Drakoulis' was an eclectic socialism, a peculiar mix of utopian, socialist, christian, theosophical and anarchist ideas with influences from Kropotkin, Tolstoy and the Fabians. The Greek socialist believed in a society where the means of production would be collectively owned and the productive process would be controlled by a network of artisan guilds. In such a society, the state would be no more than a technocratic machine working for the benefit of the people.
Platon Drakoulis Socialism
Drakoulis' aim was to abolish "plutocracy", which he defined as the power of the capitalist and the landowner to deprive the worker of his assets, and to establish "humanism", a synonym of socialism, which would come about in its own right. His brand of socialism touched on issues like the educational system, women’s rights, the environment and community self-rule. He also propagated the formation of a Balkan Democratic Federation.
In 1885, Drakoulis published the socialist newspaper “Ardin” and three years later he settled in England where he lived from 1888 to 1908. In 1889, he took part in the founding congress of the Second International as a representative of Greek socialists. On his return to Greece, Drakoulis founded the League of the Working Classes of Greece (1908) which in 1909 became the Greek Socialist Party. In 1910, he is elected Member of Parliament for Attica.
Platon Drakoulis became a well known figure, a Greek socialist of some authority and enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome in all the towns he visited upon his return from England. Speeches, parades, dinners and celebrations were organised in his honour and he considered himself as the leader of Greek Socialism. However, his vague theories, arrogance and authoritative tendencies alienated many of his comrades and caused a rift in his organisation.
Drakoulis’ Social Reforms
Drakoulis drew a programme of immediate social reform with the aim to establish a life “free from material needs”. The programme called for the nationalisation of the means of production, universal education, a compulsory three-hour day, provision of dowries for brides, pensions and health insurance, tax, educational and electoral reforms. The Greek socialist called for the passing of a set of pro labour legislative measures which included health insurance and accident compensation. Drakoulis also supported the calling of annual general elections.
Drakoulis’ Patriotism
During the First World War, Drakoulis supported Greek Prime Minister, E. Venizelos, who hoped to realise Greece’s dreams of territorial expansion by joining the war on side of the Entente. Drakoulis was all for peace but declared that peace can only be imposed by the Entente, the union of the allied powers of Europe. According to him, the socialist who is not behind the powers of the Entente betrays the cause of democracy.
The Greek socialists were in their majority against Greece joining the war and condemned the position of Drakoulis. He nevertheless took part in the Inter-Allied Socialist Congress in London in 1917 and voted against the movement for peace through negotiations. But Drakoulis was not an elected Greek socialist representative. He had even appointed Felicia Scratcherd, a British spiritualist, as vice president of his League of the Working Classes!
Drakoulis was such an extreme social-patriot that in the end alienated the leadership of the Inter-Allied Labour and Socialist Congress. Even Venizelos, who was in favour of socialist representatives supporting Greece’s drive for territorial expansion in international conferences, doubted the wisdom of having Drakoulis on board. Despite Drakoulis’ effort he did not manage to get himself recognised by the Congress as he did not represent any bona fide labour or socialist organisation.
Sources
George Leon, The Greek Socialist Socialist Movement and the First World War, Columbia University Press, 1976
P. Noutsos, "Greece", in: M. Van Der Linden and J. Rojahn (eds.), The Formation of Labour Movements, 1870-1914. An International Perspective, New York 1990.
Lito Apostolakou - Lito is a historian with an interest in digital archives and online historical resources. She is the author of blog Palimpsest.
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