Introducing the topic and the concepts

Populism is generally understood to be ideology-dependent but is also seen as cross-ideological. Left radicalism underwent multiple transformations and shifts during the 19^th century, during the time that the transition into political modernity was concluded in Europe. This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book focuses on Russia at the turn of the 20^th century and the relationship between the Narodniks, the first instance of what may be defined as a left-wing populist phenomenon in Europe, and the Marxist socialists. It focuses on France in the interwar period and examines the rhetoric and the strategy of the Social Democrats in the face of the economic and political crises. The book nuances the relationship between populism as rhetoric on the one hand and democracy and socialist strategy on the other hand.