International Socialist Bureau

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The International Socialist Bureau (French: Bureau Socialiste International) was the permanent organization of the Second International, established at the Paris congress of 1900. Before this there was no organizational infrastructure to the "Second International" beyond a series of periodical congresses, which weren't even given a uniform name. The host party of the next congress was charged with organizing it.

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After the International Socialist Congress of Paris of 1900, a permanent Bureau was established which met periodically in between congresses. A permanent secretariat was also established in Brussels. There were in all 16 plenary meetings of the Bureau.

The membership of the bureau was fluid from meeting to meeting, each country sending one to three representatives at a time. Many illustrious figures of the socialist movement, and several future heads of state or government were members at one time or another.

All this information is taken from La Deuxième Internationale, 1889-1914: étude critique des sources, essai bibliographique by Georges Haupt [1]

Plenary meetings

1st. Brussels; December 30, 1901

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.USAArg.
Victor Serwy Edward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde Édouard Vaillant; Alfred Léon Gérault-Richard Henry Hyndman; Harry Quelch Karl Kautsky; Paul Singer Cesarine Wojnarowska B. N. Krichevsky; Georgi Plekhanov Hendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles Troelstra George D. Herron Achille Cambier

2nd. Brussels; December 29, 1902

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Arg.Austria
Victor SerwyEdward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde Jean Jaurès; Bracke Henry Hyndman; Sam Woods Paul SingerCesarine Wojnarowska; B.A. Jedrychovski B. N. Krichevsky; B. A. Guinzburg Hendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles TroelstraAlfred Léon Gérault-Richard Victor Adler

3rd. Brussels; July 20, 1903

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.USAArg.Den.
Victor SerwyEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard VaillantHenry Hyndman; Hunter Watts Wilhelm Pfankuch; Richard FischerCesarine WojnarowskaB. A. GuinzburgHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles Troelstra Gaylord Wiltshire Patroni Peter Christian Knudsen

4th. Brussels; February 7, 1904

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Arg.Austria
Victor SerwyEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Bracke; Amilcare Cipriani Henry Hyndman; Harry QuelchKarl Kautsky; Paul Singer Rosa Luxemburg; Henryk Walecki Georgi PlekhanovHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles TroelstraAchille CambierVictor Adler

5th Amsterdam; August 15, 1904

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.USAArg.AustriaDen.ItalyNor.Boh.Jp.
Victor SerwyEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Bracke; Amilcare CiprianiHenry Hyndman; Ernest Belfort Bax Karl KautskyRosa Luxemburg; WaleckiGeorgi PlekhanovHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles Troelstra Morris Hillquit Achille Cambier; Manuel Ugarte Engelbert Perner-storfer P. Knudsen Enrico Ferri Olav Kringen Franc Soukup; Anton Nemec Sen Katayama

6th. Brussels; January 15, 1905

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Arg.AustriaLux.
Victor SerwyEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Bracke; Amilcare Cipriani; Jean Longuet Henry HyndmanKarl Kautsky; August BebelRosa Luxemburg Pavel Axelrod; Roubanovitch Achille CambierVictor Adler Michel Welter

7th. Brussels; March 4–5, 1906

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Arg.Lux.Boh.SwissHung.Fin.
Camille Huysmans Edward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Jean JaurèsHenry Hyndman; J. Keir Hardie Karl Kautsky; August Bebel Jozef KwiatekRoubanovitchManuel Ugarte Michel Welter Franc Soukup; Anton Nemec Jean Sigg Mano Buchinger Yrjo Sirola

Consultative members: Garske of the Workers party of Latvia and Lew of the Socialist Party of Armenia

8th. Brussels; November 10, 1906

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus. SRs Rus. RSDRP Boh.SwedenHungary
Camille Huysmans Edward AnseeleÉdouard VaillantHenry Hyndman; J. Keir HardiePaul Singer; August Bebel Hermann Diamand RoubanovitchGeorgi Plekhanov; Angelica Balabanov Franc Soukup; Anton Nemec Hjalmar Branting Jacob Weltner; Max Grossmann

Consultative members Stanislas Kurski; Leo Bergman of the General Jewish Labour Bund; O. Braun of the Latvian Social Democrats

9th. Brussels; June 9, 1907

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus. SRs Rus. RSDRP Boh.Ne.Lux.AustriaDen.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Jean Jaurès; Jean LonguetHenry Hyndman; Bruce Glasier Paul Singer; August BebelHermann DiamandRoubanovitch Martov; Angelica BalabanovFranc Soukup; Anton NemecHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles TroelstraMichel WelterVictor Adler C. M. Olsen

