Page THE MILITANT November 15, 1928.
November 15, 1928.
THE MILITANT Page THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF THE COMINTERN By TROTSKY rope wing itselt against this including entails the vague schematic a their a Staths its will lack of theoret CRITICISM OF FUNDAMENTALS CHE draft program, that is, the most vital We have constantly insisted on this on the and the defeat of the German proletariat in 1923, MORE OPEN, MORE RUTHLESS, THAN IN Lenin saw AT THAT TIME a certain danger. Moreover, on July 5, 1921 Lenin squarely declardocument which is to determine the work of same grounds since 1923 1924 when the problem has been entirely left out of consideration. It has THE PERIOD OF BOOM. The United States With the absence of experience of a proletarian ed at the Congress: the Comincern for many years to come, has been of the United States of America arose in its full not been made clear that the period of stabiliz.
will try to overcome and get out of its difficulties dictatorship in one country, the absence of a theo published only a few weeks prior to the convoća scope as a problem of WORLD and, in the most ation, normalization, and pacification of Eu It was clear to us that without aid from the inter and helplessness primarily at the expense of retical clarity on this question even in the left national worldwide revolution a victory of the pro tion of the Congress, which is being held direct sense of the word, EUROPEAN POLICY including the regeneration of Social Demo Europe regardless whether this will happen in letarian revolution is impossible. Even before the of the social democracy of that period, the after the Fifth Congress. No reference can years In boosting the new draft program Pravda said cracy, has developed in close material and Asia, Canada, South America, Australia or Europe slogan of a United States of Europe might have revolution, and also after it, we thought that the be made to the fact at the first draft was that a Communist program.
den connection with the first steps of published prior to the Fifth Congress, precisely revolution either IMMEDIATELY OR AT LEAST given rise to the idea that the proletarian revolIt very soon will come also in other countries, in the differs fundamentally from the program of interna for intervention in European affairs.
must be clearly understood that if the first ution must begin simultaneously at least on the the reason that it was done several years ago.
more highly developed capitalist countries, OTHER tional Social Democracy not only by the substance of Furthermore, it has not been made clear that period of American intervention had a stabilizing whole European continent. It is WISE WE WILL PERISH. Nothwithstanding this The second draft differs from the first in structure its main ideas, but by the characteristie international the inevitable further development of American and pacifist effect on Europe, which to a consider danger that Lenin issued a warning on this ques. conviction, we did our utmost to preserve the Soviet and endeavors to sum up the developments of ism of its construction. Pravda, May 29, 1928. the system under any circumstances and at all costs be able extent is still alive today and may occassionally tion there was not a shade of difference between expansion, the contraction of the markets of recent years. To pass this draft at Sixth Con In this rather indefinite formulation is expressed European capitalism, the European recur and even become stronger (particularly in Lenin and myself. wrote at the time: cause we know that we are not working only for gress, a draft which bears obvious traces of hur the idea which we have outlined above and which market itself, ourselves but also for the international revolution.
greatest military, economic time of new defeats of the proletariat. the general ried, and even careless work, without a prelim. was formerly stubbornly rejected. One can only and revolutionary disturbances such as will leave line. Vol. 18, part 1, page 321 Our emphasis. that not a single country must wait for the other of American policy, particularly in time of countries in its struggle. This elementary idea inary serious and scientific criticism in the press, welcome the departure from the first draft pro all disturbances of the past in the shade.
economic difficulties and crises, brings the greatest How infinitely far are these words, so excellent will be useful and necessary to repeat so that the or an extensive discussion in all Parties affiliated gram presented by Bucharin which, properly It has not been made clear that the inevitable FOREWORD disturbances for Europe as well as for the whole policy of international inaction may not be substituted for their simplicity and so permeated through and through with the witi: the Comintern would be a very careless and speaking, did not rouse any serious exchange of further onslaught of the United States will place for the conception of parallel international action.
world.
of spirit Without waiting for the others, we begin and conopinion as it did not give enough cause for such. capitalist precipitate act.
the present self sufficient epigone machinations.
