Τ Ε MILITANT Saturday, January 18, 1930 ROSA LUXEMBURG. 11 Years After The Communist Fight against Imperialist War The echo of the Bolshevik revolution in would make fun of his dry, lifeless learn social democracy, instead of the upyielding Kautskyan Centrism at every turn. With ing. Like Lenin, she showed the vital con opposition She remained with the oppoBermany in 1918 was drowned out by the the whole party leadership, and the enornection between living Marxist theory and sition and life gave victory to her views.
thunderous torrent of blood drawn from the mous machinery at its disposal, ranged the living movements of the masses. While She could have swam with the current of working class by the bayonets of the social against her, she was nevertheless untiring Noske and Scheidemann were democracy.
the practical leaders of the German soc blood in 1914 instead of being the perse in her efforts to arouse the party in the the hands of the German junkerg and bour fal democracy were engaged in the slow cuted, hounded, despised and calumniated discussion on the war danger and the tasks but productive work of increasing the leader of the handful of men and women geoisie that drew a deep and ineradicable of the social democracy that opened after socialist vote in the Reichstag and the that raised the banner of insurrection.
line which forever divides the revolutionary the international congress at Copenhagen movement from the social democracy. But Landtags, Rosa not only engaged them in But it was precisely because she was with where, together with Karl Radek, Lenin the cruelest blow the social democracy could theoretical battle, but showed her capac the proletarian masses that she stood alone. and Trotsky, the viewpoint of the Left ity of stirring the masses into action. It She stood with the minority for so many have struck the young Spartacus was the wing on militarism had been fought out, murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Lux was Luxemburg, not Kautsky not Bertstein occasions for the simple and conclusive with Kautsky on the side of the social not Legien, who went up and down the reason that the minority was right imburg. Not years and not decades can wipe the pacifists.
put the memory of the horrible crime, for country arousing the workers to action majority, the men of the apparatus, the Her activity during the war is so well agains discriminatory lectoral provisions men of influence and weight, was wrong.
3t has become an accusing finger that alknown that it requires no setting down ways poits to the role of the social democ in Prussia. It was Rosa Luxemburg who The proudest, most respected, most inhere, With Liebknecht, Franz Mehring, racy in the present epoch of history. published the first appeals to the German fluential names in the German social demKlara Zetkia, Karl Radek and a few others To recall Rosa Luxemburg on the proletariat, to the German masses, to rise ocracy were subjected to her remorseless a handful against the eleventh anniversary of her assassination against the imperialist war and the soc blows. recall an apt cartoon in an old brutally oppressive machinery of the state, against party 1s to unfold again the two decades lalist bellwethers who led them to the German socialist journal which depicts Roand public opinion she carried on the slaughter of struggle between the revolutionary and sa Luxemburg swinging her pen like a painstaking, painful work of forming the the reformist wing in the pre war social She was the embodiment of Marxist sabre and putting to rout the most prom nucleus of a new revolutionary movement, democracy. The manner in which Rosa theory enriched by the living struggle for inent and authorative statesmen of the parof mobilizing the forces of the proletarian power. With what scorn would she lash position in this struggle applies to the ty: Rebel, Kautsky, David, Fischer, Berninsurrection.
stein and a half dozen others. With her She was with a hundred the bureaucrats of the Communist movedifficulties and travail that the movement against a million because she knew that Is traversing today, is evidence that the ment today who seek to smother all funda pitiless whip she sometimes compelled a mental discussion with hypocritical appeals whole party congress to acquiesce in her memorials to her are not formal, solemn it is often necessary to be only a hundred in order to gain the million. The hundred obligations to be fulfilled one day and for practical mass work which gains no views, and many of the Leftward swings of the minority was no fetish with her; Jorgotten the next, but rather the occasion masses, introduces no clarity of purpose, the German social democracy were accom her fetish was the proletarian revolution.
for a recapitulation of her work and its and does not advance the basic aims of the plished not only under the distant influence In its intereste, she knew how to stand relation to the struggle today, revolution! In this period of the movement of the Russian revolution of 1905 but under with the mocked and Jeered minority and when contempt for investigation and dis the more immediate impulsion of Rosa fight inplacably for principle. The differRosa Luxemburg was uncompromis. cussion of questions of principle is at a Luxemburg. And if she was not deceived ence between Rosa Luxemburg and the ingly loyal to revolutionary principle. premium, the monumental work of Rosa or convinced by the innocent revisionism present day pretenders to leadership of her Her very first appearance as an active Luxemburg stands out like an unflickering, of Eduard Bernstein, she was just as little party and her cause, the weather cocks of and leading force in the proletarian move comforting flame.
