Social Democratic Federation

(SDF), a British socialist organization. The Social Democratic Federation, established in August 1884 to replace the Democratic Federation, which was founded in 1881, consisted of socialists of varying persuasions.

Leadership of the SDF was long in the hands of the reformists, led by H. M. Hyndman. The Marxist wing, counterbalancing Hyndman’s policy, adopted the policy of establishing close ties with the proletarian masses. In December 1884, W. Morris, E. Marx, E. Aveling, and other Marxists left the federation and founded the Socialist League. Later, however, some of them returned to the SDF.

In the early 20th century the revolutionary Marxist wing gained influence in the SDF as a result of the upsurge in the workers’ movement, influenced by the Revolution of 1905-07 in Russia. In 1907 the SDF was reorganized as the Social Democratic Party, which in 1911, along with other organizations, formed the British Socialist Party (BSP). In 1920 the BSP became the nucleus of the Communist Party of Great Britain.