From here we draw the not unimportant conWhile the first draft gave a In the few days we had at our disposal between ration in work on a constantly more limited muhal With this issue The Militinue the struggle on national grounds with the full tant begins the publication clusion that there will be no lack of revolutionary conviction that our initiative will give an impulse to the receipt of the draft and the dispatch of this reflection of the development of one abstract not involverond economy which, of course, does do all these utterances made by Lenin differ from mitigation, but on the contrary, a The Draft Program of the situations within the next ten years any more the struggle in other countries. Ibid. page 89.
letter, we could deal only with some of the most country toward Socialism, the new draft is trying, monstrous sharpening of the inter State relations Communist International: than in the past. That is why it is so important 90. the ideas expressed in 1915 that the coming revital problems which must be eludidated in the insistently and without success as we will unfor in Europe with furious paroxysms of military Criticism of Fundamentals to understand the mainsprings of development so Then follow my words which Stalin presented will not be able to hold out alone if isolated in volution in Russia or the coming socialist Germany This tunately see, to take world economy as a whole conflicts, because States as well as classes, are even program.
document, a masterpiece of that we may not be caught by their action un at the Seventh Plenum of the as the series of most important ideas of the draft as its starting point in determining the fate of its more frantically fighting for a hunger ration, nay, Marxist Leninist literature was awares.
If in the past decade, the main cause of most vicious expression of Trotskyism, e. as the capitalist world. The time of realization is which perhaps are less burning today but may be individual parts.
a diminishing ration, than for a lavish and growing submitted by comrade Trot revolutionary situations lay in direct different from that outlined not only in my but a disbelief in the inner forces of the revolution also in Lenin predictions. But the main idea re come of extraordinary importance tomorrow, we Linking up countries and continents of various ration.
sky to the Sixth World Con consequence of the imperialist wăr, in the second post war der and the hope for aid from without.
are compelled, owing to the lack of time, to leave stages of development in system of mutual In the draft it has not been made clear that the gress of the Communist In mains in full force even now and perhaps at the entirely without consideration. Suffice it to dependence and antagonism, levelling out the state internal chaos of the State antagonisms of Europe adopted the draft program e the main causes of revolutionary situations will And if this (development of the revolution in say be in the relations between Europe and America. other countries. will not occur, it is hope given moment more so than ever before. Instead we could not even receive the first draft program of development and at the same time drafted by comrades Bucha big crisis in the United States will less to think (this is borne out by history and by of condemning this idea as the Seventh Plenum of give rise to new rin and Stalin, without any wars and revolutions. We repeat: There will be ful resistance to the constantly more centralized theoretical thought) that for instance revolutionary the has done on the basis of an incomand we had to rely on our memory in dealing ing the differences between them and irreconcil. Tender hopeless a more or less serious and success.
with it, as in two or three other cases. It stands ably setting. North American Russia would be able to hold out in face of conserv.
important changes. The en no lack of revolutionary situations. It is all a petent and unscrupulous speech, it must be in ative Europe, or that Socialist Germany would be able to reason that all quotations have been taken from world economy has become a mighty reality which coming of the European chaos in the form of the and fundamental criticism re question of an international proletarian Party, the to remain isolated in a capitalist world. Ibid. page national.
cluded in the program of the Communist Inter the originals after careful examination.
sway over the economy of individual coun: Soviet United States of Europe is one of the first mains in spite of the fact ripeness and fighting ability of the Comintern, 89. 90. tries and continents. It is this basic fact that tasks of the proletarian revolution, which in not that it was kept from the the correctness of its strategical positions and Congress and never discussed On the ground of this and two of three similar In defense of the slogan of a Soviet United Program of International Revolution makes the very idea of a world Communist Party the least degree as a result precisely of State bar tactical States of Europe we said in 1915 that the law of by the delegates. The sole quotations is based the condemnation of Trotsky.
or a Program of Socialism riers, is much closer in Europe than in America attention accorded it was its This trend of thought has found absolutely no ism by the Seventh Plenum as having held in uneven development is in itself not an argument the highest possible phase of development on the and which will therefore most likely have to be distribution to members of in One Country.
