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The British Social Democratic Federation 1880–1885
From O'Brienism to Marxism*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2008
Summary
A number of Bronterre O'Brien's disciples were the leading lights of London clubs that provided the silent majority to the Social Democratic Federation (S.D.F.). Even after the O'Brienites came to accept the need for collective ownership of the means of production, their political strategy remained that of O'Brien. An understanding of the role played by the O'Brienites helps to explain various problems in the history of the S.D.F. such as why most members remained with Hyndman rather than follow Morris into the Socialist League and why the S.D.F. adopted an ambiguous attitude to trade unions and to palliatives.
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- Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1992
References
1 On Hyndman see Tsuzuki, C., H. M. Hyndman and British Socialism (Oxford, 1961)Google Scholar and Bevir, M., “H.M. Hyndman: A Rereading and a Reassessment”, History of Political Thought, XII (1991), pp. 125–145.Google Scholar On Morris see Thompson, E.P., William Morris: From Romantic to Revolutionary (London, 1977).Google Scholar On the Fabians see Wolfe, W., From Radicalism to Socialism (New Haven, 1975).Google Scholar
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