How was it possible that in thirty years, from 1914 to 1945, the mighty European Nation-States collapsed and disappeared from the World Front Stage? How could the insignificant States of the 15th century that in four centuries got to control the world, returned to insignificancy in such a short period. This is what we are going to analyze today from a very concrete perspective: to what extent this made clear the insufficiencies of the Nation-State model.
We will start with apocalyptic conflict that was World War I. May be to this day the worst war in Human history, mainly because it was the first “total war”, meaning that every nation-state involved dedicated all resources, material and human, to exterminate the adversary. Al sustained by a deeply rooted xenophobic narrative nationally promoted that led in France, for instance, to the assassination of the Socialist leader Jean Jaurès (1859-31 July 1914) simply because he was a pacifist.
Before going further please listen to the song of the Belgian singer Jacques Brel (1929-1978) that bears the significant title of “Why they killed Jaurès” (Pour quoi ont-ils tué Jaurès?) released in 1977, in what was his last album, simply called “BREL”, before dying from cancer a few months later.
After that you should see the Movie “Merry Christmas” (Joyeux Noël) of Christian Carion Released in 2005, and based on true events. And finally, as I guess you are developing a taste for reading, I would recommend you to read Pierre Lemaitre’s Novel “The Great Swindle” (Au revoir là haut) that enabled the author to receive in 2013 the most prestigious French Litterary price, the “Prix Goncourt.”
The suicide of the Great War led to the abrupt end of Liberalism and the return of authoritarian regimes, starting with Bolshevik Russia, and continuing with Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany. Dreadful dictatorships brought by the aftermaths of the massive and absurd massacre that led the world to war again in 1939, leaving Europe in ruins.
You would not understand the Russian Revolution, the Dictatorships of Mussolini of Hitler or the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) if you do not understand the social consequences of the expansion of big capitalism and the rising of “the Social question”. This is why a large part of the text of Teaching Guide 6 (pages 127-139) are dedicated to this crucial aspect, including the “democratic solution” to the problem unexpectedly invented by US President F.D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, that would lead to the Welfare State Model. Something especially important considering the resurgence of inequalities worldwide, as a result of the Neoliberal policies started by the Western States in the 1980’s decade. In our today’s topic for discussion we will analyze if we are assisting today to a resurgence of the social question because of the overwhelming growing of inequality all over the Planet.
Please read carefully the chain of events triggered by the Russian revolution, that finally led to World War 2 (1939-1945) and to the Cold War (1948-1989). And consider if right now we are facing a resurgence of a New Cold war in which Western countries are increasingly facing Russia and China making the world really unstable.
The most important idea you have to retain of Teaching Guide 6 is how the Nation-State model brought to the destruction of Europe in only three decades.
INSTRUCTIONS: First read the text included in your Materials (pages 124 to 161), before proceeding to answer the Concrete Questions, the Concepts and the General Questions.
Concerning the Basic Chronology (pages 154-155) all 21 dates included are crucial.
TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION IN CLASS: Are we facing a new “Social Question” today worldwide?
Please consider the following aspects:
1. Think about why the Liberal regimes of European Nation-States provoked the social question: the technological revolution, the demographic expansion, the growth of cities, and the changes in the European Social structure.
2. Look at the emergence of the Socialist approach in its different stages: Romantic, Scientific, Revolutionary, Social democratic.
3. Analyze how conservatives (right wing) faced the Social question, starting with Bismarck’s Sozialpolitik, following with the reaction of the European oligarchies to the Soviet Revolution, and ending with the American New Deal, and its impact in Europe.
4. Consider the essence of the Welfare State model. Why it appeared, its strengths and weaknesses.
5. Figure out how could we face the problem that represents the rise of a huge mass of a class useless people –that is people who do not have a job, because the system does not need them- in the 21st century, resulting from the technological explosion and globalization.
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