Worldwide 1890s-1920s

Synopsis

Between the 1890s and the 1920s, a distinctive group of social movements known variously as revolutionary syndicalist, anarcho-syndicalist, and industrial unionist developed in many parts of Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Australia. However, in juxtaposition to the craft unionism prevalent in the United States and England, syndicalism was a form of labor unionism that aimed to overthrown capitalism through revolutionary, industrial class struggle and to build a social order free from economic or political oppression. Unlike most socialists who organized workers' parties, the syndicalists concentrated on organizing the working class through unions. Unions served a dual function, acting both as the organizers of class warfare and as the nuclei of the postrevolutionary society. The emancipation of the working class was to be achieved by direct action and the general strike, not by parliamentary pressure or political insurrection designed to lead...