At the Fresh Grave of Kote Zinzadze The Demagogy of the German National Socialists of a high order. They must be made public precisely because the youth must be brought up not only with theoretical formulas but also by examples of revolutionary tenacity.
The communist parties of the West It took altogether ex craordinary con By LEON TROTSKY sorts of cantagion. Sentiments of an have not yet produced militants of the type ditions like czarism, Illegality, prisons and unshakable fortitude penetrated Zinzadze of Zinzadze. There is their principal weakdeportations, long years of struggle against plieity of his repugnance it is impossible and upheld his feeble physical energy. He ness, which is determined by historic reathe Mensheviks and especially the experi to find another word toward revolutionar considered even his sickness as a revolusons, but which for all that does not cease ences of the three revolutions to produce les who while wanting to safeguard their tionary duel. According one of his letto be a weakness. The Left Opposition of militants like Kote Zinzadze. His life was formal membership in the party, deceive it ters he was solving in his struggle against the western countries is not an exceptionbound up entirely with the history of the by renouncing their ideas.
death, the question: who will conquer?
in this case and it must well take note of revolutionary movement for a period of No. of the Bulletin of the Russian In the meantime the advantage remains it.
more than a quarter of a century. He passed Opposition has published a letter from Zin on my side, he adds, with the optimism It is precisely to the Opposition youth through all the stages of proletarian uprisEadze to Okudjava. It is an excellent docawhich never abandoned him, several months that the example of Zinzadze can and ought ing, beginning with the very first propagment of tenacity, clearness of thought and before his death.
anda circles to the barricades and the to serve as a lesson. Zinzadze was the conviction. Zinzadze, as has been said, was In the summer of 1928, speaking of seizure of power. For long years he conliving negation of every sort of political not a theoretician, and he voluntarily lett himself, that is, of his sickness, Kote writes ducted menial labors of illegal organization, careerism, that is to say, of the capacity it to others to formulate the tasks of the to the author of these lines from Bakhshiand at the time when the revolutionists to sacrifice the principles, the ideas and the revolution, the party and the Opposition Sarail. many of our comrades and tasks of the cause for personal ends. This were tied up in the net of the police he But every time he detected a false note, friends have been forced to separate themdevoted himself to untying them.
Later om does not at all mean the negation of Justhe took his pen into his hand and no au selves from life, in prison or in some place he was at the head of the extraordinary ifled revolutionary ambitions. No, political thority could prevent him from expressing of deportation but in the final analysis all ambition is a very important force in the Commission of Transcaucasia, that is, at his suspicions and from making his replies. this will only serve to enrich revolutionstruggle. But the revolutionary begins the very center of power, during the most His letter, written on the 2nd of May last ary history which educates new generations.
there where personal ambition is entirely heroic period of the proletarian dictatoryear and published in the Bulletin No. 12 13. The Bolshevik youth, clarified by the strugsubservient to a great idea, submitting itship. 27) testifies best to this fact. This gle of the Bolshevik Opposition against self voluntarily to it and merging with it.
When the reaction against the October practical man, this organizer safeguarded the opportunist wing of the party, will un To flirt with ideas, to dabble in them for had changed the composition and the charthe purity of doctrine more attentively than derstand on whose side the truth rests.
purposes of a personal career that is what acter of the party apparatus as well as some theoreticians.
These words, simple and yet sublime, Zinzadze pitilessly condemned through his of its policies, Kote Zinzadze was one of In Kote letters we often encounter Zinsadze could write only in an intimate life and through his death. The ambition the first to begin a struggle against the new the following phrases: a bad institution letter to a friend. Now that the author of Zinzadze was an ambition of unshakable tendencies hostile to the spirit of Bolshevthese hesitations. And further: woe to is no longer among the living, these lines revolutionary loyalty. It should serve as 1sm. The first conflict took place during the people who can wait. or in solitude may and must be published. They resume a lesson to the proletarian youth.
Lenin illnessStalin and Ordlinikidze, weak people easily become subject to all the life and the morale of a revolutionist Jannary 7th, 1931.
supported by Djerjinsky, had made a coup etat in Georgia, replacing the nucleus of old Bolsheviks by careerist functionaries of the type of Eliava, Orechakashvili and others. It is precisely on this question that Lenin was preparing to launch an inIt is not by accident that the German By ROMAN WELL men, one of the greatest powers in the Gerplacable battle against the Stalin faction Fascists call themselves national socialman mining industry. The capital of and the apparatus at the twelfth congress ists. Socialist teachings are deeply rooted tions made publicly by the chief of the Otto Wolf is estimated today one hunof the party. On the 6th of March 1929 in the German proletariat. The forms and Nazis, many naive people can only believe dred million marks.
