The Working Class and Socialism

In the 2nd half of the 19th century, changes in politics, the economy and society caused the nobility to lose slowly what remained of its traditional monopoly on wealth, status and power.

The primary beneficiaries of these changes were the owners of commercial farms, factories, mines, banks, and ships (the group called the "bourgeoisie.") However, the concern (and expectation) of nobles as well as bourgeois was that the fastest rising group were the workers. In particular, they believed (and worried) that the growing number of unskilled, factory workers (known as "proletariat") would lead to even greater (and, for them, more worrisome) changes in the future. Even though factory and mine workers were still a minority of the workforce, they became the most visible of city workers, which became known as the "working class."

After the "June Days" of 1848, gradual reforms seemed unlikely to satisfy workers. People of all different social groups expected (with great hope, or fear) that there would be a great "Revolution" that would bring about greater changes. To encourage such a Revolution, the"Socialist International" changed its platform in 1889 and adopted Karl Marx's approach to politics.