THE MILITANT Saturday, March 8, 19930 MY PART IN IN THE THE OCTOBER THE MILITANT The following is a chapter ot the Real By TROTSKY ed the history of the October insurrection, Situation in Russia by Trotsky, dealwhy did not somebody clear me up? Why is the only newspaper in the United Ing with the falsification of the history of consisted, during those decisive days, the was my book studied with impunity in all States that regularly publishes the the Russian Revolution by the Stalinregime. role of Stalin. It never once happened the party schools in the first years of the writing of Trotsky, Ch. RaThis chapter is of special interest now in that turned to him for advice or cooper revolution?
kovsky and other leaders of the view of the celebration of the founding of ation. He never showed the slightest initiaEven in the year 1922 the Organization Left Opposition of the Communist the Red Army. The translation, including tive. He never advanced one independent Bureau of the party seemed to think that movement based upon the teachings the notes, is by Max Eustman.
proposal. This fact no Marxist historian understood fairly well the history of the of Marx and Lenin. In addition of the new style can alter.
October Revolution. Here is a small but it is the only periodical in the As to my participation in the October eloquent confirmation of that: English language in any part of Supplementary Insertion Revolution in the notes to Volume 14 of Moscow, May 24, 1922. the world that prints the correct the Complete Works of Lenin you read: Stalin and Yaroslavsky, as said above, No. 14302 estimation of world events based After the majority of the Petersburg have wasted much effort these last months To Comrade Trotsky: upon a Leninist conception.
Soviet passed into the hands of the Bol in proving that the organizational center Excerpt from the report of the session THE MILITANT is the organ shevike, Trotsky was elected its presl created by the Party, consisting of Sverdlov, of the Organization Bureau of the Central of those who want to reestablish dent and in that position organized and led Stalin, Bubnov, Uritsky and Dzerzhinsky Committee for May 22, 1922. No. 21.
the international Communist movethe insurrection of October 25: guided, so to speak, the whole course of the Commission Comrade Yakolev by the How much is true here, and how much insurreztion. Stalin has emphasized, every mnet on the basis it was up till first of October to compose under the edway he can, the fact that Trotsky was not torship of Comrade Trotsky, a textbook on the death of Lenin. Published false, let the Bureau of Party History deweekly, it is a powerful factor in cide If not the present one, then some a member of that center. But alas! through the history of the October Revolution.
future Bureau. Comrade Stalin has lately sheer carelessness on the part of Stalin mobilizing the working class along Signed, Secretary of the Sub Dethe correct ideological categorically denied the truth of this as historians, in Pravda for November 2, 1927 lines.
partment of Propaganda Bertion. Thus. that is, after the present letter was writWithout its regular appearance That was in May 1922. And my book have to say that Comrade Trotsky ten there appeared an accurate excerpt the Left Opposition not only in about the October Revolution having apAmerica but throughout the world played no particular role in the October from the report of the Central Committee peared before that time in many editions, would sustain a severe loss.
insurrection and could not do so, that being for the sixteenth to the twenty ninth of was well known to the Organization Bureau president of the Petrograd Soviet, he October, 1917. the head of which, at that period was alIn a recent letter, comrade merely fulfilled the will of the corresponding The Central Committee creates a miliready Stalin. Nevertheless the Organization Trotsky asserted that La Verite party authority, which guided his every tary revolutionary center with the following Bureau considered it necessary to lay upon the weekly organ of the French step.
me the task of editing the chool book of the members, Sverdlov, Stalin, Bubnov, Uritsky, Lert Opposition and And further: THE and Dzerzhinsky. Comrade Trotsky played no particular THIS CENTER IS TO October Revolution. How does this happen? MILITANT were the two best orBE CONSTITUENT PART OF THE REIt happens because the eyes of Stalin and gans of the movement that is conrole elther in the party or the October inVOLUTIONARY SOVIET COMMITTEE.
the Stalinists were opened to Trotskyism ducting a campaign for return surrection, and could not do so, being a only after the eyes of Lenin were closed to Lenin teachings. To enable man comparatively new to our party in the The Revolutionary Soviet Committee is forever.