expression in the draft program of the Comintern.
against it because the UNEVENNESS of histor this fundamental question a position which has ical development in relation to the difference coun basis of private property, imperialism, as the defended from the North American bourgeoisie. the Program Commission The mentioning of a fact of such great importance nothing in common with Leninism. We will The chief question on the agenda of the Sixth draft absolutely correctly states in its introduc On the other hand it has been left entirely unand a report on the docutries and continents IS IN ITSELF UNEVEN.
as the fact that the economic center of the world therefore stop for a moment and listen to Lenin European countries develop unevenly in relation Congress is the adoption of the program. The tions. mentioned and this is not the least important ment to the Senioren Kon vent of the Congress which has shifted to the United State America, ap. himself.
nature of the program can for a long time deter intensifies the contradiction between the growth of phase of the same world problem that it is immediately settled the is.
pears as a mere superficial newspaper remark and On March 7, 1918 he said on the question of each other. Nevertheless it can be maintained with mine and make up the physiognomy of the Inter the productive forces of world economy and national precisely the international strength of the United sue without discussion. no more. It is of course absolutely impossible to the Brest Litovsk Peace the following: absolute historical certainty that it not be national. The significance of a program is not and unbridled expansion resulting from rigtú control on this say in justification of this that there was so much the fate of a single one of them, at least in the in Without fully understanding the meaning of it, that compels it to include oude mange finest sortiment the liste the way it formulates the chief This is a lesson because the absolute truth is the historical epoch under review, to run so far ahead space, for what are the questions that must find without a revolution in Germany we will perish. ical ideas, which in the final analysis is merely a this, which has for the first time been vividly thr copies of the document which not the principal questions (Vol. 15, page 132, Russian Edition. in relation to the other countries as America has codification, question of namely a question of revealed to humanity in the last imperialist war, structure the were distributed were re. Besides, it should be added that too much For week later he said: advanced in relation to Europe. America there laying down in a concise form the con not a step can be made in dealing with the big west, the class struchisms between the east and in Old Europe, uprisings of called by the Secretariat. Our space is given in the program to questions of secondary generalizations which have been definitely and is one SCALE OF UNEVENESS, for Europe there questions of world politics and world revolutionary World imperialism side by side with a victorious colonial the conterhand transforms United States capitalisme die als chiefly with and third rate importance let alone the general and firmly obtained; it is much more a question struggles.
which we have just and historically con onslaught of the social revolution cannot get along ditions have is another. in aphically literary looseness and the numerous repetitions, by a close organic together. Ibid. page 175. of summarizing the world economic and political into One would only have to welcome the bold rea reduction of which the program might be conin the the role of American Im few days later on April 23, Lenin said: contact between the countries of Eu of Europe that by experiences of the recent period, and particularly present epoch, becoming constantly more interested placement of the axis of the program in the new perialism and the prospect of densed at least one third.
to our BACKWARDNESS has thrust the forward modern bourgeois governments of Europe are like out of it.
the revolutionary struggles of the last five in the maintenance of order in every corner of the years draft were it not for the fact that in the effort to new revolutionary situations, which were so rich in events and mistakes. The globe, and on the other hand the revisionist theory of So 2a. SLOGAN OF SOVIET UNITED conciliate this, the only correct position, with hold out until we meet with the mighty support of fate of the Communist International in the course cialism in one country, with the INSURRECTIONARY workers of other coun STATES OF EUROPE tendencies of an entirely opposing character, the dominant and still of the coming years depends in the literal sense sing world imperialist Europe, as has already been said, will, IN THE tries. Ibid. page 187. Our emphasis. the Chinese revolution and increasing draft has become an arena containing great conits lessons, and with the for The elimination of the slogan of a Soviet United FINAL ANALYSIS, be of decisive importance of the term on how these events, mistakes and power. The logic of wärld relations leads to the mation of workers and peas.
