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First International (International Workingmens Association)
When the International was formed in September 1864, Marx
was
a relatively obscre ref!ee "ornalist,# Sal $adover notes in
the
introdction to a volme of select wor%s written by Marx for
theInternational&
'xiled from his native (ermany, thrown ot of )el!im, and
expelled
from *rance, Marx fond ref!e in the )ritish capital in 184+ In
the 1-
years before the fondin! of the International, Marx e%ed ot a
livin! from
"ornalism . saved from actal starvation by *rederic% 'n!els, who
was in
the textile bsiness in Manchester . and spent most of his time
writin!,
readin!, and researchin! /in the )ritish Msem0 fter the tramatic
defeat
of the revoltions of 184824+ in 'rope, he became for a time
politically
inactive
In 3ondon, Marxs main contacts were with other
'ropeans,particlarly (erman and *rench radicals and ref!ees, with
many of whom
he had intermittent s5abbles and disa!reements While showin!
deep
interest in )ritish politics, instittions, and movements .
notably the history
of hartism, which was not withot inflence on his own political
thin%in!
. he %ept himself, or was %ept, aloof from 'n!lish activists,
incldin! trade
nionists With few exceptions, one of them bein! the hartist
leader and
editor 'rnest harles 7ones, Marx had no close connection with
'n!lish
radicals or laborites, and vice versa is led the politically
isolated life of
an nassimilated continental ref!ee 9he International was to
chan!e all
this
It is still not entirely clear why Marx was invited to what
trned ot tobe a historic meetin! at St Martins all :ntil abot a
wee% before the
meetin!, on September ;8, he apparently %new nothin! abot
any
preparations for it 9hen he was told abot it by ?2year2
old *rench radical repblican livin! in 3ondon, who invited him
to come as
a representtive of (erman wor%ers Marx accepted and proposed
that he be
"oined by 7ohann (eor! 'ccaris, a tailor livin! in 3ondon, as
another
(erman representative s it trned ot, Marx and 'ccaris were to
become
the two mainstays of the International from its inception to its
end
9he meetin! was "ammed with a lar!e nmber of assorted
radicals
9here were 'n!lish @wenties and hartists, *rench $rodhonists
and
)lan5ists, Irish nationalists, $olish patriots, Italian
Ma==inists, and(erman Socialists It was an assortment nited not by
a commonly shared
ideolo!y or even by !enine internationalism, bt by an
accmlated
brden of variated !rievances cryin! for an otlet 9he 'n!lish
were a!ainst
special privile!e, the *rench a!ainst )onapartism, the Irish
a!ainst the
)ritish, the $oles a!ainst Assia B$oland was occpied by Assia in
1C+-D,
the Italians a!ainst stria, and the (ermans a!ainst capitalism
9here was
no necessary or inte!ral interconnection amon! them . except
what Marx
later tried to provide in the or!ani=aton that followed the
meetin! :nder
the chairmanship of 'dward Spencer )eesly, an 'n!lish $ositivist
historian
and professor at 3ondon :niversity, radical oratory was !iven
free rein
Marx himself did not spea% e was, as he wrote later, a Esilent
fi!re on
the platform
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/b/o.htm#bonapartismhttp://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/b/o.htm#bonapartism
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9he meetin! voted nanimosly to appoint a provisional committee
to
wor% ot a pro!ram and membership rles for the proposed
international
or!ani=aton Marx was appointed a member of the committee, which
met a
wee% later and, bein! lar!e and nweildy, a!reed on a small
sbcommittee
to do the actal wor% Marx became a member of this crcial
sbcommittee 9he only other (erman on it was my old friend, the
tailor
'ccarisF, as Marx wrote to a commnist friend in Solin!en
9hesbcommittee met in Marxs hose, and so powerfl was his
intellectal
ascendency and certainty of prpose . the In !ral ddress. and
the
rles . $rovisional Stattes. of the new or!ani=ation enceforth
Marx
was to remain its predominant spirit and the indomitable
personality that
held the disparate International ssociation to!ether for ei!ht
difficlt and
often stormy years, ntil it was shattered by bitter internal
dissensions
In the International, Marx saw a !reat historic opportnity, and
sei=ed
it Indeed, it is 5estionable whether the or!ani=ation wold have
srvived,
or wold have had any meanin!, withot him is steely will and
impassioned commitment to the idea of the revoltionary role of
the world
proletariat prevented the International from passin! into the
same oblivionas had other dreams of s5abbly radicals, confsed in
their philosophy and
at cross2prposes in their aims#
See istory of the *irst International, for docments and
eye2witness
histories
General Council:&
rchitect . Garl Marx, $eter *ox
9ailor . 'ccaris, 3essner, Marice, Milner, Stainsbyarpenter .
pple!arth, remer, 3ochner, Weston
Weaver . )radnic%, 7 ales, Mottershead
Shoema%er . Mor!an, @d!er, Serraillier
*rnitre Ma%er . Hell, 3craft
Watchma%er . 7n!
Mason . owell
Msical2instrment ma%er . Hpont
airdresser . 3assassie
Marx was one of few who %ept his seat in the (eneral oncilfrom
the formation of the International Wor%in! Mens ssociation
over many years e wold relin5ish it in 18C; . when the
International moved to ew Jor% 9he (eneral oncil flctated
!reatly in si=e . the ddress to $resident 3incoln, for example,
had
-8 si!natres 9he oncil met wee%ly Marx was almost always in
attendance, nless limited by illness
Further Reading: ollection of articles by Garl Marx and
*rederic% 'n!els on 9he *irst International
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1864/10/27.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/documents/1867/rules.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/index.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1864/iwma/index.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1864/10/27.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/documents/1867/rules.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/index.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1864/iwma/index.htm
