Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This book is the first scholarly biography of Jules Guesde, and it begins from a paradox: for while Guesde was celebrated in his own time as a leading representative of international socialism, in more recent decades his legacy has been spat upon or neglected entirely. This study instead seeks to put Guesde's record on a properly historical footing, closely analysing both archival sources and accounts by his contemporaries. Chapter One begins with his early life and the mark left on him by the Paris Commune and exile. Chapter Two emphasise's Guesde importance as leader of a distinct current of French socialism, recognised by figures like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Chapter Three sees Guesde become an MP for working-class Roubaix, exploring the contradictions between his revolutionary rhetoric and concrete political practice. Chapter Four turns to the years following his electoral defeat in 1898 and his renewed intransigence in the period of the Dreyfus affair and rivalry with Jaur s. Chapter Five instead explores his key role in the formation of a united Socialist Party. Chapter Six examines the test of World War I and Guesde's anguish at the divisions of French socialism. The Conclusion examines Guesde's contested legacy, as both a "founding father" and figure subject to often pejorative framings.
Synopsis
Chapter One: "The Apostle of the Fourth Estate" (1845-1880)Chapter Two: "The Genius of Simplification" Guesde, Founder of the First Socialist Party (1880-1893)Chapter Three: "The Icy Frisson of the Irreconcilable" Guesde in Parliament (1893-1898)Chapter Four: "Finally, We've Cut Ties" The Intransigent (1898-1905)Chapter Five: "I Have Remained an Insurgent" Guesde in the Unified Party (1905-1914)Chapter Six: "Without him, it's no longer the same thing" Guesde the Minister and Guardian of Unity (1914-22)Chapter Seven: "Eternal Guesdism" The Prophet's Legacies