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International Workingmen's Association

The International Workingmen's Association was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different political and trade union organisations which were based on the working class. Originally it contained British trade unionists, anarchists, french socialists, Italian republicans and was organised by a small group around Karl Marx. Later disputes between the majority led by Marx and a secret consipratorial faction led by Bakunin the anarchist leader led to a split with the latter. It was largely held responsible for the Paris Commune of 1871. Although this was not in fact true Marx did write a defence of the Commune. Following which the centre of the IWMA was moved to New York where it expired in peace.

Second International

The Second International (Socialist International) is a collection of moderate leftist political parties. For example, the British Labour Party and the German Social Democrats are affiliated to it.

Third International

The Third International was the Communist International. Commonly referred to as Comintern, it was created at the behest of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for the express purpose of establishing Communist Parties in countries across the world. The first Communist International meeting was held in Moscow on March 2, 1917.

Fourth International

The Fourth International was created in 1938 by Leon Trotsky. It represents the Trotskyist strain of Communist thought, particularly Trotsky's ideas of Permanent Revolution.

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