Consultative members Stanislas Kurski; Leo Bergman of the General Jewish Labour Bund; O. Braun of the Latvian Social Democrats

10th. Brussels; October 10, 1908

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.AustriaPol.Rus. SRs Rus. RSDRP Rus. "SERP"Rus. "URP"Boh.Ne.SwedenItalyDen.Hung.Bulg.Arm.Lat.Bund.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Leon Furnemont; Louis de Brouckere Édouard Vaillant; Angele Roussel; Jean LonguetHenry Hyndman; Bruce Glasier Hermann Molkenbuhr Victor AdlerHermann Diamand; Karl KautskyRoubanovitch Lenin Chaim Zhitlowsky Pereverzev Franc Soukup; Anton NemecHendrick Van KolHjalmar Branting Garatti Thorvald Stauning Mano Buchinger Avramoff Varandian K. Sutte B. Nelin; G. Borski

11th. Brussels; November 7, 1909

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Boh.Ne.Lux.AustriaDen.Hu.USAArg.Swed.Bulg.Sp.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Emile VanderveldeÉdouard Vaillant; Jules Guesde; Jean Longuet Keir Hardie; Harry Quelch; G. H. Roberts Paul Singer; Hermann MolkenbuhrHermann Diamand; Adolf Warski; Wronsky Roubanovitch; Lenin; C. SutteFranc Soukup; Anton NemecHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles TroelstraMichel WelterVictor AdlerP. Knudsen; Thorvald Stauning Ernő Garami Victor Berger; Kretlow Achille CambierHjalmar Branting Breitko Loukov Fabra Ribas

12th. Copenhagen; August 26–31, September 2–3, 1910

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Boh.Ne.AustriaDen.Hu.USASwed.Bulg.Rom.Serb.Turk.Fin.Nor.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde; Leon FurnemontÉdouard Vaillant; Guesde; Jean Jaurès; Angele Roussel Ramsay MacDonald Friedrich Ebert; Hermann MolkenbuhrHermann Diamand; Karl KautskyRoubanovitch; Lenin; T. Medem Franc Soukup; Anton NemecHendrick Van Kol; Pieter Jelles TroelstraVictor Adler; Engelbert Perner-storfer; Engelbert; Ferdinand SkaretP. Knudsen; Thorvald StauningMano Buchinger Daniel De Leon; Morris Hillquit; Victor BergerHjalmar Branting; CGT Wickman Yanko Sakazov; Georgi Kirkov Racovsky Tucovic VarandianYrjo Sirola; Vaino Tanner Einar Li; Magnus Nilssen

13th. Zurich; September 23–24, 1911

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Swiss.AustriaSerb.ItalyHung.Boh.Turk.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde; Leon FurnemontÉdouard Vaillant; Angele Roussel; Jean LonguetHarry QuelchHermann Molkenbuhr; August BebelRosa Luxemburg; Hermann DiamandGeorgi Plekhanov; LeninPieter Jelles Troelstra Sgragen; Karl Moor; Bruestein Victor AdlerTucovic Pompeo Ciotti Mano BuchingerFranc Soukup; Anton Nemec Saul Nahum

14th. Brussels; October 28–29, 1912

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Swiss.AustriaRom.ItalyHung.Boh.Turk.Swiss.Sw.Den.
Camille HuysmansEdward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde; Leon FurnemontÉdouard Vaillant; Angele Roussel; Jean LonguetHarry Quelch; Bruce Glasier; F. W. Goldstone Hermann Molkenbuhr; Karl Kautsky; Hugo HaaseRosa Luxemburg; Hermann DiamandGeorgi Plekhanov; Roubanovitch; MerkelPieter Jelles Troelstra Sgragen; Karl Moor; Bruestein Victor AdlerRacovskyG. Agnini; Angelica BalabanovE. Garami; J. WeltnerFranc Soukup; B Kolar Saul Nahum Fritz Stunder Branting Carl Madsen; Thorvald Stauning

15th. London; December 13–14, 1913

Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Swiss.AustriaRom.ItalyHung.Boh.USASw.Den.Nor.Arg.
Edward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde; Camille Huysmans; Louis Bertrand Édouard Vaillant; Jean Jaurès; Jean Longuet"a large delegation from the British...parties"Hermann Molkenbuhr; Karl Kautsky; Friedrich EbertRosa Luxemburg; Hermann Diamand; Lapinski Tcheidze; Roubanovitch; Litvinov Vliegen Fritz StunderVictor AdlerRacovskyG. Agnini; Angelica BalabanovMano BuchingerFranc Soukup; B Kolar Kate Richards O'Hare BrantingThorvald Stauning Jacob Vidnes Ramon Saint-Marie

