Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Liberals
Liberals
Conservatives
(i) They were opposed to radicals and liberals.
(ii) One after the French Revolution, the conservatives also opened their minds to the need for change.
(iii) Earlier in the 18th century, conservatives had been opposed to the idea of change.
(iv) By the 19th century, they accepted that some change was inevitable but believed that the past had to be respected and
change had to be brought about through a slow process.
Nationalists
Nationalists talked of revolutions that would create nations where all citizens would have equal rights.
Coming of Socialism in Europe
(i) Socialists
(a) The socialists were against private property and as it as the root of all social evils of the time.
(b) Socialists believed that if society as a whole rather than single individuals control property, more attention would be paid
to collective social interests.
(ii) Co-operatives
(a) Some socialists believed in the idea of co-operatives.
(b) Robert Owen sought to build a co-operative community called New Harmony in Indiana in USA.
(c) Other socialists felt that co-operatives could not be built on a wide scale only through individual initiative; they demanded
that governments should encourage co-operatives.
(d) In France, Louis Blanc wanted the government to and replace capitalist co-operatives encourage enterprises.
(e) The co-operatives were to be associations of people who produced goods together and divided the profits according to
the work done by the members.
Karl Marx
(i) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels added other ideas to the concept of co-operatives.
(ii) Karl Marx felt that capitalists also took the share of profit which was due to the workers.
(iii) He believed that workers should overthrow capitalism and the rule of private property.
(iv) He believed that workers should free themselves from capitalist exploitation and construct a radically socialist state
where all property was socially controlled i.e., communist society should be formed which was the society of the future.
Spread of Socialism
(i) By the 1870s, socialism spread through Europe. To co-ordinate their activities socialist formed an international body
called the Second International.
(ii) Workers in England and Germany formed associations to achieve better living and working conditions.
(iii) Parties like the socialist party in France and the Labour Party in Britain were formed by socialists and trade unionists.
Industrial Workers
(i) Industry was found in pockets.
(ii) Most industries were the private property of industrialists.
(iii) Government supervised large factories to ensure minimum wages and limited hours of work, but rules were broken.
(iv) Working hours in small workshops were sometimes 15 hours compared to 10-12 hours in factories.
(v) Workers were divided into social groups divided by skills.
(vi) Women made up 31 per cent of the factory labour force in 1914, but they were paid less than men.
(vii) Division among workers showed in their dress and manners too.
(viii) Workers formed associations to help members in times of unemployment of financial hardships.
(ix) They also united to strike work.
(x) They were paid low wages and their condition was miserable.
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Revolution Of 1905
(i) The year 1904 was a particularly bad one for the Russian workers. Prices of essential goods rose and real wages declined by
20 per cent.
(ii) Due to dismissal of four members of the Assembly of Russian Workers, a call for industrial action was given.
(iii) 1,10,000 workers in St Petersburg went on strike, demanding a reduction in the working day to eight hours and an
increase in wages and improvement in working conditions.
Bloody Sunday
(i) When protesting workers led by Father Gapon reached the Winter Palace, it was attacked by the police.
(ii) Over 100 workers were killed and about 300 wounded. This incident came to be known as ‘Bloody Sunday’.
(iii) Strikes began, universities closed down and students staged walkouts.
(iv) This event is also known as the Revolution of 1905 because the Tsar agreed to give some concessions.
The Duma
(i) During the Revolution of 1905, the Tsar allowed the formation of the Duma or an elected consultative Parliament.
(ii) Within 75 days the Duma was dismissed and the second Duma was reelected within three months.
(iii) The Tsar did not want any challenge to his authority.
(iv) Liberals and revolutionaries were kept out of the Duma.