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OverviewAugust Bebel (1840-1913) was one of the towering figures of late nineteenth century European socialism and the leading figure of the German labour movement from the 1860s until his death in 1913. Born into a modest family, and a half-orphan from the age of four, his advancement to a pivotal role in the politics of Imperial Germany mirrored the success of German social democracy in this period. Bebel was not only the founder and first leader of the Social Democratic Workers Party of Germany (SDAP), a political movement that became the largest socialist party in nineteenth-century Europe, but he was also a powerful orator and leading member of the German parliament. He was described by contemporaries as the ‘king of the German workers’ and the ‘shadow emperor’ of Germany. In this biography, Jürgen Schmidt situates Bebel’s life and career in the political, social and cultural history of modern Europe. He also provides an overview of the growth of the labour movement and working class political activism in late-nineteenth century Germany. This is an essential biography of one of Germany’s most influential and unique politicians, living at a time of great political, social and industrial change in Europe. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Jürgen Schmidt (Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imprint: I.B. Tauris Weight: 0.449kg ISBN: 9781788314459ISBN 10: 178831445 Pages: 240 Publication Date: 29 November 2018 Audience: College/higher education , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Language: English Table of ContentsList of Plates List of Abbreviations Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction 1. On the Edge of the Lower Class: Poor and Yet Privileged 2. Artisan and Entrepreneur: A Success Story 3. The Path into Politics: ‘Who is That Man with Such an Appearance?’ 4. A Life for Politics: ‘Taking the Bull by the Horns’ 1867 – 1872: Bebel develops his talents 1872 – 1884/9: The dangerous member of the Reichstag 5. Family, Friends and Everyday Life: The Private Side to Bebel 6. Politics as a Vocation: ‘One is No More than a Hackney’ 7. Politics until Death: Battles of Words and War Prophecy 8. ‘Anti-Emperor of the Masses’: Worshipping a Hero? Epilogue Chronology Short Biographical Notes Glossary of Associations and Parties at Local, National and International Level Notes Sources and Literature IndexReviews`Juergen Schmidt's outstanding biography of August Bebel brings to life the man dubbed `the emperor of the German working-class'. His remarkable influence on the pathway of the German Social Democratic Party in Imperial Germany is contextualised with wonderful clarity and great attention to detail. The account of a remarkable life of one of Germany's most important politicians is always nuanced and differentiated and manages to assemble a comprehensive account of a leading European socialist, feminist, trade unionist, labour intellectual and organizer.' Stefan Berger, Professor for History & Director of the Institute for Social Movements, University of Bochum, 'August Bebel was one of the great democratic people's tribunes of Europe's long nineteenth-century and one of the founders of the modern labour movement. The alternative Kaiser of the German workers, he led the democratic opposition to Bismarck and the governments of Kaiser Wilhelm II, until his death on the eve of the First World War. He led German Social Democracy from a small federation of artisans' associations to Europe's first million-strong mass party. Despite this, Bebel's life story is not as well-known as it should be among English-speaking students of German history. Jurgen Schmidt's book should change this. It draws on the author's well-established expertise in this field and is up-to-date with the latest scholarship while remaining readable for the non-specialist. It is written in a lively and accessible manner. This is a Bebel biography for the twenty-first century, unencumbered by the doctrinal arguments that dogged some of the older literature in this field during the Cold War, ably contextualized, and with an eye to Bebel's relevance for an understanding of the trajectory of German democracy down to the present. Schmidt provides a fresh and lucidly written examination of Bebel's personality and his role as a party leader and politician that speaks directly to our contemporary concerns about the business of politics.' - Andrew G. Bonnell, Associate Professor in History, University of Queensland, `This remarkably concise and readable account introduces readers to August Bebel and the Social Democratic movement he led. Jurgen Schmidt draws upon his previous studies of Germany's working-class milieu to shed light on the life and times of a man who remains an enigma more than one hundred years after his death.' - James Retallack, Professor of History and German Studies, University of Toronto Author InformationJürgen Schmidt is a Research Associate in History at re:work Research Centre at the Humboldt University, Berlin and at The History and Future of Work Research Centre in Berlin.. He was previously a Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Centre (WZB), Berlin and holds a PhD from the Free University, Berlin. He is the author of Brüder, Bürger und Genossen. Die deutsche Arbeiterbewegung zwischen Klassenbewegung und Bürgergesellschaft 1830-1870; Arbeiter in der Moderne. Arbeitsbedingungen, Lebenswelten, Organisationen and Zivilgesellschaft. Bürgerschaftliches Engagement von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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