He develops his philosophy of anarchism, advoctating a radical destruction of existing state structures in order to clear the ground for a new society of free workers. He rejects the implicit authoritarianism of Marx's socialist beliefs. A major rift between the Bakuninian anarchists and Marxist socialists begins to form. In 1872, he is kicked out of the International at the Hague congress, taking many delegates, primarily from Italy and Spain, with him. The Marxists begin a campaign of lies against Bakunin's reputation.
Later congresses find the Marxist charges to be false.
After the 1874 attempt at an uprising in Bologna, Bakunin has to travel to Switzerland disguise, where he assumes residence. It is necessary to abolish completely and in principle and in practice, everything that may be called political power, for as long as political power exists there will always be rulers and ruled, masters and slaves, exploiters and exploited. For the capitalist and the property owner they mean the power and the right, guaranteed by the State, to live without working. The right to exploit the work of those who possess neither property nor capital and who thus are forced to sell their productive power to the lucky owners of both. Nothing is more dangerous for man's private morality than the habit of command.