THE MILITANT Stickery, March 3, 1930 What is the «Permanent Revolution. By Trotsky Opposition Serves the Bolshevik Revolution These these constitute brief statement of contents of a large pamphlet that consistently and to the very end op olution (to nine tenths. according to Stawhich is being prepared by me for publication under the same title. The poses the theory of the Permanent Revolu lin formula) and the opening of the epoch questions to which the pamphlet is dedicated, are inseparably bound up with the tion, of national reform. The theory of the Kufoundations of the program of the Comintern and consequently with the future platform of the International Opposition. make these theses public as material The attempt of the epigones under the lak growing into socialism and the theory blows of our criticism to confine the appliof the neutralization of the world bourfor the elaboration of the theoretical section of the platform. The pamphlet, cation of the theory of Socialism in one hope, will shortly appear in numerous languages.
geoisie are consequently inseparable from Country to Russia alone, because of its spe the theory of socialism in one country.
cial qualities (its extensiveness and its naThey stand and fall together. The theory of the permanent revo Dictatorship of the Proletariat there can tural resources) does not improve but only lution now demands the greatest attention lie nothing and there lies nothing, that is, Through the theory of national socialworsens the matter. The splitting off from of every Marxist, for the course of the no democratic dictatorship of the workers ism, the Communist International is dethe international position always leads to ideological and class struggle has finally and peasants.
a national doctrine of salvation, that is, to graded to a weapon of assistance which is drawn this question out of the field of rem The endeavor of the Comintern to the recognition of the special prerogatives necessary for the struggle against a milliniscences over the old differences of opinfoist upon the Eastern countries the slogan and peculiarities for one own country, tary intervention. The present policy of son among Russian Marxists and converted whi of the Democratic Dictatorship of the Provould permit it to play a role that the Comintern, its regime, and the selection of its leading personalities, correspond enit into a question of the character, the in learlat and Peasantry, finally and long ago other countries cannot attain.
ternal connections and the methods of the tirely to the debasement of the Communist exhausted by history, can have only a re The world division of labor, the depeninternational revolution as a whole.
International to an assisting troop which actionary significance In so far as this dence of Soviet industry on foreign tech is not designed to solve independent tasks. With regard to the countries with slogan is counterposed to the slogan of the nique, the dependence of the productive a backward bourgeois development, especi Dictatorship of the Proletariat, it contrib forces of the advanced countries of Europe 14. The program of the Comintern ally the colonial and semi colonial countries, utes to the dissolution of the Proletariat on Asiatic raw materials, etc. etc, make created by Bucharin is thoroughly eclectic.
the theory of the permanent revolution sig into the petty bourgeois masses and in this the construction of a socialist society in It makes the hopeless attempt to reconcile nifies that the complete and genuine solu manner creates better conditions for the any single country impossible.
the theory of Socialism in one Country tion of their democratie and national hegemony of the national bourgeoisie and with Marxist Internationalism, which is 13. The theory of Stalin Bucharin not Hiberative tasks is only conceivable through consequently for the collapse of the demo only sets up the democratic revolution quite character of the world revolution.
however, inseparable from the permanent the dictatorship of the proletariat, the lea cratic revolution. The introduction of this mechanically against the socialist revoluThe der of the subjugated nations, primarily of slogan into the program of the Comintern tion, contrary to the experiences of the struggle of the Left Communist Opposition their peasant masses.
is a direct betrayal of Marxism and of the for a correct policy and a healthy regime in Russian revolution, but also tears the na3. Not only the agrarian, but also the October traditions of Bolshevism.
tional revolution from the international the Communist International is inseparably national question, assigned to the peasantry, The dictatorship of the Proletariat path, combined with a struggle for a Marxist program. The quration ofthe program the overwhelming majority of the popula which rises to power as the leader of the This theory set the revolution in the tion of the backward countries, an impor democratic revolution is inevitably and very backward countries the task of establishing in turn is inseparable from the question tant place in the democratic revolution. quickly placed before tasks that are bound an unrealizable regime of the democratic of the two mutually exclusive theories: the Without an alliance of the proletariat with up with a deep incision into the right of dictatorship: this regime it sets up against theory of permanent revolution and the theory of socialism in one country. The the peasantry, the tasks of the democratic bourgeois property. Thedemocratic revolu against the dictatorship of the proletariat revolution cannot be solved, yes, not even tion rises over immediately into the Social way it introduces illusions and fictions into problem of the permanent revolution has seriously posed. But the alliance of bese ist, and thereby becomes a permanent politics, paralyzes the struggle for power of long ago rooted out the episodic differences two classes can be realized in no other revolution.
