How Stalin Bucharin Destroyed the Chinese Revolution Dear Comrades! LETTER BY TCHEN DU HSIU the bourgeois openly compelled Since followed our comrades to found the proletariat to follow its guidance and the Chinese Communist Party, sincerely But it is not enough merely to recognize Sorlet Russla stands on the side of the direction, that the proletariat was formally executed the policy of opportunism of the the error. We must sincerely and thorCPC shall oppose Sovlet Hassia at declared by us to surrender to the bourgeinternational leaders, Stalin. Zinoviev, Bu oughly acknowledge that the past error once.
oisie, to follow it, and be willing to be charin and others making the Chinese revo was the internal content of the policy of At this period the Chinese Communists subordinates of the bourgeodsie. The lution sufter a shameful and sad failure.
opportunism, what were the causes and re were not very much tainted with oppor international delegate said openly: The Though have worked night and day, yet sults of that policy, and reveal them clear. tunism so that we could conduct the strike present period is a period in which the my demerits exceed my merits. Of course, ly. Then we can hope to stop continuing of the railroad workers on February 7, Communists should do the coolle service should not imitate the hypocritical con the errors of the past, and the repetition of 1923, and the May 30th movement for the Kuo Min Tang. By this time, fessions of some of the ancient Chinese em former opportunism in the next revolution. 1923, since we were not hindered by the the Party was already not the party of perors: I, one person, am responsible for When our Party was first founded, though policy of the and at times severely the proletariat, having become completely all the sins of the people, take upon my it was quite young, yet, under the guid criticized the compromising policy of the the extreme Left wing of the bourgeoisie, own shoulders all the mistakes that caused ance of the Leninist International, we did As soon as the proletariat raised and beginning to fall into the deep pit the failure. Nevertheless feel ashamed to not commit any great mistakes. For in its head in the May 30th movement, the of opportunism.
adopt the attitude of some responsible stance, we decisively led the struggle of the bourgeoisie was immediately aroused.
After the coup of March 20, stated comrades at times only criticizing the workers and recognized the class nature past mistakes of opportunism and excludAt the enlarged conference of the Cenof the Kuo Min Tang. In 1921, our Party In a report to the III International my tral Committee of the held in Peking ing oneself. Whenever my comrades have personal opinion that cooperation with the induced the delegates of the Kuo Min Tang in October of the same year, gubmitted pointed out my past opportunist errors, and other social organizations to particiKuo Min Tang by means of joint work with the following proposal to the Political Researnestly acknowledged them. am abin it should be changed to cooperation pate in the Far Eastern Toilers Conterttee Chỉ Sao phlets outside the Otherwise, we would solutely unwilling to ignore the exper ence, which was called by the Third Inter were not accidental but the indication iences of the Chinese revolution obtained be unable to carry out our own independent national. The resolutions of the conference at the highest price paid by proletarians that the bourgeoisle attempted to strength. policy or secure the confidence of the masswas that in the colonial countries of the in the past (from the August conteren its own power for the purpose of check es. After having read my report, the inEast, the struggle for the democratic revoence to the present time, not only did not ing the proletariat and going over to the ternational put an article by Bucharin 10.
lution must be carried out, and that in this counter revolution.
reject proper criticism against me, but We should be ready Pravda, severely criticizng the Chinese even kept silent about the exaggerated acParty on withdrawing from the Kuo Min There have been two cusations against me. Tang, saying: The following document, originally entitled Appeal to all the Comrades of the Not only am willing to acknowledge Chinese Communist Party. is of enormous importance to every revolutionary workmistakes: the advocacy of withdrawal from my past errors, but now or in the fu er throughout the world. That is why the militant has decided to publish it in the yellow trade unions and from the Anture, 11 have or should have any op full despite its length. The Stalin Eucharin apparatus has for years suppressed the glo Russian Trade Union Committee; now portunist errors in thought or action; point of view of the Bolshevik Opposition on the Chinese revolution. With equal ruththe third mistake has been produced the Hkewise, expect comrades to criticize me lessness, it has sought to prevent the movement from knowing just how it destroyed Chinese Party advocates withdrawal from mercilessly with theoretical argument and the Chinese revolution with its Menshevik policies. The document by comrade Tchen the Kuo Min Tang. At the same time, fact. humbly accept or shall accept all is a contribution of primary importance towards clarifying the concealed points. It the head of the Far Eastern Bureau, Wu criticism but not rumors and false accusa is interesting to observe that comrade Tchen was not only the founder and leader Ting Kong was sent to China to correct the tions to withdraw from cannot have such self confidence pour tendency of the Chinese Party for years, but its secretary at the time of the 1925 27 revoluas Chi Chlu Bal and Lee Li San. clearly tion. At that tme, again falled to As he relates he carried out the Stalin Bucharin policies faithfully, and earned recognize that it 18 never an easy thing some very sharply critical remarks from Trotsky at that time.
