Earliest socialist revolution


You know what? I love the idea of them finding out about the Directory's plans and then uprising on the 9th, just to reverse the trick.

Socialist Republic of France? It'd be an interesting idea, especially if it survived. The question is how does it evolve. I mean, Babeuf was explicitly a fan of equality of outcome, which would cause some issues if people decide to not work (and that number became statistically significant). I suppose it would depend on how they'd approach a solution - a concept of national service? Working Unions?

I'd be curious to see how it is resolved, because if you insist on national service, you could very well have them have a process of "Validation", where a clerk is set up to basically say "Yeah, nah, they've done their job", which qualifies them to continue to get their accommodation, rations, etc.

Another concern is with trading with the outside world. I don't know who France owed money to, but a good way to get others on your side (and undermine the French Monarchy), would be an agreement to renegotiate the crowns debts with important external debtors (i.e. The British). Socialist Pro-British France that agrees to take ownership of the French Crowns debts? If it can service the debts it chooses to honour to external parties, then it could avoid the Napoleonic Wars.

The final of the trifecta of "God make those work" is whether those parties that Babeufist France agrees to trade with can stomach a level of reform to prevent revolution. The concept of "National Service" isn't hard to fulfil - you join the army, or pay your taxes. But you do that at the expense of the crowns opponents, and you could feasibly maintain most of the British System (and get a potentially massive army at the same time). It could be a way to increase the power the crown to a scary degree - essentially re-enclosure, and whilst on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution - meaning that the Crown could essentially make bank itself.

It'd be a VERY different TL - especially if it was only "France", and "Britain" that had these policies applied, but not the colonies, where being deployed could count as a way to be "Validated".

Huh. Complete Brain-Dump but there you go.
 
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We set scenario in early Glorious Revolution, kill off Cromwell before he gets too influntal, have weaker and less centralised government made by moderate Parliamentarians, with Diggers uniting more militant and radical low classes.
Something to resemble Russian revolution.
Is it ASB?
 
Ok, guys, rate this
We set scenario in early Glorious Revolution, kill off Cromwell before he gets too influntal, have weaker and less centralised government made by moderate Parliamentarians, with Diggers uniting more militant and radical low classes.
Something to resemble Russian revolution.
Is it ASB?
Cromwell was dead for 30 years by the time of the Glorious Revolution. Do you mean the English Civil War?
 
The Mazdakite movement in 7th century Iran has been referred to as the first socialist movement, and it had enough sympathies in the nobility that it succeeding was not out of the question.
 

RousseauX

Donor
No, in 1905 Russian empire still had firm grip over society.
Is there a way to make Glorious Revolution way more chaotic and to last longer, causing potential social moment to take leftist shape?
You could have gotten there during the English Civil War:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diggers
Their original name came from their belief in economic equality based upon a specific passage in the Book of Acts.[4][5] The Diggers tried (by "leveling" land) to reform the existing social order with an agrarian lifestyle based on their ideas for the creation of small egalitarian rural communities. They were one of a number of nonconformist dissenting groups that emerged around this time.
 

chankljp

Donor
Define socialism?

I agree with this. For the purposes of this discussion, we need to have a clear definition on what counts as a 'socialist revolution'. Does it have to be expressly 'socialist' in order for it to count? Or can it just have some form of proto-socialist style goals and rhetoric for it to be acceptable?
 
I was tempted to answer "the Inca", but there was no "revolution" involved, I guess...
Also, that would depend upon a pretty broad definition of "socialism."
 
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