The Stockholm Conference of 1917

Abstract

As was shown in the first part of this article, some sections of Socialist opinion throughout Europe had never fully accepted the need for war in 1914, and the advent of the first Russian Revolution in March, 1917, had stimulated a general hope for an early peace. The Dutch and Scandinavian Socialist parties took the initiative in proposing an international Socialist conference to be held at Stockholm to discuss peace terms. By the end of July, 1917, this proposal seemed likely to succeed. The Petrograd Soviet had joined forces in preparing for the conference with the Dutch-Scandinavian Committee led by Huysmans, the Secretary of the Second International; the Governments of Russia, Great Britain, and Germany showed at least some degree of benevolence towards the idea; the Socialist parties of the Central and neutral powers, and also of France, had agreed to attend; and a Russian mission from the Petrograd Soviet had set off to gain support for Stockholm from the Socialists of the Entente countries.