Invisible dictatorship
Encyclopedia
An invisible dictatorship was a term coined by Mikhail Bakunin
to describe clandestine revolutionary leadership. Bakunin also used the terms invisible legion and invisible network to describe his concept of invisible dictatorship.
during the turmoil surrounding the Paris Commune
:
In nineteenth century Europe
the discussion of how a transitional revolutionary government might act took place since the days of Gracchus Babeuf. In 1828 Philippe Buonarroti
published Conspiration pour l'Egalité dite de Babeuf, suivie du procès auquel elle donna lieu which proved to be very influential on Auguste Blanqui and the revolutionaries of 1848, from Louis Blanc
to Bakunin. From this arose the concept of a small band of revolutionaries instituting an Educational Dictatorship which would raise the consciousness of the masses to the point that democracy
could be introduced.
In the February Revolution, Paris
, 1848 the provisional government assumed power extralegally, through an announcement before a mass demonstration. Louis Blanc advocated that the provisional government should “regard themselves as dictators appointed by a revolution which had become inevitable and which was under no obligation to seek the sanction of universal suffrage until after having accomplished all the good which the moment required.” He also reiterated the idea of the “dictatorship of Paris” over the country. Bakunin, having received funds from Blanc's provisional government, threw himself into the revolutionary movement in Bohemia
. He subsequently described his aim as the establishment of a “government with unlimited dictatorial power,” in which “all will be subjugated to a single dictatorial authority,” through three secret societies based on “strict hierarchy and unconditional discipline.”Hal Draper
claims this was the first appearance of his concept of a “secret dictatorship” exercised by “Invisible Dictators.” Bakunin also saw Prague
playing the role of Paris: "The revolutionary government with unlimited dictatorial power must sit in Prague ... All clubs and journals, all manifestations of garrulous anarchy, will also be destroyed, and all will be subjugated to a single dictatorial authority." Eddie Ford has described this as a '‘dual organisation’' principle, with a secret cadre of controllers manipulating a public front.
In 1866 Bakunin abandoned the idea of state or centralised authority, and his ideas of what a secret society should be changed accordingly:
, Mickiewicz's Legion
, the German Democratic Legion of Georg Herwegh
.
George Woodcock developed the idea of a "pure" anarchism, defining it as "the loose and flexible affinity group which needs no formal organization and carries on anarchist propaganda through an invisible network of personal contacts and intellectual influences." However he argued that this was incompatible with mass movements like anarcho-syndicalism
as they "make compromises with day-to-day situations" and because they have to "maintain the allegiance of masses of [workers] who are only remotely conscious of the final aim of anarchism." However this viewpoint has been rejected by other anarchists such as Sam Dolgoff
, who countered "There is no "pure" anarchism. There is only the application of anarchist principles to the realities of social living."
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...
to describe clandestine revolutionary leadership. Bakunin also used the terms invisible legion and invisible network to describe his concept of invisible dictatorship.
Original use of the term
It appears in a letter sent to Albert Richard, a fellow member of the Alliance of Social DemocracyInternational Alliance of Socialist Democracy
The International Alliance of Socialist Democracy was an organisation founded by Mikhail Bakunin along with 79 other members on October 28, 1868 as an organisation within the International Workingmen's Association. The establishment of the Alliance as a section of the IWA was not accepted by the...
during the turmoil surrounding the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
:
In nineteenth century Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
the discussion of how a transitional revolutionary government might act took place since the days of Gracchus Babeuf. In 1828 Philippe Buonarroti
Philippe Buonarroti
Filippo Giuseppe Maria Ludovico Buonarroti more usually referred to under the French version Philippe Buonarroti was an Italian egalitarian and utopian socialist, revolutionary, journalist, writer, agitator, and freemason; he was mainly active in France.-Early activism:Buonarroti was born in Pisa...
published Conspiration pour l'Egalité dite de Babeuf, suivie du procès auquel elle donna lieu which proved to be very influential on Auguste Blanqui and the revolutionaries of 1848, from Louis Blanc
Louis Blanc
Louis Jean Joseph Charles Blanc was a French politician and historian. A socialist who favored reforms, he called for the creation of cooperatives in order to guarantee employment for the urban poor....
to Bakunin. From this arose the concept of a small band of revolutionaries instituting an Educational Dictatorship which would raise the consciousness of the masses to the point that democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
could be introduced.
