Five British Socialists I'll Bet You've Never Heard Of

I've got two (Shaw, Morris). Three are news to me. (Kropotkin, Stepniak, Bernstein).

1. S. Stepniak: Russian anarchist turned liberal, Stepniak published Underground Russia in 1883, arguing that acts of terrorism were a crucial line of defense against the Tsarist regime. He was the most visible advocate of the Terror (1870's) in Britain, called assasination "the collective act of reformers," and writing vivid profiles of revolutionaries (including Kropotkin). He spoke forcefully against Tsarist despotism, arguing for free speech and freedom from political orthodoxy. Though ostensibly a socialist, Stepniak had no affiliation with Marx and was primarily concerned with liberalizing Russia rather than exploring Hegelianism or class struggle; Kropotkin later wrote that he was largely disillusioned by conspiracies and bickering in Socialist factions (though an active organizer himself).

Why he's important: William Morris read his book and said that it "ought to open people's eyes a bit and do good" -- he later became friends with Stepniak, who contributed one of the first articles to Morris' newspaper The Commonweal.

Major works: Underground Russia (1885), which reappropriated the term "nihilism" for revolutionaries of 1870s in the service of terrorism and warfare. The Career of a Nihilist (1887?), a romantic novel loosely based on Stepniak's early political life.

Closest native affiliation: Christian Socialism, particularly in his later years, as he became more cautious about the use of violence in revolution.

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