558 THE CLASS STRUGGLE FINNISH DOCUMENT 559 finally caused the Bolshevik Government to recognize. Finland bourgeoisie sold this independence to German Imperialism at the price of the blood of the Finnish proletariat, but by this act it tore out social patriotism by the roots from the minds of the Finnish Social Democrats.
Their own hard experiences, as well as those of the Russian proletariat, and the writings of Lenin, according to the authors, have made revplutionary socialism stand out in a clear light before them. In enthusiastic and eloquent words, they describe the tremendous impression made upon them, particularly by the course of the Russian Revolution: Amid the fragments of the exploiting bourgeois state there is growing a noble flower, so fair, that we could not even have dreamt of it before: we have seen struggling Russia, in its sufferings, produce and give birth to the fairest dream of the proletariat for thousands of years, namely, Socialism. Now we understand that this dream cannot be made real in any other way, that it can never arise from the corrupt swamp of Democracy, as we in Finland believed it might, but only from the actuality of devastation, danger, suffering and conflict. The new society must be formed through a proletarian dictatorship. And the mere fact that the Russian Soviet Republic has stood firm for a full year is in itself a triking indication of how completely the capitalistic world has already matured in the direction of the socialistic revolution of Communism.
see the Finnish proletariat serry its ranks ard rush forward for retribution and victory.
It will be admitted that this letter is a manfully open and honest self criticism, an arraignment of the political standpoint assumed by its authors in the period preceding the Finnish Revolution. They do not hesitate, in the interest of the truth and of the proletariat to recognize errors they made then, and weaknesses, but what is most remarkable is that according to their criticism, the Finnish Revolution, far form erring in the direction of being a crime against democracy, as the socialists of the right term it in this country, was, on the contrary, far too deeply involved in democratic ideology when it should have been resolutely raising the banner of the dictatorship of the proletarian class. It is, therefore, possible, even probable, that a pursuing of purely Bolshevist tactics would have considerably strengthened the Finnish proletariat in its struggle. For all of us who understand the insufficiency of democracy to assure a victorious issue of the class struggle, who know that the social revolution will not be brought about through parliamentary decisions, the letter addressed by the Finnish comrades to Lenin is a document worthy of the most careful attention, since it expresses wisdom actually acquired through life.
The letter furthermore expresses the confidence that the great sacrifice which the struggle has required from the working class of Finland, particularly because of the unparalleled, bestial orgies of revenge practised by the bourgeoisie, have not been in vain, but will redound to the advantage of the international agitation. The Finnish proletariat will arise again. Like torches of light the winged thoughts of communism shall illuminate the blackest night of oppression. It will loosen the chains of doubt and put the hard steel of a certainty of victory into the ejected spirits of the fighters. The day when the call shall resound to all the ends of the earth: Arise for the last contest. when the international red army marches into battele, that day shall also