In the February Revolution, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 1848 the provisional government assumed power extralegally, through an announcement before a mass demonstration. Louis Blanc advocated that the provisional government should “regard themselves as dictators appointed by a revolution which had become inevitable and which was under no obligation to seek the sanction of universal suffrage until after having accomplished all the good which the moment required.” He also reiterated the idea of the “dictatorship of Paris” over the country. Bakunin, having received funds from Blanc's provisional government, threw himself into the revolutionary movement in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. He subsequently described his aim as the establishment of a “government with unlimited dictatorial power,” in which “all will be subjugated to a single dictatorial authority,” through three secret societies based on “strict hierarchy and unconditional discipline.”Hal Draper
Hal Draper
Hal Draper was an American socialist activist and author who played a significant role in the Berkeley, California, Free Speech Movement and is perhaps best known for his extensive scholarship on the history and meaning of the thought of Karl Marx.Draper was a lifelong advocate of what he called...
claims this was the first appearance of his concept of a “secret dictatorship” exercised by “Invisible Dictators.” Bakunin also saw Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
playing the role of Paris: "The revolutionary government with unlimited dictatorial power must sit in Prague ... All clubs and journals, all manifestations of garrulous anarchy, will also be destroyed, and all will be subjugated to a single dictatorial authority." Eddie Ford has described this as a '‘dual organisation’' principle, with a secret cadre of controllers manipulating a public front.
In 1866 Bakunin abandoned the idea of state or centralised authority, and his ideas of what a secret society should be changed accordingly:
Invisible legion
At the time of writing, various legions were set up as revolutionary organisations such as the International LegionInternational Legion
The International Legion was created in Italy by Giuseppe Garibaldi, on October 5, 1860 - in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Volturnus , where the forces of the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were decisively broken....
, Mickiewicz's Legion
Mickiewicz's Legion
The Mickiewicz Legion or the Polish Legion was a military unit formed on March 29, 1848 in Rome by one of the most notable Polish poets Adam Mickiewicz, to take part in the liberation of Italy....
, the German Democratic Legion of Georg Herwegh
Georg Herwegh
Georg Friedrich Rudolph Theodor Herwegh was a German revolutionary poet.-Biography:He was born in Stuttgart on 31 May 1817, the son of an innkeeper...
.
Invisible network
Some anarchists, for example The Anarchism Web Site, defend the concept of invisible dictatorship claiming thatGeorge Woodcock developed the idea of a "pure" anarchism, defining it as "the loose and flexible affinity group which needs no formal organization and carries on anarchist propaganda through an invisible network of personal contacts and intellectual influences." However he argued that this was incompatible with mass movements like anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
as they "make compromises with day-to-day situations" and because they have to "maintain the allegiance of masses of [workers] who are only remotely conscious of the final aim of anarchism." However this viewpoint has been rejected by other anarchists such as Sam Dolgoff
Sam Dolgoff
Sam Dolgoff was an American anarchist and anarcho-syndicalist.Dolgoff was born in the shtetl of Ostrovno in Vitebsk, Russia, moving as a child to New York City in 1905 or 1906, where he lived in the Bronx and in Manhattan's Lower East Side where he died...
, who countered "There is no "pure" anarchism. There is only the application of anarchist principles to the realities of social living."
Modern uses of the term
The term has also been used more recently, for instance by the Independent Voters Alliance United States of America to describe the two party system currently existing in the USA which they claim makes voting useless as the "choices in every election are limited to candidates financed by the same money sources." Such viewpoints have become more widespread in the USA particularly since the heightened security after 9/11.See also
- Invisible EmpireInvisible EmpireInvisible Empire could refer to:Music* Invisible Empire , second studio album from Philadelphia hip-hop artist Reef the Lost Cauze, released in 2003.Fiction* Book 1 of Agent 13: The Midnight Avenger series published by TSR, Inc....
- Invisible CollegeInvisible CollegeThe Invisible College has been described as a precursor group to the Royal Society of London, consisting of a number of natural philosophers around Robert Boyle...
- Invisible Theatre
- Dictatorship of the ProletariatDictatorship of the proletariatIn Marxist socio-political thought, the dictatorship of the proletariat refers to a socialist state in which the proletariat, or the working class, have control of political power. The term, coined by Joseph Weydemeyer, was adopted by the founders of Marxism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, in the...