But perhaps this was all said under the special tradictions which undermine the fundamental sig.
differences are understood and evaluated in the also for America. But DIRECTLY, in the im.
idea that the time of this explosion cannot be very States of Europe from the new draft program, a ants parties which Trotsky, influence of the Brest Litovek crisis? No! In nificance of the new statement of principles.
revolution in Germany far from that of the proletarian revolution mediate historical course, in line with Lenin, condemns slogan which has already been accepted by the March 1919 Lenin again repeated: program.
an immeasurably greater significance for Comintern after a drawn out internal struggle in THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE in principle. Trotsky com We do not live merely in a State but in a system France than for the United States of America. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE ment on the Third Party Our elucidation of the dialectics of the inter1923, can by no means be justified. Or is it Alliance with La Follette, of states and the existence of the Soviet Republic From this historically developed relationship folPROGRAM To characterize the first, fortunately discarded relations between America and Europe resulted, the fight against which was perhaps on this question that the authors tide bir hader with semper indicate FR ANY lows also the political vitality of the slogan of a In our epoch which is an imperialist epoch, e. draft, it will suffice to say that, so far as we re led by him, will be especially during the last few years, in the most diversified want to return to Lenin position of 1915?
member, it did not even mention the United accusations against us accusations about our interesting to American com In regarding to the slogan of the United States an epoch of WORLD economics and WORLD the end one or the other must triumph. Vol. 16, RELATIVE vitality because it stands to reason munists. The entire docupage 102. States of America. The cardinal problems of the pacifist denial of the existence of European con of Europe, Lenin, as is known, vacillated at the politics, under the hegemony of finance capitalism, year later, April 7, 1920, Lenin reiterates: that this Federation will extend, through the great not a single national Communist Party can build imperialist epoch which, by dint of the very tradictions, The slogan was at first our acceptance of Kautský theory of consecutvely in this and the beginning of the war.
must be taken not only in ultra imperialism and of many other sins. There forthcoming issues of The included in the theses of the Social Democrat (the bridge of the Soviet Union, to Asia and will then Capitalism, if taken on an international scale, is effect an amalgamation of the World Socialist Reand tendencies of national develpment. This fully and historical aspect, were dissolved in the first which at best result from a complete ignorance of even now, NOT ONLY IN MILITARY BUT is no need to deal here with these accusation, Militant without any changes. central organ of the Party at the time) and then Its basic importance for the ALSO IN AN ECONOMIC SENSE, stronger than publics. But this will be a second epoch or a holds good also for the Party that holds sway in international draft into a lifeless outline of a capitalist country revolutionary rejected by Lenin the The death knell for national the Soviet government we MUST BASE OUR further great chapter of the imperialist epoch, and This in itself shows that its suitability was not POLICY ON THIS FUNDAMENTAL IDEA pro in general. However, the new draft, and this grams was definitely sounded on August 4, 1914.
WHICH WE MUST NEVER FORGET. Vol.
when we enter it more closely we will also find the But we cannot refrain from mentioning, however, able corfectness of its posi a question of a general principle; it was merely a 17, page 102)
corresponding formulae necessary for it.
revolutionary Party proletariat can of course is a great step forward, states that the tion on the burning problems question of tactics, a question of comparing its economic center of the world has shifted to the confusing and muddling up the most vital world tional make is an invaluable That the differences with Lenin in 1915 on the rely only on an international program correspond United States of America. that the Dollar problem than was wasted, by the way also by In the same year of 1920 we find again: plus and minus signs from the viewpoint of the ing to the nature of of the prese given situation. Needless to say that Lenin denied question of the United States of Europe was a World imperialism cannot live together with the narrow tactical, and by its very essence, temporary of the apex and destruction of epoch as an epoch Republic has become the exploiter of all coun authors of the possibility of a realization of a CAPITALIST triumphant social revolution. Ibid. page 197. the draft program, in the petty struggle literature of our period.