inspired with confidence by the Centrist ment showed her definite capacities for Rosa Luxemburg knew how to stand the momentarily prevalent administration, vacillations of Kautsky and Company.
the lost souls who have neither the courswimming against the stream. To the and fight as a minority, even a minority It must be remembered that the pseudoage to maintain a conviction nor the ideas nationalist spirit that pervaded the petty of one. Especially now should this char radicalism of Kautsky was quite fashionto form one with is the difference between bourgeois and revolutionary movement to acteristic of hers be recalled, when it is able in the socialist movement before the the lion and the lapdog.
wards the end of the last century, she as necessary and difficult to swim against war; it had a certain glamor and genuineopposed the Marxist spirit of the prolet the current as it was in her time. It would ness about it in the struggle against Bernarian revolution, Against the Polish Soc have been easier to yield to the nationalDespite their conflicting vlewpoints on steinism, not to speak of the enormous autlaist Party formed in 1892 by intellectuals socialist movement in Poland than to lay thority, among Marxists attached to Kautmany questions, sald Lenin, Rosa Luxem.
who set the national independence of Po the small but firm foundations of a Marxist sky name. But for every blow she dealt burg was an eagle. The modern Communland from Russian czarism as the next movement. She chose the latter alterna the open revisionists, Rosa dealt another to ist movement is as inseparable from the goal of the labor movement, Rosa Lux tive. With her brilliant attributes she the school of Kautsky which revealed its name and work of Rosa Luxemburg as it is emburg together with Adolf Warski, Jul could easily have become the most esteemed opportunist cowardice in every crucial from the name of Lenin. For both of them ian Karaki, Ratinsky, Wesselovski and and highly placed figure in the Cerman struggle. Her relentless scalpel laid bare the International was the fatherland. To attempt to identify either of them with one others, founded the Russian Polish Social particular nation is as meaningless as to Democracy, based upon the most adsay, for instance, that Marx was a German vanced workers in the country, and thug revolutionist Both of them were singlelaid the foundation for the Marxian labor mindedly consecrated to the triumph of movement of Poland. It was her ipex.
Talk! talk! talk! Peace! Naval redate class society, and not a reformist salve the international proletariat. Both of them haustible theoretical arsenal that furuction! Disarmament! Abolition of War! to heal the ulcer and retain the body of were teachers and soldiers in an epoch nished the weapons for the Marxist moveGeneva Conferences! London Conferences! capitalism. So those who would apply the ment of that period. Her work on The that makes them greater than those who League of Nations! Kellogg Pact and while salve, the leadership of the Socialist ParIndustrial illuminated the pages of history in the past.
Development of Poland)
all this hypocritical cant is filling the air ties and Socialist Youth Leagues are ex Both of them were devoted to the cause played much the same role in the Polish to the confusion of many workers, arsenals cluded as capable of fighting war.
that is superior to all others because its movement as Lenin work on the develare being filled, gasses compounded, troops From Bosses War to Cinss War victory opens an entirely new epoch for 3pment of capitalism in Russia played in drilled, battleships built, industries organals country.
Sharp were the struggles humanity. For that they are deathless.
ized, all for the next August 1, 193?
Essentially the problem is how to turn Chat developed between the Marxists and To consider now those important issues Young workers and farmers, you who the imperialist war into a war of the workthe Nationalists; in them the term socialthat divided Rosa and Lenin the mase do the fighting and dying for the greater ing class against the master class. The patriotism was coined which was to beglory and profit) of your capitalist mas reformists do not desire whatsoever to turn strike, the driving forces of imperialism, come a tragic reality in the betrayal of the role of the proletarian party, and others ters, engrave this deeply into your consci the war against capitalism. The task rethe Second International little more than ousness: Twelve years after the last war, mains for the Communists. would require more than the space of decade later.
the war to end wars. the world is bristling But the days when Leninist policy this insufficient memorial, Rather let the with armaments even more so than the dominated the Communist movement are solidarity and oneness of the two great From the period of her first work in week before Earejevo in July, 1914, The revolutionists of our time be emphasized long past. Today, within the Communist Poland to the day that the Communist black clouds have gathered a tiny spark here, all the more so because it has become movement we have three currents, the arty in Germany was founded by her the fashion to distort, misrepresent and and the storm of death will have broken, Hight, the Center and the Left.
