ABSTRACT
Socialists in France in the sixties were either Proudhonists or Blanquists, isolated Saint-Simonist somewhere. Marx blamed Wilhelm Liebknecht for the 'lukewarmness' with which he conducted the 'business of the International' in Germany. But it is doubtful whether anyone could have done better than Liebknecht, who was absolutely tireless and was completely devoted to Marx. In 1869 Bakunin wrote Revolutionary Catechism which was intended to be a reply to the question of what were the best ways and means of hastening the outbreak of the revolution in Russia. The answer was to be found by two principles. The first was 'the end justifies the means' and the second was 'the worse, the better'. Everything-and by that Bakunin meant everything without any exception whatever-that promoted the revolution was permissible and everything that hindered it was a crime. The downfall of the International is not attributable to the friction on the General Council, but efficiency was certainly not promoted by it.
