Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party
Encyclopedia
The foundations of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party were in 1894.
In July 1891 on the initiative of Dimitar Blagoev
, the social democratic circles of Tarnovo, Gabrovo
, Sliven
, Stara Zagora
, Kazanlak
and other cities united to form the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. The marxist nucleus of the BSDP (later, the so-called Partists), which was headed by Blagoev, was opposed by a group, who were essentially opposed to making the social democratic movement into a party. In 1892 this group, led by Yanko Sakazov
, founded a reformist
organization, the Bulgarian Social Democratic Union (hence their name, Unionists). In 1894, Blagoev’s supporters agreed to unite with the Unionists in the interests of working class unity and took the name Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party. The First Congress (July 1894), at which the Unionists were in the majority, adopted a program and statutes that were primarily’ reformist. They gained the majority in the leadership.
The struggle of the marxist wing against the reformists brought its first significant results at the Fourth Congress (July 1897). The congress made some changes in the statutes and decided to publish the newspaper Rabotnicheski vestnik for agitation and propaganda among the workers. Blagoev became the editor of the theoretical organ, the magazine Novo vreme, which was published beginning in January 1897. In 1900 the reformist elements grouped themselves around the magazine Obshto delo, edited by Sakyzov, which propagandized the idea of class cooperation. The Eighth Congress of the party (July 1901) rejected this ideas. A split was the unavoidable result of deep ideological and tactical differences within the party. At the Tenth Party Congress in 1903 the marxists, formed a separate Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists). The reformists, so-called Broad Socialists, who wanted to transform the party into a broad organization of all “productive strata”, formed their own reformist party, the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (Broad Socialists).
In July 1891 on the initiative of Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev Nikolov ; was a Bulgarian political leader, the founder of Bulgarian socialism and of the first social democratic party in the Balkans.-Biography:...
, the social democratic circles of Tarnovo, Gabrovo
Gabrovo
Gabrovo is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire , as well as noted for its Bulgarian National...
, Sliven
Sliven
Sliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
, Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
, Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
and other cities united to form the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. The marxist nucleus of the BSDP (later, the so-called Partists), which was headed by Blagoev, was opposed by a group, who were essentially opposed to making the social democratic movement into a party. In 1892 this group, led by Yanko Sakazov
Yanko Sakazov
Yanko Ivanov Sakazov was a Bulgarian socialist politician.A native of the northeastern city of Shumen, Sakazov went abroad for studies during his youth, studying in Western Europe and Russia. He was a student of natural sciences, philosophy and history in Germany, biology in England and literature...
, founded a reformist
Reformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
organization, the Bulgarian Social Democratic Union (hence their name, Unionists). In 1894, Blagoev’s supporters agreed to unite with the Unionists in the interests of working class unity and took the name Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party. The First Congress (July 1894), at which the Unionists were in the majority, adopted a program and statutes that were primarily’ reformist. They gained the majority in the leadership.
The struggle of the marxist wing against the reformists brought its first significant results at the Fourth Congress (July 1897). The congress made some changes in the statutes and decided to publish the newspaper Rabotnicheski vestnik for agitation and propaganda among the workers. Blagoev became the editor of the theoretical organ, the magazine Novo vreme, which was published beginning in January 1897. In 1900 the reformist elements grouped themselves around the magazine Obshto delo, edited by Sakyzov, which propagandized the idea of class cooperation. The Eighth Congress of the party (July 1901) rejected this ideas. A split was the unavoidable result of deep ideological and tactical differences within the party. At the Tenth Party Congress in 1903 the marxists, formed a separate Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists). The reformists, so-called Broad Socialists, who wanted to transform the party into a broad organization of all “productive strata”, formed their own reformist party, the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (Broad Socialists).