Socialist Party (Sweden, 1929)
Encyclopedia
The Socialist Party initially known as the Communist Party of Sweden (Sveriges kommunistiska parti), was a political party
in Sweden
active from 1929 to 1948. The party was founded in 1929 by the major faction of the Communist Party of Sweden
, led by Karl Kilbom
and Nils Flyg
, as the party split into two parties with the same name. This faction was generally known as Kilbommare ("Kilbomians") while the other minor party was known as Sillénare ("Sillénians", after their leader Hugo Sillén
).
This party won over the entire communist parliamentary faction and a major part of the militancy. They were also able to win over the main publication of the communist party, Folkets Dagblad Politiken
.
The Kilbom-led SKP held the congress prior to the Sillén-led party. At the congress there was a debate regarding the character of the party, whether to continue the system of party cells (the structure of the pre-split SKP) or whether to become a more open mass party. In the end the statues adopted by the congress differed little from those of the pre-split SKP. Party cells remained the basic organization of the party, and in places where no cell existed a party member would be organized in the arbetarkommun
directly. However the criteria for membership was somewhat laxed, the sole remaining criteria was activism in the base level organization.
In 1930 Flyg, as an MP, put forward a motion on separation of church and state
. The motion was voted down in the Lower House.
The Kilbom party merged in 1934 with a break-away group of the Social Democrats based in Göteborg, led by Albin Ström
. At the time of the merger, the party changed its name to the Socialist Party (Socialistiska partiet). The transformation into SP also marked a break with the previous line of the party towards Comintern
and the Soviet Union
. Initially the party had tried to persuade the Comintern to be allowed to return to the International. Gradually, however the party became more and more antagonistic toward the Comintern and the Soviet Union.
The party gradually disintegrated, and many of the most prominent leaders such as Kilbom, left the party in 1937. During World War II
, their staunch anti-Soviet
line led the party to actually embrace some pro-German views (partially since the huge financial problems of the party led it to seek financial aid from Germany
). As a result of this, in 1940, a group of members that included Albin Ström and Evald Höglund broke away and formed the Left Socialist Party
. In the elections
the same year, the party lost its parliamentary representation.
When Flyg died in 1943 he was succeeded as party leader by Agaton Blom. During the final years of the war, the party continued to lose members and support, and changed its name to the Swedish Socialist Party (Svenska socialistiska partiet). It was finally dissolved in 1948.
The local units of the party were known as "Socialist Labour Communes" (Socialistiska Arbetarkommuner).
In terms of international contacts, the party was initially associated with the International Communist Opposition
and later with the International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
(also known as the "London Bureau").
The youth league of the party was called the Socialist Youth League
(Socialistiska ungdomsförbundet), affiliated to the International Bureau of Revolutionary Youth Organizations
.
):
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
active from 1929 to 1948. The party was founded in 1929 by the major faction of the Communist Party of Sweden
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
, led by Karl Kilbom
Karl Kilbom
Karl Kilbom was a Swedish Socialist politician.-Youth:As the son of a blacksmith, Karl Kilbom grew up in a working-class family of Walloon origin in the small town of Österby outside Uppsala, where he started working in the steel mills at an early age.In the year 1900, a socialist agitator visited...
and Nils Flyg
Nils Flyg
Nils Svante Flyg was a Swedish Communist politician who turned pro-Nazi during World War II.Nils Flyg was born and raised in Södermalm, a working-class area of Stockholm. Early on he joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party's youth organization, the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League...
, as the party split into two parties with the same name. This faction was generally known as Kilbommare ("Kilbomians") while the other minor party was known as Sillénare ("Sillénians", after their leader Hugo Sillén
Hugo Sillén
Hugo Sillén was a Swedish Communist politician. In the 1929 split of the Communist Party of Sweden, Sillén led the pro-Comintern fraction that expelled Karl Kilbom and the majority of the party members with support of the Comintern that feared Kilbom would support Bukharin's right opposition...
).
This party won over the entire communist parliamentary faction and a major part of the militancy. They were also able to win over the main publication of the communist party, Folkets Dagblad Politiken
Folkets Dagblad Politiken
Politiken, later named Folkets Dagblad - Politiken was a Swedish Communist newspaper that existed from April 1916 to August 1940....
.
