internationalen

Internationalen is a German term used to denote the internationals, i.e., international socialist organizations and the broader international labor movement. It is not the name of a single institution, but a collective designation found in historiography and political writing to refer to a family of interconnected bodies that coordinated parties, unions, and activists across national borders.

In German-language sources, the term often appears when discussing the three historical “Internationals.” The First International (Erste Internationale) was founded in 1864 and dissolved in 1876, bringing together various European workers’ groups. The Second International (Zweite Internationale) emerged in 1889 and persisted until World War I, coordinating socialist parties and policy debates across many countries. The Third International (Dritte Internationale), also known as the Communist International or Comintern, was established in 1919 and dissolved in 1943, pursuing a more centralized, revolutionary program. A later development within socialist and Trotskyist currents produced the Fourth International (Vierte Internationale), founded in 1938.

The concept of the Internationalen contributed to the spread of internationalism and the idea that labor, socialist, and anti-imperialist struggles could transcend national lines. It influenced party platforms, labor organizing, and diplomatic and cultural exchanges during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and left a lasting imprint on leftist rhetoric and historiography.

Today, the term Internationale is sometimes used in historical summaries to describe these networks collectively, while in contemporary German usage it more often appears in discussions of history rather than as a reference to an active umbrella organization. See also: Internationalism, Internationale, Comintern, Second International, Fourth International.