nd Karl Liebknecht, her record can be exaggerate the differences between LuxThe Role of the Socialists Based theoretically on the monstrosity Cearched in vain for any compromiae in emburg and Lenin. Every little official Loudest in their vehemence, most of socialism in one country. which it rinciple. The vulgar opportunism of the functionary, partciularly those turned out touching in their oratory, holding the atten shares with the Centrists, the Rights have by the gross in the numerous Lenin erman party leaders was entirely allen tion of millions of workers are the belle taken the next step down the hill to reto her. And If, in the rigidity of her posischools throughout the world, can deliver wethers for capitalism, the leadership of ion, she erred in her conceptions as sbe form the next step following socialism in a long dissertation to prove what a hopethe international social dernocracy and the sometimes did It was always on the side one country. They have declared their lessly incompetent thinker Rosa was and of the revolutionary struggle and not on pacifists, trying to convince the workers right to national Communist Parties what enormous blunders she made. In the slae of that corroding adaptability of the possibility of disarmament, of the (a contradiction in terms as ridiculous as the German Communist Party especially that finally fitted social democracy for its abolition of war under capitalism, mean a square circle. negating the very prin has this loathsome belittling of Rosa imwhile, with might and main aiding their im ciples of internationalism which is fundarole as handmaiden to the Kaiser and the mortal centributions reached the most reperialist in arming, such as MacDonald, mental in our movement and especially in bourgeoisle who succeeded the monarchy.
volting depths. The less the neo Bolshevik Her contempt for compromise we Mueller and Paul Boncour.
the fight against war. The Right wing knows about Luxemburg or has read of her Epeak here, of course, not of temporary The Communists are blunt: under cap Communist is checked off as incapable. works, the freer he feels to dismiss her compromises in the strategical or tactical italism war is inevitable. If you, fellowThe Centrists waver between the Right and with a contemptuous gesture. Let that worker, desire to abolish var, we say: Left, and anyone who hesitateg course, but of compromise in principles in sort of appreciatios of Rosa remain the Abolish capitalism with all its misery and the class struggle 18 lost. bold, earned her the harshest blows and antagtask of those cut out for it. For us, Rosa onism of the German party leadership, even replace it with the proletarian dictatorship determined policy is needed. They lag beLuxemburg remains the eagle.
it she gave better than she got. She re. with a system of production for use and hind the masses or overtake and jump far pulsed those who tried to storm the Marx not for profit all over the world.
ahead of them into adventurism and lag be The eagle was foully killed as she lan fortress and evaded the others who, Some scientists say, in the spirit of hind again.
was reaching the height of her power.
like Bebel and later Kautsky sought to Bismarck, that war is nature way of The Left wing under the leadership With her death, the German proletariat, on damn her with faint praise and dult her removing the unfit, the way the law of of Trotsky and Rakovsky and many other the threshhold of the revolution, suffered steel with a paternal tolerance for youth the survival of the fittest operates now fighters against the last war stands four an frreplacable logs. History does not tul hotheadedness.
adays. Nonsense! It is precisely those square on an International Leninist plat produce many Marxes, or Lenins or LuxemHer profound regard for principle and who are sickly and weak and crippled and form. It is the embodiment of internat burgs. Her place can only be taken by Marxian theory still stands as a reproach old who stay at home to survive and deter ionalism, of the fight against war and cap numbers, growing in strength, clarity and to those cheap practical people who, in forate the race, while the strong, the healitalism.
resoluteness, confident of victory. Men and the Communist movement today, hide their thy and the young, without scar or. blem With the old battle cries, first used by women can be martyred by the enemy, but contempt and fear of theory behind the ish, who lay down their lives as blood Lenin, Liebknecht and Trotsky, with which a whole movement cannot be assassinated.
empty clamor of the mass work they are Sacrifices to Mammon on the altar of war. the masses overthrew the czar and Russian It can be set back for a time or cruelly supposed to be doing. It is true that she So, as the chief sufferers, those most imperialism, and shook many a haughty defeated more than once. But each time it was always preoccupied with the study and endangered, the young workers tradition empire, we shall also turn the next imper is crushed, like Hercules in his struggle development of Marxian thought, but she ally lead the fight against capitalist war. lalist war into a victorious class war of with Arteus, it will gain from the earth had nothing in common with the dull ped But how? Whose method shall be used? the proletariat. The young workers must that covers Rosa grave renewed power antry of the closet professor. Even when War calls for a radical cure, for a be in the front ranks.
and determination to triumph.
she still was a close friend of Kautsky she revolutionary surgeon knife to extermin CHARLES CURTISS.