Norman Thomas and the Socialist Party of America, 1932-36
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Date
1955-06
Authors
Venkatarmani, Manakkal Sabhesan
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Abstract
The writer has attempted to present in this work a history of the Socialist party of America from the presidential campaign of 1932 to that of 1936. In 1932 the prospects of the party appeared to be much brighter than they had been for many long years. In the presidential elections of 1936 the party's vote slumped precipitously. The four years that intervened saw the inauguration of the New Deal under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the implementation of great schemes of national planning in the Soviet Union, the collapse of Social Democracy in Germany, the menacing growth of fascism in Europe and the development of incipient signs of it in the United States, the invasion of Ethiopia by Italy and the outbreak of civil war in Spain. All those developments had their repercussions on the Socialist Party of America. They intensified factional struggles within the party based on personal and ideological differences. The conflicts among the various groups culminated in a split in May, 1936, that dealt a severe blow to such strength and effectiveness as the party possessed. The writer has tried to describe the inner-party conflicts during the period as well as the activities of the party in the part played by Norman Thomas, the principal leader of the part, during the period covered by the study.
Description
545 pages
Keywords
Socialist Party of America, United States history, Political parties, Norman Thomas