Le SPD face au défi des nationalités. L’exemple de la Lituanie prussienne (1890-1914)

Abstract

At the end of the 1890s, the SPD tried to establish a lasting foothold in Prussian Lithuania. In this multi-ethnic region, which is an integral part of East Prussia, the Social Democratic Party had to compete with many rivals (conservatives, liberals, national liberals and Lithuanian nationalists). However, while the SPD publicly professes an internationalism, it does not, paradoxically, assume a very real Germanic bias. This contradiction is particularly evident in Prussian Lithuania, where, despite encouraging results, the SPD did not succeed in getting one of its candidates elected. The national factor, assimilated by the rival parties, is certainly one of the causes. This article aims to understand the internal contradictions and hesitations of the SPD in the face of a multinational space, both theoretically and practically.

Keywords

• SPD
• nationalism
• Germany
• Social-democracy
• political theory
• election propaganda