ICSE Class 9 Answered

Following are the causes for the rise of Socialism:

1. Reaction to the Capitalist Excesses - As Industrial Revolution progressed, so did the profits of the capitalist class. However, this generated wealth was not shared with the workers who continued to toil away in pathetic working conditions and long hours of work. This inequality of income was noticed and deliberated upon by the socialist thinkers. Effectively, it was out of the excesses of the capitalist system that the ideology of socialism sprung up.
2. Trade Union Movement - The trade union movement in Britain had grown stronger with the passage of time and had forced the British government to recognise the rights of workers. It brought the class differences between the capitalists and workers into sharp focus. As a result, there was a great ideological churning in the British society.
3. Chartist Movement - Between 1836 and 1848, the condition of workers in Britain was extremely abysmal. It was realised by workers’ organisations and socialist thinkers that workers needed to have a semblance of social and political equality. As a result, demands for the workers’ right to vote were put up in the form of a charter before the British Parliament. This ‘Chartist Movement’ led to many riots and strikes and was met with government repression. Though the movement declined by the mid 19^th century, it led to sharp class divisions and gave impetus to the rise of Socialism.