THE MILITANT to continue pubOctober period. 40 the Mllitary Revolutionary Committee creatlication, the immediate support of In giving this testimony, Stalin forgot ed by the Petrograd Soviet. No other 482 Soviet organ for the leadership of the inall its readers is necessary. dowhat he himself said on the sixth of No Stalin, About Trotsky, Trotskyism nation to its Sustaining Fund will vember, 1918; that, is on the first annivers surrection existed. Thus these five comor Leninism. pp. 68 69.
enable it to continue to exist.
ary of the revolution, when facts and events rades, designated by the Central Committee, No. 241.
were still too fresh in the minds of all. were required to enter as a supplement into. FILL OUT THE BLANK BELOW Even then Stalin had already begun that the staff of that same Military RevolutionThis is a mild reference to the fact ary Committee of which Trotsky was the that Kamenev and Zinoviev opposed the work in relation to me which he has now DO NOT WAIT! ACT TODAY!
developed on such a grand scale. But he president. Superfluous it would seem, for seizure of power in October, held negotiations against it, with the Mensheviks, and AND MAIL IMMEDIATELY AND was then compelled to conduct it far more Trotsky to be introduced a second time into even made known in a non Bolshevik paper THEN YOU WILL KNOW YOU cautiously and underhandedly than he is the staff of an organization of which he the secret resolution of the Bolshevik cenHAVE DONE YOUR PART FOR now. Here is what he wrote then in Pravda was already president! How hard it is, tral Committee calling for the insurrectiou.
THE REGENERATION OF THE under the title, The Role of the Most after all, to correct history after it is finINTERNATIONAL They were denounced as traitors. deCOMMUNIST 1shed. Hninent Party Leaders. serters. strikebreakers. etc. by Lenin in MOVEMENT. All the work of practical organization November, 11, 1927.
a long letter which published in my (Tear here or if you want to of the insurrection was conducted under the wrote at Brest a short outline of the Since Lenin Died.
Bave this issue of the Militant coimmediate leadership of the President of the October Revolution. This book went through Zinoviev subsequently stated that the py it on another piece of paper. Petrograd Soviet, Comrade Trotsky. It is a great number of editions in various lan two greatest mistakes of his life were this possible to declare with certainty that the guages. Nobody ever told me that there is opposition to Lenin in 1917 and his oppo THE MILITANT awit passing of the garrison to the side of flagrant ommission in my book namely sition to Trotsky in 1924. am working 25 Third Avenue, Room the Soviet, and the bold execution of the that it nowhere points out the chief guide with Trotsky now for long, he said. That New York, work of the Military Revolutionary Comof the insurrection, the military revolu was two years ago, and he has since deserted mittee, the party owes principally and above am enclosing a donation of.
tionary centre, of which Stalin and Bub Again and is writing anti Trotskyist articles for the militant Sustaining Fund all to Comrade Trotsky.
nov were members. If so badly remember at the behest of Stalin. Trans.
to help maintain the paper and Those words, spoken by no means for the purpose of laudatory exaggeration on publish the works of Trotsky Name Address different, but will not dwell on that those words sound absolutely incredible City. State Continued from Page today as coming from the lips of Stalin.
dered by the wrong and extremely abnorIt was said long ago: truthful man from the Soviet apparatus into the Party mal Party regime.
has this advantage, that even with a bad and gave the latter forms and dimensions The old methods are already condemmemory he never contradicts himself. which are unheard of, which are indetenA LETTER FROM ENGLAND ned, they collapsed with a crash. This the disloyal, unscrupulous, and dishonest man sible, in view of the role of political lead Centrist top recognizes, but as always it Helston, Cornwall, England has always to remember what he said in the ership the Party has to play.
tries to throw off responsibility, to throw The Milltants The Stalinist Bureaucracy past, in order not to shame himself.
dust in the eyes, to deceive the masses, to Dear Comrades: Comrade Stalin, with the help of the On top of that the entrist leadership whose justified dissatisfaction, they toss a Yaroslavakles, is trying to construct a new Many thanks for your letter. Yes, has raised to communist dogmas. organfew scapegoats. It tries to decelve the have had a serious turn for the worse.
