Socialists: The Politics of Temperance

Kamenov, Nikolay

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-41644-7_6

Socialists: The Politics of Temperance

Nikolay Kamenov²

Chapter
First Online: 25 June 2020

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Abstract

This chapter zooms in on the question of politics. Although some of the most prominent temperance campaigners in continental Europe were socialists, the left part of the political spectrum was practically split on the issue of temperance with some communists framing drinking as an integral part of working-class culture. This chapter shows that although the movement was initially very prominent in the proliferation of concepts like race hygiene, by the mid-1930s and particularly in the wake of the German ‘Rassengesetze’ temperance activists in Bulgaria by and large distanced themselves from eugenics. Further, the left-wing leanings of some of the branches of the movement were suppressed by the increasingly authoritarian Bulgarian state of the 1930s.

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Notes

1.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1930, 9:5, p. 76.
2.
Ibid., 1929, 8:6, p. 84.
3.
There are two notable exceptions out of some dozen periodicals for the whole of the interwar period. In 1934, the already mentioned Stanchev published an article titled ‘Sterilization of the unfit and hereditary diseased individuals’ in Sober fight, 1934, 2:16, p. 2. The article based its argumentation on a pamphlet ‘published in California’ and finished on an optimistic note, claiming that even in ‘this field’ much success awaits fellow temperance reformers. This notwithstanding, the topic was not pursued further in this newspaper, suggesting that Stanchev’s suggestions met with criticism. Another article in the newspaper of the Neutral Youth Temperance Union, written by one Dr. Eftim Petrov, discussed in favorable terms the issue of eugenics and sterilization in particular. Nonetheless, this article also made a provision that “[…] it is absolutely unthinkable to have any eugenic measures before improving the social conditions of the broad social layers”—Sober Youth [Трезва младеж], 1936, 9:6, p. 2.
4.
Promitzer, Christian (2007): Taking Care of the National Body. Eugenic Visions in Interwar Bulgaria, 1905-1940. In Marius Turda, Paul Weindling (Eds.): “Blood and homeland”. Eugenics and racial nationalism in Central and Southeast Europe, 1900-1940. Budapest: Central European University Press, pp. 223–252, here p. 231.
5.
Kamenov, Nikolay (2014): Globale Ursprünge und lokale Zielsetzungen. Die Anti-Alkoholbewegung in Bulgarien 1890-1940. In Steffi Marung, Katja Naumann (Eds.): Vergessene Vielfalt. Territorialitat und Internationalisierung in Ostmitteleuropa seit der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (Transnationale Geschichte, 2), pp. 194–220.
6.
Geulen, Christian (2007): The Common Grounds of Conflict. Racial Visions of World Order 1880-1940. In Sebastian Conrad, Dominic Sachsenmaier (Eds.): Competing Visions of World Order. Global Moments and Movements, 1880s-1930s. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave Macmillan transnational history series), pp. 69–96.
7.
Graham, Loren R. (1977): Science and values: The eugenics movement in Germany and Russia in the 1920s. In The American Historical Review 82 (5), pp. 1133–1164, here p. 1139.
8.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1939/40,19:3, p. 36.
9.
Ibid., 1930, 9:7, p. 130.
10.
For example, Ibid., 1931, 10:2, pp. 17–20.
11.
Zlatarov , Asen (1966) [republished]: Izbrani Suchineniya, volume 2. Sofia: Nauka i Izkustvo., p. 325.
12.
Ibid., p. 330
13.
Zlatarov , Asen (1966) [republished]: Izbrani Suchineniya, volumes 1. Sofia: Nauka i Izkustvo, p. 358.
14.
Sober thought, 1936,1:2–3, p. 6.
15.
Ibid.
16.
Sober thought, 1936, 1:4, p. 9.
17.
Ibid., p. 10.
18.
Ibid.
19.
Ibid., 1938, 3:6–7, pp. 8–9. [Racism and the contemporary social life of people].
20.
Ibid., p. 9.
21.
Bucur, Maria (2010): Eugenics in Eastern Europe, 1870-1945. In Alison Bashford, Philippa Levine (Eds.): The Oxford handbook of the history of eugenics. With assistance of Alison Bashford, Philippa Levine. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 398–412, here pp. 407–8.
22.
CSA 1618 K, Историческа Справка.
23.
CSA 1027 K, au 10, p. 44.