Lenin wrote to the Georgian group of old degree of organization of the German prol that the national socialists are thinking Thus, with the public approval of the Bolsheviks, of which Kote zinzadze was etariat are higher than in any other capd seriously about socialism.
Nazis, this multi millionaire receives a gift one of the founders: am wholeheartedly talist country. Equally great are the tradiBut quite different are the actions of of seven millons in taxes out of the milwith your cause. am outraged by the tions and experiences of the German workthe national socialist leaders. They are the lions of famished workers. There is no coarseness of Ordjonikidze and the conniv ers in their economic and political strug organizers of strike breakers. Every work more obvious example of demagogy than ance of Stalin and Djerjinsky. am pre gles against the bourgeoisie.
ers struggle is supported by them in that of these criminals. And yet the Nazis paring for you some notes and a speech.
The Fascists in Germany employ the phrases, but they undermine them in real do not lose their influence. On the conThe subsequent march of developments word socialist. By this means they hope ity. They have learned not to come out trary, the results of the recent economic is sufficiently well known. The Stalin facto be able to draw close more easily to the openly for the abolition of strikes, because struggles, the abandonment without a tion crushed the Lenin faction in the Cau German workers poisoned by Marxism. in this way they will close to themselves struggle of the vital positions of the workcasus. This was the first victory for re Their principal task, with which they have the road to the minds of the workers. An ing class by the leadership of the reformist action in the party and opened up the seebeen charged by the magnates of heavy example of the socialism of the Nazis has unions who participate directly and openly ond chapter of the revolution.
Zinzadze, industry, is to divert the proletariat from already been pointed out here. They have in the cutting of wages, the continual policy tubercular, bearing the weight of decades the class struggle and to destroy the prolet pronounced themselves in the Reichstag of treason of the social democracy, multiof revolutionary work, persecuted by the arian organizations. The leading bourgeoisie against a proposal for special taxes on the plies the ranks of the desperate and drives apparatus on every step, did not for one understands the necessity for the German profits of large stockholders.
them into the arms of Fascism.
moment desert his post of struggle. In Fascists to employ radical phrases. It knows Today we have a new example of their Reformism and Fascism 1928 he was deported to Bakhshi Barall very well that this means is indispensable hatred of the trusts and particularly of where wind and dust did their disastrous This was recently recognized publicly in the struggle for the destruction of the Jewish financial capital. The Nazis de by the Left social democrat, Seydewitz, work on the remnants of his lungs. Later proletarian forces. That is why German manded and voted a proposal for a subsidy in an article in the recent number of the on he was transferred to Aloutcha where Fascism, supported financially by the mag. of seven million marks for the German Klassenkampf: the rainy winter completed the work of nates of heavy Industry, can afford to aglcopper trust. Mansfeld Who are the destruction tate with radical phrases. The fact that the reductions of wages principal stockholders in this trust? Otto Some friends wanted to gain admittance are accepted or will be accepted without In the Voelkischen Beobachter (January Wolf and Jacob Goldschmidt. At the same fight by the trade unions, creates the prefor Kote to the Goulpriche Sanatorium at 15. the central organ of the German Fas time that the Nazi fraction pronounced itSuchom, where Zinzadze had already sevmises for a more easy formation of the cists, speech of the declassed officer, self for this proposal, the Berlin organ, eral times before succeeded to save his life Fascist nuclei within the working class itGoebbels is published. Here is what he Angriff, wrote on January 7: sell during some particularly acute aggravations said at a demonstration in Munich. This business man Otto Wolfe. perof his sickness. Of course, Ordjonikidze This means that the reformist bureau It is only when the capitalist system fect type of these great modern magnates, had promised. Ordjonikidze promises will be abolished that socialism can be es determined to the point of unscrupulousness, cracy renders deep services to the Fascist much and to everybody. But the coward tablished.
movement, that the social democracy is prewith no regard for the fate of thousands, liness of his character (coarseness does not paring the road for Fascism.
Very radical! After similar declara and if need be, for tens of thousands of exclude cowardice. has always made of him a blind instrument in the hands of The Fascists are today being called Stalin. While Zinzadze was literally Aghtupon to decide. Their partisans, who have ing against death Stalin struggled against been systematically incited by the demaall attempts to save the old militant. Send gogy of the leaders now demand deeds.
him over to Goulpriche on the coast of The anarchist press has for some time proofs of his guilt. If not, he should be They are pushing their leaders into the the Black Sea. And if he recovers? Con now put forward the case of Ghezzi, an liberated. The case of Ghezzi is not isopath of a counter revolutionary insurrection.