16th. Brussels; July 29–30, 1914

Sec.Bel.Fr.Br.Ger.Pol.Rus.Ne.Swiss.AustriaRom.ItalyHung.Boh.Sw.Den.Arg.
Camille Huysmans Edward Anseele; Emile Vandervelde; Louis Bertrand Édouard Vaillant; Jean Jaurès; Jean Longuet; Jules Guesde; Marcel Sembat Keir Hardie; Bruce Glasier; Dan Irving Hugo Haase; Karl Kautsky; Rosa Luxemburg Walecki Pavel Axelrod; Roubanovitch; Winter; O. Braun Troelstra R. Grimm; Karl Moor Victor Adler; Friedrich Adler Racovsky Angelica Balabanov; Oddino Morgari Mano BuchingerBohumil

Nemec

Branting Thorvald Stauning Fabras; Corales

First World War

In autumn 1914, shortly after the occupation of most of Belgium by German troops, the executive committee decided to move the headquarters from Brussels to the Hague, with the approval of the Belgian Labor Party. [2] The all Belgian Executive Committee also unanimously decided to expand itself by adding three Dutch members, Troelstra, Van Kol and Albarda, with Vleigen and Wibaut as alternates. [3] Camille Huysmans, a Belgian, remained Secretary. This arrangement was approved by all of the affiliated parties, except the French party which decline to vote, believing that the International should have stayed "where it was and what it was". [4]

In the early months of the war the Executive Committee resisted efforts to call a full meeting of the Bureau, feeling that it would have been impossible to get delegates from certain countries together and feeling that an unrepresentative meeting might mean the dissolution of the International altogether. [5] In January and February 1915 the BSI attempted to hold a series of separate, one-on-one meetings with representatives of the parties in belligerent nations. The French refused to send a delegation to the Hague. The British were at first willing, but opted out after Arthur Henderson became a member of the War Cabinet. The Belgians were the first to send a delegation, and the German party met with the executive twice. [6] [7]

The BSI was pointedly hostile to the Zimmerwald Conference. At a speech to the congress of the Dutch party Huysmans ridiculed the Zimmerwaldians for their impatience, as well as for the unrepresentative and "amateur" nature of the conference. [8] Huysmans later reportedly made special trips to Britain and France to dissuade socialists in those countries from attending the Kienthal Conference. [9] Partly in response to Zimmerwald and Kienthal, though, the Bureau arranged for a meeting of socialists from the neutral countries. Originally scheduled for June 23, 1916 this conference finally met at the Hague on July 30-August 2, 1916. [10] Consisting of nine delegates from Argentina, the United States (Algernon Lee), the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, the conference passed a resolution expressing confidence in the Executive Committee and deprecating any effort to break up the official International [11]

In April 1917, after the March Revolution in Russia, Stauning of Denmark wrote to the BSI stating that if they were unable to summon a general conference of Socialist parties, it would be organized without them. Upon getting this appeal the Dutch members of the Executive Committee left for Stockholm. Huysmans soon joined them setting up the secretariat of the Bureau at the Trade Union House of the Swedish Socialist Party. On May 2 Huysmans and Engberg became the Secretariats representative in a new organization, the Dutch-Scandinavian Committee which attempted to convene a general socialist conference at Stockholm for the remainder of 1917, without success. [12]

In November 1918 Huysmans worked in concert with the committee appoint by the fourth Inter-Allied Socialist Conference for the convening of a socialist conference of the formerly belligerent nations. The final result of this was the Berne Conference of 1919. [13]

See also

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References

  1. "Bach - Consultation du document « La Deuxième Internationale, 1899-1914. Étude crit... »". nabu.fmsh.fr. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  2. Parti ouvrier belge Memorandum on peace terms New York, G.H. Doran Company 1918 p.21
  3. Fainsod, Merle International socialism and the World War New York, Octagon Books 1973 p.44
  4. Huysmans, Camille, 1871–1968 The policy of the International; a speech of and an interview with the secretary of the International London, G. Allen & Unwin ltd 1916 pp.18, 20
  5. Huysman, pp.20-21
  6. Huysman, pp.22-23
  7. Parti ouvrier belge p.22
  8. Huysman, p.21
  9. Fainsod p.87
  10. American Labor Year book 1916 p.121
  11. Fainsod p.101
  12. Fainsod pp.126-7
  13. Fainsod p.197