between Lenin and Trotsky, wbich were the proletariat in the East, and hampers way than through an intransigeant struggle The conquest of power of the proletquite exhausted by history. The struggle is the victory of the colonial revolution.
against the influence of the national liberal ariat does not end the revolution, but only for the basic ideas of Marx and Lenin on The very seizure of power by the probourgeoisie.
openg it. Socialist construction is only the one side and the eclectics of the letariat eignifles, from the standpoint of the Centrists on the other. No matter how the first episodic conceivable on the foundation of the class epigones theory, the completion of the rev Constantinople, November 30, 1929 stages of the revolution may be in the struggle, on a national and international individual countries, the realization of the scale. This struggle, under the conditions evolutionary alliance between the proletar of an overwhelming predominance of capiat and the peasantry is conceivable only italist relationships on the world arena, under the political direction of the prolet will inevitably lead to outbreaks, internal, arian vanguard, organized in the Communist that is, civil wars, and external, that is, Up to the very last moment Blunkin sheviks for aid against Kornilov. In that Party. This in turn means that the victory revolutionary wars. Therein lies the per carried through work of the utmost impor connection added: If only it is not too of the democratic revolution is only con manent character of the Socialist revolu tance for the Soviet Union. How could he late. Apparently, Blumkin, after his ar.
ceivable through the dictatorship of the tion as such, independent of whether it is do this while adhering to the Opposition? rest disclosed the nature of his interview proletariat which bases itself upon the al a question of a backward country which This is explainable from the nature of his in order to show the attitude and state Jiance with the peasantry and solves the only yesterday had its democratic Over work, which way of an entirely individual of mind of the Opposition: it must not be Tasks of the democratic revolution, throw, or an old capitalist country, which character. Blumkin had little if anything, forgotten that had been exiled because The old slogan of Bolshevism The already has behind it a long epoch of to do with the Communist nuclei, and no of the accusation that was preparing Democratic Dictatorship of the Proletariat democracy and parliamentarism.
possibility of participating in Party disan armed conflict against the Soviet 10. The completion of the Socialist cussions. But this does not mean that he and Peasantry expresses precisely the power!
abovo characterized relation of the prolet revolution within national limits is unthinkhid his thoughts. On the contrary, Blumkin Through Blunkin had sent an inable.
ariat, the peasantry and the liberal bourhad told Menjinsky and Triligger, the forOne of the main reasons for the mer chiefs of the foreign department of the formative letter to Moscow for our friends, geoisie This is demonstrated by the ex crisis in bourgeois society is the fact that based upon the same ideas that had perience of October. But the old formula the productive forces created by it overflow that his sympathies were with the set forth in a series of published articles: o Lenin does not solve in advance the the boundaries of the national state. From Opposition, but that naturally, like any the Stalin repression against us does not other Oppositionist he was absolutely preproblem of what the mutual relations be this follow, on the one hand, imperialist yet signify a change in the class character pared to carry out his important tasks for tween the proletariat and the peasantry wars, and on the other hand, the utopia of of the State, but only prepares and makes inside of the revolutionary bloc will be. the bouregois United States of Europe.
the October revolution. Menjinsky and Trilisser considered Blumkin to be irreplacmore easy that change; our course reIn other words, the formula has unknown The Socialist revolution commences on the able, which was true. They left him to his mains, as in the past, that of reform and algebraic quantities which have to make national arena, is developed further on the not that of revolution; the implacable strugway for precise arithmetical quantities in inter state and finally on the world arena.
tasks which he always carried out.
gle for our ideas must be based on the the process of historical experience. This Thus the Socialist revolution becomes a Blumkin did visit me at Constantinople. perspecive of a long delay.
latter showed, and under circumstance that permanent revolution in the new and broad have already mentioned the fact that TROTSKY exclude every other interpetration, that no er sense of this word; it attains completion Blumkin bad slight connections with my (Excerpts from letter of January 5th, matter how big the revolutionary role of only in the final victory of the new society secretarial work. In particular, he had 1930 at Prinkipo, Turkey. the peasantry may be, It cant gevertheless on our entire planet.
