Godesberg Program

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Godesberg Program
Original titleGodesberger Programm
Ratified15 November 1959
LocationBad Godesberg
SignatoriesSocial Democratic Party of Germany
SubjectSocial democracy
Purposea fundamental change in the orientation and goals of the SPD

The Godesberg Program (

mass party orientation that appealed to ethical rather than class-based considerations. It also rejected nationalization as a major principle of socialism.[1]

Overview

The Godesberg Program eliminated the party's remaining

private ownership of the means of production "can claim protection by society as long as it does not hinder the establishment of social justice".[4]

By accepting free-market principles, the SPD argued that a truly

anti-capitalist policy angered many in the SPD who had supported it.[3]

After those changes, the SPD enacted the two major pillars of what would become the modern

Marxist policies aimed at destroying capitalism and replacing them with policies aimed at reforming capitalism.[1] The Godesberg Program divorced its conception of socialism from Marxism, declaring that democratic socialism in Europe was "rooted in Christian ethics, humanism, and classical philosophy".[1] The Godesberg Program was a major revision of the SPD's policies and gained attention from beyond Germany.[3] At the time of its adoption, the stance on the Godesberg Program in neighbouring France was not uniform. While the French Section of the Workers' International was divided on the Godesberg Program, the Unified Socialist Party denounced the Godesberg Program as a renunciation of socialism and an opportunistic reaction to the SPD's electoral defeats.[3]

The Godesberg program was also notable because the party abandoned and rejected Marxist theories of class conflict and revolution. This was consistent with

reformist agenda of Bernstein over the orthodox Marxist agenda of Karl Kautsky.[1]

Labor unions had abandoned the old demands for nationalization and instead cooperated increasingly with industry, achieving labor representation on corporate boards and increases in wages and benefits. After losing federal elections in 1953 and 1957, the SPD moved toward an American-style image-driven electoral strategy that stressed personalities, specifically Berlin mayor Willy Brandt. As it prepared for the 1961 federal election, it proved necessary as well to drop opposition to rearmament and to accept NATO.[5] The Godesberg Program was superseded in 1989 by the Berlin Program, resolved at the party congress held on 20 December 1989 in Berlin.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Berman 2006, p. 190.
  2. ^ Orlow 2000, p. 108.
  3. ^ a b c d Orlow 2000, p. 190.
  4. ^ a b Adams 2001, p. 108.
  5. ^ Turner 1987, pp. 80–82.
  6. ^ Hampton 1986, p. 76; Egle et al. 2008, p. 70.

Sources

External links