The Conquest of Bread · Character

Rothschild

The name that stands for concentrated wealth in Kropotkin's argument, a symbol of the few who profit from the inheritance of all humanity.

major

Also known as the Rothschilds, Rothschilds

First appearance: the conquest of bread

As a major figure in The Conquest of Bread, Rothschild is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Cited in an anecdote about his stratagem during the Revolution of 1848 to avoid expropriation by offering to return four shillings to anyone who asked.

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Rothschild represents the capitalist class whose fortunes rest on the accumulated labour of generations, the small elite who own what everyone produced. Kropotkin uses the name to expose the absurdity of private ownership over a common inheritance, contrasting the banker's hoard with the plenty already within reach. This figure matters because the book's central case, that we are richer than we think, requires a villain to explain why that wealth feeds so few.

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Character Web

2 connections

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Relationship types

Rivalry
Social

Character groups

Protagonist
Economic and Political Thinkers

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

The Socialists
rivalry · negative
Rothschild, as a symbol of capitalist finance, was a frequent target of socialist… How this plays out →
Murillo
social · positive

Relationship notes

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In the story

Rothschild appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Cited in an anecdote about his stratagem during the Revolution of 1848 to avoid expropriation by offering to return four shillings to anyone who asked.
II
Referenced as a symbol of the wealthy capitalist whose gold cannot breed more in an anarchist society where no one would work for starvation wages.
Free Agreement
Cited as a financier whose capital, backed by European states, gives him undue advantage in railway enterprises.
II
Cited as an example of a wealthy financier whose investments in railways are favored by state ministers to increase his profits.

Chapter companion notes

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