In reading critiques of social democracy, I've found two main points:
1. Social democratic governments do not even attempt to live up to their promises of carrying out a peaceful, reformist transition to socialism.
2. Even if social democratic governments tried to live up to their promise to transition to socialism, we still could not avoid revolution, because the capitalists and landlords would organize a coup. Examples are given of social democratic governments that got too radical and this resulted in right-wing coups. (They didn't try to implement socialism but they were still too radical for the bourgeoisie.)
It's the second point I am wondering about.
The examples I've heard were mentioned by Wayne Price in his book Abolition of the State:
- Italy in the early 1920s
- Germany in the 1930s
- Spain in 1936
- "other European countries during that era" (with no other countries or dates specified)
- Chile in 1973
- "Central America" (with no countries or dates specified)
For Italy, Spain, and Chile, I don't think it was the radical reforms of the soc-dem governments that provoked the coups. Rather, it was the radical actions of the working class and peasants that provoked it.
- In Italy there were the factory occupations in September 1921.
- In Spain there had been waves of radical actions by workers and peasants, including expropriations, for years before the coup.
- In Chile there were the cordones (workers' assemblies and councils) in expropriated self-managed workplaces in 1972 and 1973.
The governments passed some progressive reforms, but that's not what the bourgeoisie was afraid of. They had the coups because they saw that the soc-dem governments were too soft on the workers and peasants, they weren't repressing them effectively enough.
My question is, has there ever been a right-wing coup against a social democratic government due primarily to the radical reforms of that government (rather than the actions of workers/peasants)?
Maybe this was the case in Germany, I don't know what happened there. Also don't know about these mysterious other coups in "other European countries" and "Central America". Wayne Price also says there have been coups "elsewhere throughout the world" against social democratic governments that got too radical for the comfort of the bourgeoisie.
Can comment on articles and discussions
Off the top of my head I'd have to say the 1964 Coup in Brazil would count if you consider Goulart a Social Democrat (most consider him a moderate nationalist), much of the unrest was instigated by the armed forces as they prepared to take over.
The 1948 coup in Venezuela seemed to have been a surprise and provoked by the election of Democratic Action the party with the most support amongst Venezuelan poor before Chavez.
The 1949 Syrian coup while not against a Social Democrat (though most Arab Nationalists are lumped in with Social Democracy given their pro nationalisation policies) occurred because the then Syrian President blocked plans for oil pipeline development in the region.
And the 1953 coup against Mossadegh again the Social Democrat label is a little dubious but the Coup was motivated purely by his Nationalisation of economic interests.
Also Harold Wilson became convinced that there were preparations for a coup against him.
And the 1976 coup in Argentina could also qualify. Though the Peron's have been called everything from Fascist to Populist they did also have some similarities with social democratic governments. And the Junta that replaced her embraced Chicago school economics, and although there were Guerilla movements they were mainly isolated by the time of the Coup and the military already controlled most of the government.
My reading of Weimar Germany's Right wing Putsch's were that they were spurred by the frustrations of Germany's right wing after the humiliation of WW1 and the peace settlement. With a background fear of outside forces, Bolshevik Russia, Western Capital and Jews.
Probably a reference to Bulgaria, Romania Poland. With the exception of Czechoslovakia most of Eastern Europe had right wing coups against liberal reform minded administrations I think calling these governments social democratic is a big stretch especially given that most political reforms were dictated to them by the Allies. Though sometimes kept the old King in place.
This one's more difficult virtually every Central and southern American nation experienced coups at many points in its history, not specifying seems pretty lazy to me.
Well if by Bourgeoisie he also means the international bourgeoisie and by social democratic he also includes left/moderate nationalist governments (which a lot of people tend to do) then I'd say he's right. To give one example Burkina Faso despite Thomas Sankara claiming to be a Marxist was more interested in investing within his nation and within Africa which is why France and the Ivory Coast approached the current President of Burkina Faso to remove him.