24.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1924, 3:7, pp. 97–8.
25.
See for example Vuzdurzhatel, 1927, 13:3, pp. 41–2.
26.
The bulletin of the BTF from the 25th of November 1928 speaks of the need of ‘a single organ’. See CSA 1027 K, au 12, p. 16.
27.
CSA 1027 K, au 12, p. 4.
28.
Vuzdurzhatel , 1926, 12:9, p. 143.
29.
Eisenbach-Stangl, Irmgard (2004): From Temperence Movements to State Action. An Historical View of the Alcohol Question in Industrialised Countries. In Richard Müller, Harald Klingemann (Eds.): From Science to Action? 100 Years Later - Alcohol Policies Revisited. Dordrecht: Springer Science, pp. 59–69, particularly p. 61.
30.
Ibid.; Fahey, David (1996): Temperance And Racism. John Bull, Johnny Reb, and the Good Templars. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.
31.
For a discussion see Kamenov, Nikolay (2014): Globale Ursprünge und lokale Zielsetzungen. Die Anti-Alkoholbewegung in Bulgarien 1890–1940. In Steffi Marung, Katja Naumann (Eds.): Vergessene Vielfalt. Territorialitat und Internationalisierung in Ostmitteleuropa seit der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. 199.
32.
For information on van Rees’ and Vandervelde’s relation to the temperance movement see Cherrington, Ernest H. (1925–1930): Standard Encyclopedia of the Alcohol Problem. Volume 6. Westerville, Ohio: American Issue Publishing Company, pp. 2256–7 and pp. 2749–1. Van Rees was in fact a Christian anarchist but his involvement in various movements brought him in close contact with socialist thought.
33.
See for example Blocker, Jack S.; Fahey, David M.; Tyrrell, Ian R. (2003): Alcohol and temperance in modern history. An international encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, pp. 633–5 for an account of early vegetarianism and Teetotalism amalgamation.
34.
Marx, Karl; Engels, Friedrich (1848 [translated 1888]): Manifesto of the Communist Party. Socialist and Communist Literature. Available online https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch03.htm
35.
Ibid.
36.
Roberts, James S. (1979): Drink, Temperance and the Working Class in 19th Century Germany. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, pp. 86–8; see also Roberts, James S. (1985): Alcohol, public policy, and the Left: the socialist debate in early twentieth century Europe. In Contemp. Drug Probs. 12, pp. 309–30.
37.
Snow, George E. (1991): Socialism, Alcoholism, and the Russian Working Classes before 1917. In Susanna Barrows, Robin Room (Eds.): Drinking. Behavior and belief in modern history. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 243–264, here p. 250.
38.
White, Stephen (1996): Russia goes dry. Alcohol, state and society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
39.
Transchel, Kate (2006): Under the influence. Working-class drinking, temperance, and cultural revolution in Russia. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, p. 70.
40.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1931, 10:2, p. 23.
41.
Ibid., 1930, 9:3, pp. 38–9.
42.
Ibid., 1924, 3:8, pp. 113–5.
43.
Crampton, R. J. (2005): A concise history of Bulgaria. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 153.
44.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1925, 4:5, pp. 65–6.
45.
Vuzdurzhatel , 1925, 11:5, p. 65.
46.
CSA 1027 K, au 16, 199 cf. Far, III:6, pp. 187–90
47.
Crampton, R. J. (2007): Bulgaria. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 236–9; see also Statelova and Grŭncharov 2006, pp. 400–38
48.
Panaĭotov and Nikolova (eds) 1999, p. 168; See also Statelova, Elena; Gruncharov, Stoicho (2006): Istoriya na nova Bulgaria 1878-1944 [История на нова България 1878-1944]. Sofia: Anubis, pp. 400–38.
49.
Petkov, Pavel (1982): The fight for sobriety in the Vraca region, 1920-1980 [Борбата за трезвеност във Врачански окръг, 1920-1980]. Sofia: Publisher of the Fatherland Front [Издателството на Отечествения фронт], p. 9.
50.
CSA, 1043 K, au 1, p. 1.
51.
CSA, 1027 K, au 12, p. 4.
52.
CSA, 1027 k, au 12, p. 5.
53.
Vuzdurzhatel , 1929, 15:7, pp. 98–9.
54.
CSA 1027 K, au 16, 162 and 179–89.
55.
CSA, 1027 K, au 12, p. 10.
56.
The ministry of education renewed the license of the union only in February 2932. See for example Far, 1932, 3:2, pp. 33–4.
57.
CSA, 1027 K, au 12, p. 16.
58.
Crampton, A concise, p. 160.
59.
Sober fight, 1935, 3:9, p. 1.
60.
CSA, 1027 K, au 19, pp. 108–9.
61.
Sober fight, 1935, 3:13, p. 1.