of capitalism. An in co. won against our formulation of the problem which has. Editor United States of Europe. That is also how re On November 27, 1920, Lenin, in dealing further quotations, but it is best proven by character, can be proven without any difficulty by ternational Communist garded the question when advanced the United with the question of concessions, said: the summary of national programs or of their common world hegemony for itself, and finally that he been entirely confirmed by the course (in the draft it is wrongly stated con Efforts have been made on paper in the States slogan, exclusively as a perspective State 1923 Comintern We have now gone over from the arena of war form of the proletarian dictatorship in Europe.
recent date, to Fon an analysis of the conditions and tendencies cliptica lishe per marilyn met het ateli lind. European leading Communist press, of the world economic and world political system coming the pivot in the world conflicts. This by referring to the imminent economic and indus slogan of the United States of Europe could not more or less complete economic amalgamation come again. As long as we still have capitalisme and be accepted in 1915 on grounds of principle, as of Europe ACCOMPLISHED FROM THE TOP as a whole with all its points of contact and antagº has already become absolutely obvious, and a prothe authors of the draft program now maintain, by means of an agreement of the capitalist govern the other will be the victor in the end. The obitua onism. e. with all the antagonistic inter gram which would ry will have to be sung either over the death of then the Comintern had no right to adopt it eight not contain a clear and exact ments is a Utopia wrote. Here it cannot go into a consideration of the problem of the time national orientation of the proletariat must and of these main facts and features of the further than partial compromises and half measures.
world capitalism or the death of the Soviet Republic. years later. The law of uneven development, one the American crisis and as to its possible depth.
of By this alone an economic, amalgamation of Europe Now we have only a respite in the war. Ibid. world situation would not be should think, has not lost its force of action during a program of an This is not a question of program builfito page 398)
such as would promise colossal advantages both to to a larger extend than in the past, be based inte international revolutionary Party.
the producer and consumer and to the development these years.
But perhaps the further existence of the Soviet only on a world orientation, and not vice versa.
turen. For us, of course, the inevitability of a crisis Unfortunately the main facts and tendencies of Therein lies the basic and fundamental difference the international development of the new epoch present world expansion of American is absolutely unquestionable and, considering the of culture in general, is becoming a REVOLUTIONRepublic made Lenin realize his mistake and The formulation of the question as outlined abetween the Communist International and all indicated above are mentioned in the text of the bove follows from the dynamics of the revolutionRIAT in its struggle against imperialist protectionism discard his disbelief in the inner force of the Oc69 ary process taken as a whole. The international and its instrument militarism. Trotsky, The tober revolution?
Programme of Peace: collected works, Vol. 3, part I, revolution is regarded as an inter connected Based on this, we wrote in January of this year draft, grafted em to it, so to say, in the way of the efforts to minimize or weaken the importance At the Third Congress of the Comintern, to page 85. Russian edition. process which cannot be predicted in all its conthe following: of North American hegemony on this ground is wit, in July 1921, Lenin declared: contact with the rest of the structure and without not justified by anything, and can only lead to Further: creteness, but the general historical outlines of it We have obtained an extremely unstable, an ex are absolutely clear. Without understanding them It is necessary to start to draw up a Prógra the Comintern (Bucharin program is a bad pro of leading to any perspective of strategical deduct most profound errors of a strategical character. United States of Europe represents first of all tremely unsound, but nevertheless an equilibrium gram of a national section of the Comintern: it is On the contrary, IN CRITICAL EPOCH THE such in which the socialist republic can exist OF a correct political orientation is entirely out of the a form the only conceivable form of proletarian gw not a program of a world Communist Party. The NEW role of America in Europe since the HEGEMONY OF THE UNITED STATES dictatorship in Europe. Ibid. page 92. question.
COURSE NOT FOR LONG TIME in capitalist inocov (Pravda, January 25, 1928. capitulation of the Communist Party of Germany. WILL PROVE EVEN MORE COMPLETE, But even in this formulation of the question surroundings. Theses on the Tactics of the Matters, however, appear quite differently if we proceed from the idea of socialist development place in a program if counter it. The for a gigantic revolutionary and prepares the ground already in Europe of events.
to open and more than one forgot the laten of war officially adopted the slogan. 19. it is true than tema definition of ions,