maintain my proposal strongly. for the All the more signififor anybody or any party to avoid the cant now is his acknowledgement of the correctness of comrade Trotsky viewpoint sake of honoring the discipline of the Inerrors of opportunism. Even such veteran and criticism. The Chinese, the Indian In fact, all the colonial and semi colonial ternational and the opinion of the majority Marxists as Kautsky and Plechanov com revolutions cannot be understood today, or the correct policies adopted for their vicof the members of the Central Committee.
initted unpardonable opportunism when Later on, the Northern Expedition tory without unerstanding the yesterday. The Stalinists for cause! sought and they were old; those who followed Lenin still seek to conceal their disgraceful record of yesterday, and thus prevent progress Army set out. We were very much perbecause in secuted by the for a long time like Stalin and Bucharin, for today and tomorrow. Comrade Tchen document. on the contrary, helps make are now also committing shameful oppor possible tomorrow success. We urge all readers to follow The Guide we criticized the curbing of the tunim; how can superficial Marxists like closely. Ed.
labor movement in the rear, and the comus be self satisfied. Whenever a man is pulsory collection of the military fund from self satisfied, he prevents himself from ution peasant Soviets should be or immediately to withdraw from the Kuo Min the peasants for the use of the Northern making progres.
ganized Tang. We should maintain our polit Expedition. In the meantime the workers Even the banner of the Opposition is In 1922, at the second conference of ical countenance, lead the masses and not in Shanghai were about to rise up to oust not the incantation of the Heavenly the Chinese Party the policy of the joint be checked by the policy of the Kuo Min the Chihili Shantung troops. If the uprising Teacher Chang (the head of the Tao ist front in the democratic recolution was Tang. At that time both the delegate of were successful, the problem of the ruling At that time. in religion who has the power of driving adopted, and based upon this we expressed the III International and the responsible power would be posed.
out devils. If those who have not fundaour attitude towards the political situation. comrades of the Central Committee unan the minutes of the political resolution of mentally cleared out the ideology of the At the same time, the representative of the mously opposed my suggestion, saying that the Enlarged Conference of the Central petty bourgeoisie, plainly understood the Young Communist International, Dalin, It was to propose to the comrades and the Committee, suggested: system of past opportunism and decisively came to China and suggested to the Kuo masses to take the path of opposing the The Chinese revolution has two roads: participated in struggles, merely stand Min Tang the policy of a joint front of kuo Min Tang. 1, who had no decisive One is that it be led by the proletariat, under the banner of the Opposition to rethe revolutionary groups. The head of the ness of character, could not insistently then we can reach the goal of the revoluvile the opportunism of Stalin and Lee L1 Kuo Min Tang, Sun Yat Sen rigidly refused maintain my proposal and respect intertion: the other is that it be led by the bourSan, and then think that the opportunist It only allowing the members of the Chi. national discipline and the opinion of the geoisie, and thus the latter must betray devils will never approach they are under nese Conimunist Party and the Youth majority of the Central Committee.
the revolution on the road. And though an Illusion. The only way of avoiding the League to Join the Kuo Min Tang and obey we may cooperate with the bourgeoisie at errors of opportunism is continually and It, denying any union beyond the Party.
Chiang Kal Shek coup Etat on the present we must nevertheless selze humbly to learn from the teachings of Soon after the apjournment of our March 20, 1926 was made to carry out the leading power. However, all the memMarx and Lenin in the struggles of the Party conference the Communist InternaTai Chi Sao principles. Having arrested bers of the Far Eastern Bureau of the III proletarian masses and in the mutual crit tional sent its delegate, Maring, to China the Communists in large numbers, dis International residing in Shanghat unanicism of comrades.
inviting all the members of the Central armed the guards of the strike committees imously opposed my opinion. saying that decisively recognize that the object Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of Canton and Hong Kong of the visiting such an opinion would influence our comive cause of the fallure of the last Chinese to hold a meeting at the West Lake of Soviet Russlan group (most of the mem rades to oppose the bourgeoisie too early.
revoluton is second in importance, and that Hangchow, in Chekiang Province, at which bers of this group were members of the Further, they declared, if the Shanghal up.