Dections might be established between Italian anarchist imprisoned in the lated: hundreds of anarchist, syndicalist, This sentiment appears so strongly that it Batum and Constantinople. No, impossible! The party press has contented itself Communist and ultra Left workers are in obliges Goebbels to calm his supporters.
With the death of Zinzadze one of the with replying by speaking of anti Soviet a similar position, victims of Stalinist arThese gentlemen would like better to come most attractive figures of older Bolshevism activity. But the Left Opposition can bitrariness, which reflects the pressure of to power without an insurrection, by comhas disappeared. This fighter who more not be content with such replies.
classes hostile to the proletariat.
promises and coalitions. In one way or than once risked his life and who knew well Ghezzi is a revolutionary Italian work As to the Bolshevik Leninists imprison another, the decisive struggle between the how to chastise the enemy, was a man of er, an anarchist Communist. He particl ed or deported (Left Opposition. we do proletariat and ascism is approaching.
exceptional mildness in his personal rela pated in the struggle against Fascism in not demand that they be tried. Their acWill the strength of the proletariat be tions. debonaire mockery and an almost Italy, was compelled to flee to Germany, tivity, their point of view, are those of the strong enough to crush the Fascist bands?
malicious sense of humor were combined and once more could only escape the but vanguard of the proletarian dictatorship.
This question can be answered only from In this tested terrorist with a tenderness chers by receiving asylum in the We demand their immediate liberation, their the point of view of the relations between one might almost call feminine.
He lived there as a worker, and did not recall to work in the party and Soviets, the party and the working class.
The serious illness which did not for in any way abandon his ideas.
their readmission into the Communist party.
Germany is not pursuing an instant release him from its hold not In 1928, he was arrested by the a policy that can gather the proletariat. It only could not break down his moral resist he remains incarcerated in Suzdal, un is precisely upon the degree of the assem once, but did not even succeed in over der the most miserable conditions, doomed bling of the workers that depends for the BULLETIN of the powering his ever jovial state of mind and to death like so many others. The Commost part the victory or the defeat of Fashis onder affection for humanity.
munist Opposition must express itself on cism. The German working class has little Kote was not a theoretician. But his this subject.
confidence in the unity cries of the Cenclear thinking, his revolutionary flair and It is perfectly true that anarchists have trists. The formation of Communist trade The latest issue of the official organ of the his immense political experience the living committed and can commit acts directed Russian Bolshevik Leninist Opposition, pubunions at this moment is considered by the experience of three revolutions armed him against the proletariat dictatorship. In social democratic and non party workers as better, more seriously and more firmly than lished as a double number, has just been such a case, they must be judged. There received. Some of the material contained a breach in the united front of the working does the doctrine formally digested by those are codes of proletarian justice in the class. little while ago the Central Comwho lack the fortitude and perseverance worked out in the first years of in this highly interesting issue is as follows: mittee of our party came together. The equal to Zinzadze As the Lear of Shake the reroultion. If the Soviet government Success of Socialism and the Dangers of Ad Rote Fahne considers its resolutions as de speare he was every inch a revolutionary. considers it necessary to bring anarchists venturism. Declaration of comrade Rak cisive.
We will return to them. Certainly His character revealed itself perhaps even before the Soviet tribunals, it must bring ovsky and Others Statement of Rakov the policy of the party will be decisive if more strikingly during the last eight years proofs. obtain a conviction, and observe a sky, Muralov and Others to the Cen the leadership changes its policy and adopts. years of uninterrupted struggle against prison régime compatible with the prolet tral Committee of the Russian Party a correct one. Even now a consistent pol.
the advent and the entrenchment of the arian dictatorship. Comrade Selinitchenko in stal iey can consolidate immensely the positions unprincipled bureaucracy.
But the Stalinist apparatus has brought inist Exile. New Victim of of the working class.
Zinzadze fought organically against ev its savageness into class justice also. It has Stalin (Comrade Kote Zinzadze)
Nothing but a Leninist policy of the rything resembling treachery, capitulation replaced the Soviet tribunals by the adminetc. etc.
united front can, on the one hand, streng and disloyalty. He understood the signi istrative, discretionary justice of the 25 Cents a Copy then the militancy of the proletariat, and icance of the bloc with Zinoviev and Kam We protest against this with all our Order from on the other, unmask the Fascist demagogs enev. But morally he never supported this strength. If Ghezzi is guilty, he should be THE MILITANT before the pauperized workers.
group. His letters testify to all the sim tried. The Soviet government must bring 84 East 10th Street New York, Berlin, January 1931, a The Ghezzi Case Our party in RUSSIAN OPPOSITION