62.
CSA, 2124 K, au 5986.
63.
Valkov, Nikolay (2009): Associational culture in pre-Communist Bulgaria: Considerations for civil society and social capital. In Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 20 (4), p. 424–47.
64.
See for example Statelova and Grŭncharov 2006, pp. 181–2 and 190–1
65.
This was in article 112 of the reformed Law on Excise taxes. For a discussion of the law in the temperance literature see Vuzdurzhatel, XIII:9, pp. 131–3; there is some sketchy evidence of ‘local option’ referenda that have taken place earlier—one even in 1911, see CSA, 372 K, au 2297, p. 1—but the legal basis allowing for it remains unclear.
66.
Statelova and Gruncharov, Istoriya, p. 350.
67.
CSA, 1027 K, au 51, p. 47 [undated, folder with materials from 1921–1922].
68.
CSA, 1027 K, au 40, p. 1.
69.
For a discussion of the law see for example Borba s Alkoolizma, 1929, 8:6, p. 82; see also the Stenographic Logs of the 22nd Ordinary National Assembly, p. 161.
70.
CSA, 372 K, au 2292, p. 40.
71.
CSA, 1027 K, au 11, p. 27.
72.
Vuzdurzhatel , XI:2, 30
73.
For the case of Stara Zagora see Ivanova, Evguenia (1993): Le Mouvement d’Astenance Alcoolique a Stara Zagora Pendant les Annees 20 -40 du XXe Siecle. In Bulletin des Musees de la Blgarie du Sud-Est XVI, pp. 357–376.
74.
Borba s Alkoolizma, 1929, 8:2, pp. 17–20.
75.
CSA 372 K, au 2295, pp. 1–3; See also Far, V:4, pp. 188–9.
76.
Far, 1931, 2:1, p. 24.
77.
Sober Youth, 1930, 4:5–6, p. 2.
78.
Sobriety, 1926/7, 9:4–5, pp. 139–40.
79.
Ivanova, Le Mouvement, p. 367.
80.
Borislavov, Yassen (2004): Bulgarian wine book. History, culture, cellars, wines. Sofia: Trud Publishing House, pp. 96–8.
81.
See for example Sober Youth, 1935, 8:3, p. 3. One journal even published an article on Levski in Esperanto—Sober thought, 1938, 3:8, pp. 13–4.
82.
Vuzdurhatel, 1927, 13:8, p. 113.
83.
Sober Youth, 1927, 2:2, pp. 10–1.
84.
On Hercod see Spöring, Francesco (2017): Mission und Sozialhygiene. Schweizer Anti-Alkohol-Aktivismus im Kontext von Internationalismus und Kolonialismus, 1886-1939. Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, pp. 107–8.
85.
Sober Youth, 1928, 2:5–6, p. 16.
86.
1027 k, au 12, No 4.
87.
1027 k, au 12, doc. 16.
88.
Sobriety, 1929, 11:1, pp. 1–4.
89.
Sobriety, 1928, 10:1.
90.
Sobriety, 1929, 11:6–7, p. 121.
91.
CSA 1664 K, Историческа справка.
92.
Sobriety, 1931, 14:1, p. 2.
93.
Ibid., 1929, 11:6–7, p. 122.
94.
Ibid., 1929, 11:2, pp. 36–8.
95.
Daskalov, Rumen (2005): Bulgarskoto obshtestvo, 1878–1939. Sofia: Gutenberg, v. 2, pp. 362–4.
96.
Sober Education, VI:27–9, p. 4
97.
Daskalov, Bulgarskoto, v. 2, p. 383.
98.
Sobriety, 1922/3, 5:6, p. 1.
99.
Sobriety, 1929, 11:1, p. 15.
100.
See http://youtu.be/kZ7qXq7EeSY?t=6m36s [accessed July 23rd, 2019].
101.
Bratanov, Dimiter (1966): Tasks before the movement for sobriety. In National Committee for Sobriety (Ed.): For all people’s sobriety [За всенародна трезвеност]. Unknown: Profizdat, p. 6.
102.
Tzolov, Stoyan (2007): Spomeni. [Memoirs]. Sofia: Shrapnel, p. 175.
103.
Petkov, The Fight, p. 9.
104.
Sober Youth, 1933, 6:9–10, p. 2.
105.
Ibid., 1932, 6:1, p. 3.
106.
Ibid., 1935, 8:7, p. 2.
107.
Ibid., 1935, 8:7, p. 4.
108.
Ibid., 1935, 9:3, p. 2
109.
Ibid., 1936, 9:5 [mistaken annotation of the original—probably issue 6], p. 2.
110.
Ibid.
111.
Bucur, Eugenics, pp. 407–8.
112.
CSA 1618 K, Историческа Справка.
113.
In this regard it is important to note that figures like Dr. Nikola Stanchev—the activist who had called for the sterilization of unfit from the pages of Sober fight—remained a high standing public figure meeting even with the communist leader Todor Zhivkov and promoting new state anti-alcohol campaigns, see CSA 1043 K, au 1, p. 5. Apart from this example of a continuation of work by an individual, it could be noted that a broad spectrum of pro-natalist and positive eugenic laws remained in force throughout the second half of the twentieth century and throughout Europe.

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Nikolay Kamenov

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Kamenov, N. (2020). Socialists: The Politics of Temperance. In: Global Temperance and the Balkans. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41644-7_6

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41644-7_6
Published: 25 June 2020
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