The Kilbom-led SKP held the congress prior to the Sillén-led party. At the congress there was a debate regarding the character of the party, whether to continue the system of party cells (the structure of the pre-split SKP) or whether to become a more open mass party. In the end the statues adopted by the congress differed little from those of the pre-split SKP. Party cells remained the basic organization of the party, and in places where no cell existed a party member would be organized in the arbetarkommun
Arbetarkommun
Arbetarkommun alt. Arbetarekommun is the municipal unit of Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Arbetareparti . An arbetarkommun consists of several base level party units, workplace units, etc....
directly. However the criteria for membership was somewhat laxed, the sole remaining criteria was activism in the base level organization.
In 1930 Flyg, as an MP, put forward a motion on separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
. The motion was voted down in the Lower House.
The Kilbom party merged in 1934 with a break-away group of the Social Democrats based in Göteborg, led by Albin Ström
Albin Ström
Albin Ström was a Swedish socialist politician from Gothenburg. As a young Social Democrat, Ström joined Zeth Höglund in 1917 when the party was split in two, as Höglund's radical left-wing was expelled...
. At the time of the merger, the party changed its name to the Socialist Party (Socialistiska partiet). The transformation into SP also marked a break with the previous line of the party towards Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Initially the party had tried to persuade the Comintern to be allowed to return to the International. Gradually, however the party became more and more antagonistic toward the Comintern and the Soviet Union.
The party gradually disintegrated, and many of the most prominent leaders such as Kilbom, left the party in 1937. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, their staunch anti-Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
line led the party to actually embrace some pro-German views (partially since the huge financial problems of the party led it to seek financial aid from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). As a result of this, in 1940, a group of members that included Albin Ström and Evald Höglund broke away and formed the Left Socialist Party
Left Socialist Party
Vänstersocialistiska Partiet was a political party in Sweden that existed between 1940 and 1963.Albin Ström was a leftwing Social Democrat from Göteborg that broke out of the Social Democratic Party in 1934. With him followed thousands of other Social Democrats from the West Coast-region...
. In the elections
Swedish general election, 1940
Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held 15 September 1940. It is one of two general elections in Swedish history where a single party received more than half of the vote ....
the same year, the party lost its parliamentary representation.
When Flyg died in 1943 he was succeeded as party leader by Agaton Blom. During the final years of the war, the party continued to lose members and support, and changed its name to the Swedish Socialist Party (Svenska socialistiska partiet). It was finally dissolved in 1948.
The local units of the party were known as "Socialist Labour Communes" (Socialistiska Arbetarkommuner).
In terms of international contacts, the party was initially associated with the International Communist Opposition
Right Opposition
The Right Opposition was the name given to the tendency made up of Nikolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov, Mikhail Tomsky and their supporters within the Soviet Union in the late 1920s...
and later with the International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
The International Revolutionary Marxist Centre was an international association of left-socialist parties. The member-parties rejected both mainstream social democracy and the Third International.-Organizational history:...
(also known as the "London Bureau").
The youth league of the party was called the Socialist Youth League
Socialist Youth League (Sweden)
The Socialist Youth League was the youth organization of the Swedish Socialist Party. The organization was formed in 1929. Initially it was known as the Communist Youth League . KUF changed name to SU in 1934.Along with its mother party, the youth league gradually developed a pro-Nazi position...
(Socialistiska ungdomsförbundet), affiliated to the International Bureau of Revolutionary Youth Organizations
International Bureau of Revolutionary Youth Organizations
International Bureau of Revolutionary Youth Organizations was an international organization of socialist youth, formed in 1934...
.
Electoral results
Electoral results of the party (in elections to the RiksdagParliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
):
- 1932Swedish general election, 1932Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held September 17-18 1932. They resulted in the Social Democrats regaining government after six years in opposition, and it marked the beginning of 44 years of near-uninterrupted rule for the Social Democratic Party.The results of the election were...
: 5.3% - 1936Swedish general election, 1936Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held September 20, 1936....
: 4.4% - 1940Swedish general election, 1940Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held 15 September 1940. It is one of two general elections in Swedish history where a single party received more than half of the vote ....
: 0.7% - 1944Swedish general election, 1944Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held 17 September 1944....
: 0.2%
See also
- Left Socialist Party (Sweden), Vänstersocialistiska partiet, 1940–1963)
- Socialist Party (Sweden, 1971)