Erfurt Program

The Erfurt Program was the German Social Democratic Party’s 1891 platform, pairing a Marxist account of capitalism and class struggle with immediate democratic and social reforms.

Marxism: A political and economic theory drawing on Karl Marx’s critique of capitalism and account of class struggle. The program’s theoretical section adopted a Marxist explanation of capitalist development and social conflict.
Gotha Program: The German Social Democratic Workers’ Party’s 1875 platform, criticized by Karl Marx for theoretical concessions and weaknesses. The Erfurt platform replaced this earlier party program and addressed Marx’s objections more directly.
Socialist Law: German legislation enforced from 1878 to 1890 that suppressed socialist organizations, meetings, and publications. Its repeal allowed the party to meet openly and adopt a new platform at Erfurt.
German Revolution of 1918–1919: The upheaval that ended the German monarchy and established a republic after the First World War. The SPD’s later governing role tested the relationship between its socialist aims and immediate political practice.
Class struggle: Conflict between social classes over economic interests, political power, and control of production. The program treated conflict between workers and the bourgeoisie as a central force in history.
Karl Kautsky: An Austrian Marxist theorist and leading writer of the German Social Democratic Party. Kautsky drafted the program’s theoretical section, articulating its account of capitalism and class struggle.
German Social Democratic Party: The German political party formed in 1875 from the merger of socialist organizations and later known as the SPD. The party adopted the Erfurt Program at its congress in 1891.
Revisionism: A current within Marxist socialism that questioned predictions of capitalism’s collapse and favored gradual reform. Bernstein’s later arguments exposed tensions between the program’s revolutionary analysis and reformist activity.
Capitalism: An economic system in which productive assets are largely privately owned and goods and labor are exchanged through markets. Its theoretical section described capitalism as generating concentration of wealth and conflict between classes.
Eduard Bernstein: A German socialist thinker who later challenged orthodox Marxism and advocated evolutionary reform. Bernstein drafted the program’s practical demands, giving immediate reforms a prominent place.

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