Third Zurich Congress of the Second International in 1893

Congress held August 6–12, 1893 at the Tonhalle in Zurich, Switzerland. The Congress was attended by 411 delegates from 18 countries.

The previous preparatory meeting, in response to the anarchists' policy of individual terror and conspiracy, had stipulated that only groups that recognized the political struggle and the establishment of independent workers' organizations could attend the congress. At the beginning of the congress, the term “political action” was explained, emphasizing that by “political action” is meant that the working-class organizations seek, as far as possible, to use or conquer political rights and the machinery of legislation for the furthering of the interests of the proletariat and the conquest of political power. After the adoption of this supplementary provision, the anarchists had to withdraw from the congress.

The Congress, which mainly discussed the political tactics of the Social Democratic Party and which, after hearing a report by Vandervelde of Belgium, adopted a resolution reaffirming the stance of the Brussels Congress on the class struggle, which held “that it is necessary for workers of all countries to organize nationally and internationally into labor unions and other organizations” and emphasized the necessity of “political action”, holding that in adhering to the principles of the aims of the socialist revolution (the complete economic, political and ideological transformation of the entire social system), the working class in each country can make its own choices and decisions in the light of the particular conditions of the country. However, in defining the major tactics of the International Socialists, the Congress completely avoided the principles concerning violent revolution, the shattering of the bourgeois state machinery, and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat, reflecting the Right tendency of the Second International.

The Congress, which debated and adopted the proposals of the German delegation on the treatment of militarism and war, reaffirmed in its resolution the decision of the Brussels Congress on the fight against militarism, and called upon the social-democratic parties of the various countries to fight with all their strength against the chauvinistic propaganda of their rulers, and for the destruction of the capitalist system, which was the root cause of the war. The Congress again discussed the issue of May Day, adding to the draft resolution that the duty of parties of every country was “to strive for a celebration of the First of May as a day of rest from work” and to hold a demonstration on the First of May for obtaining the eight-hour working day.

Engels was commissioned by the Presidium of the Congress to deliver the closing speech as honorary president, in which he pointed out that “we must permit discussion in order not to become a sect, but the common standpoint must be retained,” and resolutely expressed that the victory of the proletariat is inevitable.