 1864.
It was founded by the most powerful labor union leaders from Britain and
France, though Karl Marx quickly took over leadership of the organization. The
International was a centralized organization, whose leadership was based in a
congress of thirty-two members and had chapters in various cities throughout
Europe. The International at the time of the Paris Commune was primarily
Marxist, but following itŐs collapse other socialist leaders took positions of
authority and the organization began to divide among their different trains of
thought. Eventually, the Marxists lost control of the organization and it
rapidly spiraled down and out of control until it collapsed in 1881. Other
organizations by the same name were founded afterwards, including the second
International which was eventually destroyed following the Russian Revolution
and hostility towards socialist organizations in general. The third
International was organized and driven by Lenin in 1919 and was primarily
driven by Soviet interests. Eventually, the organization broke down because of
disagreements between the Soviet Union under Stalin and Red China over policy.