International Workers Congresses of Paris, 1889


Two congresses were held in Paris, beginning on July 14, 1889. They had been called for by the London International Trades Union Congress, meeting in London in November 1888, and the French Syndicalist Congress, meeting at the same time. Internecine conflicts within the French socialist movement, however, prompted the "possibilist" faction to hold its own congress at the same time. The larger assembly, the International Socialist Workers Congress of Paris, dubbed the "Marxist" congress resolved to arrange a second meeting at Zurich, and the Possibility one at Brussels. However the Marxist organizing committee decided to relent and the next congress met in Brussels in 1891.

"Marxist" Congress

The International Socialist Workers Congress of Paris was scheduled to meet at the Salle Petrelle, but soon had to move to larger accomendations at 42, rue Rochechouart. The delegate count was as follows.
Country# of delegatesRemarks
Alsace-Lorraine1A representative of the Republican Socialist Union of Alsace-Lorraine
Argentina1Represented "Socialist group of Buenos Aires"
Austria9
Belgium14
Bohemia1
Bulgaria1Represented by one of the Romanian delegates
Denmark3Representing the Socialist Party of Denmark
Finland1
France221
Germany81Includes representatives of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Great Britain20Representing the Socialist League; Scottish Labour Party; Bloomsbury Socialist Society
Greece1
Hungary3
Italy13
Netherlands4
Norway3
Poland4
Portugal1
Romania5
Russia6
Spain2Representing PSOE
Sweden2
Switzerland2
United States5Representing the Socialist Labor Party; German Workers Union of New York; United Hebrew Trades, "United Brothers League of Iowa"

For full list of delegates and the groups they represented, see below Protokoll des internationalen Arbeiter-congresses zu Paris p. 129-138.
The "Marxist" congress passed resolutions on the unity of the socialist movement, international labor legislation, the abolition of permanent armies, and the various means to attain these goals. It also passed a resolution calling for an international demonstration for the eight-hour working day on May 1.

"Possibilist" Congress

The International Workers Congress, or "possibilist" congress met at #10, rue de Langry. Its delegate count was as follows.
Country# of delegatsRemarks
Austria6
Belgium8
Denmark2
France477
Great Britain39
Hungary6
Netherlands2
Poland1
Russia1
Spain5
Switzerland1
United States4

The possibilist congress passed resolutions on universal suffrage, trust, international labor legislation, and on the means of creating a permanent means of relation between the autonomous socialist and workers groups.