history of the organization of the October izational principles of Leninism. the memasses with 80 called self criticism, EvInsurrection based on the fact that the thods of command and compulsion, refining eryone is permitted to criticise himself, but My heart is now in a state in which it party created a practical center for the them to a degree rarely known in the hismay give out at any moment the valves those who are chiefly responsible and guilty being worn out. For this reason shall organizational leadership of the insurrec tory of bureaucratic virtuosity. With the not only do not criticise themselves, but not be able to meet a comrade who 19 tlon, of which, it appears, Trotsky was ald of these demoralizing methods, making they co not even permit the Party to critimachines out of thinking Communiste, kilnot a member. Lenin was not a member of cise thom. They are gifted with the godly proposing to come from ris to arrango for the distribution of the Russian Bullethat committee. That fact alone demon ling the will, character and human dignity attribute of infallibility.
strates that the committee had only a sub. the Centrist top succeeded in becoming tin and to organize the Opposition in the Communist Party in England. This needs It ordinate organizational significance.
What Road?
an irreplacable and inviolable oligarchy.
played no independent role whatever. The substituting the Party and the class.
to be done badly. have sent an address However, they are not able to conceal legend about this committee has been creatin North Shields, where a useful helper The capitulators do not like to talk any the conditions from the Party and the will be found, who has lived on the Tyne ed today for the simple reason that Stalin longer of the Party regime and Party bur working class. The question is put edgewas a member of it. Here is the member eaucracy. This seems to them now to be side for a lifetime. shall never be able ways and it is necessary to give an answer.
ship: Sverdlov, Stalin, Dzerzhinsky, Bub natural, as if it were part of the prolet This anust be done without delay. Before to leave home again, and it the heart does DOV, Uritsky. However unpleasant it is arian dictatorship. From the moment the the Party are two roads either it will be not improve am likely to be out of it to dig in the rubbish, it seems necessary for capitulators decided to achieve a place capable to give the proletarian dictatorship very shortly.
The news me, as a sufficiently close participant and under our Soviet bureaucratic sun, the Sta a directing organization based on contithat Comrade Trotsky witness of the events of that time, to test linist regime has become to them the very dence, and about which Lenin apoke, which health is improving is the best you could Ify as follows: possibly have sent me. had noticed best or the best; a democratic, a. workers, will be capable to establish a workers The role of Lenin, of course, needs no and a Party one. particularly cynical democracy and to restrain an unruly stubthat his writing was as accurate in detail Illumination. Sverdlov often met, and apologist has become Radek.
and as genuine as ever. Also, that the old With ease born apparatus, its misuses and misman.
he threatens his former comrades with arhumour agement, the incapabllities of which costs was not wanting often turned to him for counsel, and for His books people to help me. Comrade Kamenev, who ticle 58; in his declaration of July 13, he hundreds of millions of rubles, besides the and articles have energized me for years.
18 is well known, occupied special posi tries to defend the methods of the lead tremendous moral harm it does to the proLike most people in feeble health am inclined to pessimism. Whenever am tion, the incorrectness of which he himself ership, which served to decompose the apletarian dictatorship. Either the Party will be has long ago acknowledged, took never paratus within the country and has done sufficiently mature to do all this, or else at my worst, invariably turn to some harm to the less most active part in the events of the dictatorship outside the of Trotsky writings and always with it will help against its own will and to country.
the revolution. The decisive night, from the Those who talk about Party good results.
the greatest harm to itself, the revolution twenty fifth to the twenty sixth, Kamenov democracy (evidently Lenin is to be in and Communism the class enemy which The workers who get the militant cancluded) are nothing else but vulgar liberals, And spent together in the quarters of the will thus break into our Soviet fortro not afford a cent for a copy. will construggling for freedom in the abstract!
under the banner of a false, hypocritical, Tyneside is ghastly and unemployment is Hilltary Revolutionary Committee, amwertinue to pay while can. The poverty on Ing questions, and giving orders by tele Meent! mo the struggle with the class en vile, bourgeois democracy in order to pave phone.
getting worso.
But stretch my memory as will, emy, that regenerates and becomes more afterwards the way for unrestrained fascis.
Irannot answer the question in just what ugly, in the future too will be hin Either or. There is no other way MILLICENT SHOOTUD en compte estaban contents The Policy of the Leadership and Party Regime