Comparing Countries

3 Pages 722 Words

France
The French Socialist party, known as the SFIO (Section française de

l'internationale ouvrière), French section of the Worker's International, was formed in

1905 by a merging of different socialist groups. Led by Jean Jaurès and Jules Guesde the

SFIO became a major political force. In 1914 the party supported French participation in

World War I, accepting ministerial posts.

By 1920 the Communists held a majority in the party, and a split was unavoidable.

The minority, led by Léon Blum, reconstituted the SFIO and in 1924 it joined a coalition

government. In 1936, faced by economic depression, government corruption, and the rise

of French fascism, the Socialists, allied with Communists and Radical Socialists, won

election as the Popular Front; Blum was premier (1937-38). In World War II the SFIO

played a major role in the French Resistance, emerging in 1945 as one of the strongest

government parties. But, surrounded by Communists on the left and conservative parties

on the right, it gradually lost strength, although it frequently was the leading party in

governing coalitions. Split over support for the Fifth Republic in 1958, the party made a

succession of alliances, unsuccessfully opposing the ruling Gaullists. It was reorganized in

1969 as the Parti Socialiste.Socialist candidate François Mitterrand, was only narrowly

defeated for the presidency in 1974, and in 1981, again with Communist support, he

defeated Gaullist, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, then led his party to an assembly

majority.

U.S.
In 1898 the Social Democratic party was formed by a group led by Eugene V. Debs

and Victor Berger. Two years later, Debs ran for president with the support of the more

moderate wing of the Socialist Labor party, and in 1901 this group, led by Morris Hillquit,

united with the Social Democratic party to form the Socialist party. The new pa...