prepared one of my military works (I mennot be an independent role and even less 11. By the above outlined schema of tion this in the preface of that work. Bluma leading one. The peasant follows either the development of the world revolution, kin came to me in Constantinople in order QUARTER MILLION JOBLESS IN the worker or the bourgeois. This means the question of the countries that are to ascertain my analysis of the situation RALEIGH, FP) 250, 000 are that the Democratic Dictatorship of the mature or mmature for Socialism in and in order to assure himself that he jobless in North Carolina, leading industrial Proletariat and Peasantry is only concely the spirit of that pedantic, lifeless, classificought to remain in the service of the gov state of the south, according to Comm. able as a Dictatorship of the Proletariat that ation by the present program of the Cominernment which was deporting, banishing Grist of the state department of labor and leads the peasant masses behind it. tern, is eliminated. Insofar as capitalism and imprisoning those comrades who were industry. Unemployment in Raleigh 18 Democratic Dictatorship of the has created the world market, the division of the same mind as himself. replied, double last year Proeltarlat and Peasantry, as a regime that of labor and productive forces throughout naturally, that he was doing his revolutionHunger, prevalent in the broken farm is distinguished from the Dictatorship of the world, it has also prepared world ec ary duty not towards the Stalin regime, districts of eastern North Carolina, 18 the Proletariat by its class content, would onomy for socialist reconstruction.
which had usurped the rights of the Party, be realized only in case an independent rev. The various countries will go through but towards the October Revolution.
creeping into the farms and small cities that dot the region, Tennants and farm laborolutionary Party could be constituted which this process in varying tempos. Backward There has, perhaps, been quoted to you, ers, driven from the land, congregate in expresses the interests of the peasants and countries can, under certain conditions, from one of Yaroslavsky articles, an al these communities, while the crop fallure in general of petty bourgeois democracy arrive at the dictatorship of the proletariat legation concerning my conversation with causes curtallment of employment in the sooner, but they come later than the latter a Party that is capable of conquering power a visitor last summer and to whom had urban establishments, and the glowing up with this or that aid of the proletariat and to Soclalism.
predicted the inevitable and Imminent col of new construction of determining its revolutionary program. backward colonial or semi colonial country whose proletariat is insufficiently lapse of the Soviet government. The misAs modern history teaches and especially In Goldsboro scores of Negroes are beprepared to unite the peasantry and con erable sycophant lies, that goes without the history of Russia in the last 25 yearg Ing ted in flmcrow soup kitchens In Goldsquer power is thereby incapable of carry saying. But on comparing certain facts and an insurmountable obstacle on the road to boro two thirds of the destitute are Neging its democratic overthrow to its conclu dates, am certain that this referred to roes. In some places schoots are feeding the creation of a peasants party is the cesion. On the contrary, in a country where my conversation with Blumkin. As for his children at least once a day onomic and political dependence of the the proletariat has power in its hands as question concerning the possibility of reconpetty bourgeoisle and its deep internal allferentiation, thanks to which the upper sec the result of the democratic revolution, the ciling his work and his adherence to the further fate of the dictatorship and social Opposition, told him among other things, Edward Lindgren, former member tions of the petty bourgeoisie (peasantry)
that my exile as well as the imprisonment of the Central Executive Committee of the go with the big bourgeoisie in all decisive ism is not only and not so much dependent in the final analysis upon the national produc of other comrades did not change our fun ommunist Party, will speak before the cases, especially in war and in revolution, tive forces, as it is upon the development damental line; that in the moment of danger and the lower sections with the proletariat, New York Branch of the Communist League of tbe International socialist revolution. the Oppositionists would be in the most (Opposition) on Tuesday, March 4th, 1930 while the Intermediary section has the at pm, at the Militant Hall, 25 Third Ave.
12. The theory of Socialism in one advanced posts, that in the dificult hours choice between the two extreme poles.
Stalin would be forced to call upon them Room His subject is: What is Wrong Country which rose on the yeast of the Between Ine Kerensklade and the Bolshevik reaction to Date de the only tharru even as Tseretellt appealed to the Bel with the Communist Party?
bower, between the Kuo Min Tang and the