Secret Society - Late 19th Century to Present Day

October 23, 2012 11:56 AM

What is "The Organization"

Most likely formed circa 1872 in Britain or pre-Communist Russia; Possibly Brussels.

What I'm most interested to know are its key founders, mandate, present goals and means of achieving them. If possible, what is the present-day construct and principle geography.

Not to be confused with the Communist League (1847) or the Minneapolis-Saint Paul food cooperative movement of the 1970s, though there may be correlation among them. The Communist League may or may not be a direct predecessor.

posted by mousepad to Society & Culture (8 answers total)

Do you have more context for this? Where did you hear about this group?
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:02 PM on October 23, 2012

I'm certainly not claiming it to be a definitive source, but I own a copy of "The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders," and there's no entry for "The Organization."
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 2:10 PM on October 23, 2012

Any society, secret or otherwise, might well be referred to by its members, or its friends, or its enemies, as 'the organization.'
posted by LonnieK at 5:25 PM on October 23, 2012

This is certainly mysterious.
posted by vrakatar at 5:26 PM on October 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Is this post part of some weird ARG or something? Why would I confuse "The Organization" with "the Minneapolis-Saint Paul food cooperative" or "The Communist League"?
posted by RustyBrooks at 5:52 PM on October 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm certainly not claiming it to be a definitive source, but I own a copy of "The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders," and there's no entry for "The Organization."

... this goes even deeper than I expected. They've gotten to the publishers of "The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders!"
posted by RustyBrooks at 5:52 PM on October 23, 2012

Rusty....here's why.
posted by vrakatar at 5:58 PM on October 23, 2012

In his essay ‘The Anarchist Tradition’ (included in ‘The Revolutionary Internationals, 1864-1943,’ edited by Milorad M. Drachkovitch: Stanford University Press, 1966), Max Nomad (aka Maximilian Nacht), writes:

‘Marx succeeded in having Bakunin and his closest associate James Guillaume, expelled (September 2, 1872) from the International for participation in a secret organization whose activites were harmful to the International.’

Nomad goes on to say that Engels later reported that the true reasons for Bakunin’s expulsion were somewhat different than those stated at the congress—however he also writes that:

‘When Bakunin’s followers joined the First International [in 1868], they were already members of a secret organization variously referred to as the “Alliance of Social Revolutionists,” the “Secret Alliance of Socialist Democracy,” or, briefly, the “Secret Alliance.” This organization was virtually identical with the International Brotherhood founded by Bakunin during his stay in Italy’

having previously explained that:

‘Bakunin’s […] Revolutionary Catechism (1866) […] became the credo of the International Brothers, a secret organization Bakunin founded in Italy, apparently as early as 1864.’

If this has anything to do with the Organization you’re asking about, its immediate successors included the Anarchist St. Imier International aka the ‘Anti-Authoritarian International.’
posted by misteraitch at 7:34 AM on October 24, 2012 [1 favorite]