the chiet point is that the error of opporhe suggested to the Chinese Party that it Central Committee of the and rlsług succeeds the ruling power should tunism is the error of our policy in dealing Join the Kuo Min Tang organization. He of the Soviet advisors, the Central Com belong to the bourgeoisle and that it was with the bourgetos Kuo Min Tang. All the mitttee of the Kuo Min Tang decided that strongly contended that the Kuo Min Tang unnecessary to have any delegates of the responsible comrades of the Central Com was not a party of the bourgeoisie, but all Communist elements retire from the workers to participate. At that time, mittee at that time, especially myselt, the Joint party of various classes and that supreme party headquarters of the again could not maintain my opinion beshould openly and courageously recognize that criticism of Sun Yat Senism by Com.
the proletarian party should join it in cause of their criticism.
that this policy was undoubtedly wrong. order to improve this party and advance mquists be prohibited, and that the list of (To Be Continued)
the revolution.
the names of the members of the Com. Stalin said: Was the policy of the munist Party and of the League, who joinPolsheviks in 1905 correct?
At that time, all the five members of Yes it was ed the KMT be handed over to the latthe Central Committee of the Chinese PILLAR OF STALINISM correct. But why did there exist Soviets ter. All these we accepted.
and the correct policy of the Bolsheviks. Lee Shu Chang, Chang Teh Li, Tsal Ho One of the principal points of support but yet the 1905 revolution could not sucSung, Kan Chiun Yu and unanimously At the same time we resolved to pre of Stalinism in Czecho Slovakia has been pare our independent military forces in opposed the proposal. The chief reagon ceed? This was because the power of the comrade Julo Vereik, He was a memfeudal relics and the despotic government was: To join the Kuo Min Tang was to order to be equal to the forces of Chiang ber of the Central Committee of the Party, Kai Shek.
confuse the clas3 organizations and curb was stronger than that of the revolutionary Comrade Peng Shu Chih was Communist International and in that casent to Canton as representative of the movement.
our independent policy. Finally, the dele.
Cannot we say that the policy pacity one of the most fearless and congate of the Third International asked if Central Committee of the Chinese Party of the Chinese Communist Party has not sistent knights in the struggle against to consult the International delegate about improved the fighting power of the proletthe Chinese Party would obey the decision counter revolutionary Trotsky is m, of the International.
ariat, made the relations between the proour plan But the latter did not agree against Left dangers and Right dangers, letariat and the broad masses more inThereupon, for the sake of respecting with us, and endeavored his best constantly or any other danger his employer told him timate, and increased the prestige of the international discipline the Central Comto enforce Chiang Kai Shek. He rigidly to fight. His vigor in fighting against deadvocated that we exhaust all our strength proletariat among the masses? Very evimittee of the could not but accept viations from Stalinism was hardly exdently, we cannot say so.
to support the military dictatorship of the proposal of the III International and ceeded by that of Browder or Harrison The correct policy, of course, is not the only guaran.
agree to join the Kuo Min Tang.
Chiang Kai Shek. to strengthen the Can George. Now he has found a new master.
After tee of success but erroneous policy is the this, the international delegate and the ton government, and to carry on the North The pillar of Stalinism has just shifted his chief guarantee of fallure. If we think that representatives of the Chinese Party spent ern Expedition. We demanded that he membership to the. Social Democratic take 000 rifies out of those given to party of Czecho Slovokia. If it isn Bessethe power of the enemy is stronger though nearly a year to carry on the reorganizthere is a correct policy, and yet the revoChiang Kai Shek and Lee Chi Shing, so dovosky, It sure to be Vercik.
atlon movement of the Kuo Min Tang.
lution cannot succeed, then the failure of that we might arm the peasants of KwanBut from the very outset the Kuo Min the Russian revolution in 1905 and the Tang entirely neglected and refused tung province. He refused, saying: The failure of the Chinese revolution in 1927 Many times Sun Yat Sen said to the delearmed peasants cannot fight with the forces and all other failures of the workers revoof Chen Chuin Ming nor take part in the gate of the International: So far the lutionary movement, are pre destined. do Northern Expedition, but they can incur Chinese CP has joined the Kyo Min the suspicion of the Kyo Min Tang and not want to have Stalin defend the ChinTang: It should obey the discipline of the ege Party like this, and am even more inmake the peasants oppose it.
KMT and should not openly critte ze ft.
willing to defend myself with Stalin II the Communists do not ober the kno This was a most critical period. Conwords.
Min Tang shall expel them from it: 11 cretely speaking. it was the period when Subscribe to the Militant