SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1931 THE MILITANT PAGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR Reviews and News of the Working Class and Revolutionary Movements The General Strike in Barcelona Trotsky on Opposition and the Party in Spain general. We must study the origins, the the objective circumstances the rev. elass would have been crushed a period but is incapable, by itself alone, of kiy Communist party or the Catalonian Feders: no, it is obliged to direct them to tor sky and then Lenin, drew from this experience the conclusion that guerrilla fighting played a much more important role than revolutionists had imagined up to then.
Still insurrection was defeated.
The Failure of the Anarchist Policy and the Revolutionary Strategy of the Communists With the arrival of new reinforcements, the Moscow workers had to up. For the final victory, it is necessary that a large part of the army place itself on The last general strike in Barcelona eral picture of the revolutionary situa power to the Soviets. This movement the side of the revolution.
To Andres Nin: had a fundamental importance for the, tion in Spain. Then we shall see clearly was completely spontaneous, chaotie.
largest masses possible. It is possible The heroic fighters of the calle Mer Dear Friend: unification of the working class of all the inconsistency of the opinion so wide The Bolsheviks considered it premature, caders, at the end, had to give up. and to come to the party by different roads.
Spain, based not so much on the extently spread, not only among the bourge Irrevocably condeinned to failure. Still, the combatants of the calle Moncada had for myself the disputed question in the furnish us the possibility of struggling First of all, should like to clear up than the present official party, that will It the Left Opposition becomes stronger of the movement in itself, as on the les oisie, but even, to our disgrace be it said. seeing that it was impossible to hold it to withdraw.
sons which we can learn from it, for fu among some worklug class circles, that back, instead of abandoning it to its What lesson can we draw from this left Opposition: a narrow or broad fac with a hundred times greater effective ture tactics and for the orientation of this strike was entirely the work of a elemental force, they put themselves at experience!
tion? have received your opinion and mess for the unity of the Communist Spanish trade unions. We ace a progroup of irresponsible anarchists. We its head and guided it along their chan That the tactics of found crisis in the Confederation, which shall not deny the importance of the nels. Thanks to this genuinely revolu groups can lead only to guerrilla fight. report that he promised.
the anarchist Comrade has not yet submitted the ranks than at present when the Opposi.
tion is still wenk. Isn clear?
last general strike. Logidilly we draw the strike. Yet there can be no doubt left to Itselt, would have been diverted eral strike and organized revolutionary disputo is not clear to me. must admit that the basis for this tion will answer, the Left Opposition But, the partisans of the narrow fae.
the natural consentences from it. The that if their action had been crowned by into premature insurrection, was con action, can constitute an auxiliary ele with regard to Catalonia, as can see followers. Indeed! But does not the Yesterday. can only take into its ranks conscious Spanish Communist Opposition cannot success, if it had been followed by the verted into an armed manifestation, and ment of the first rank as a means follow the method of criticism 18ed by entire proletariat, it would have been the working class was able to retreat in aistracting the forces of the enemy which from your letter, the question was posed the official party, consisting of venting due, not to their boldness or their die good order with the minimum of losses will make it possible for us to strike in the following manner: Should we call samotblog hold true for the party? It all causes and the results of the contlict, as slutionary situation, and the subjective of reaction would have begun, and the ing us the victory: that to achieve vie pears that the catalonian Federation ex ward the ranks of the party, where they apis done by our comrade Andres Nin. were completely favorable. In this sense seize power, as it did three months account of the enormous progress of that is to say, it proceeds in the same then, the Opposition will have the robot the fighting spirit of the working class, proletariat would not have been able to tory, today even more than in 1905, on pels the Left Opposition from its ranks, will be taught that the Trotskyists are we can say without hesitation that the later.
The general strike declared in the be elements of the I. interpreted the military technique, it is necessary ginning of September by the local Trade state of mind of the proletariat and its For Factory Councils win over to the revolution good part itself is quite logical. The Right wing to disillusion these workers, to reedue Union Federation of Barcelona, and fol historial interests more faithfully than We have spoken of the necessity for of the army.
lowed up unanimously and with admir Pestana, Peiro, Arin and other reason a revolutionary unitedfront. But on The practical conclusion which we hostility toward the Bolshevik Leninists ous Stalinist slanders. Really. cannot and the Centrists manifest the self same ate them to cure them of the contagiable discipline by the proletariat of that able syndicalists who signed the famous what base can it support itself? draw from all this is the urgent neces in all countries, beginning with the u. understand such a complicated mechancity and of the most important indusreformist manifesto which won them such Olutionary working class movement up tion and propaganda among the troops be an exception to this. On the contrary, It would be odd for Spain toism.
trial centers of Catalonia, is Growth and Scope of the Opposition most important episodes of the work We have had anarchist groups before to now has offered us no organ of the and of undertaking without delay the in view of the revolutionary situation in It seems to me that the Opposition ing class struggle In Spain between April this. The desire to declare general united front so perfect and efficent ni creation of soldiers Committees.
Spain, all the political processes (in has not only the right, but the duty, to Militant revolutionists must analyse come with the republte: they would like working class, represented in the Sov Arike has considerably weakened the de strikes on any and all occasions did not the Soviet, an instrument of struckte The Strike and Democratie Illusions cluding all the mistakes) arrive at their group about itself all those that come Unquestionably the Barcelona general ultimate conclusion very swiftly. But to it, who respond to its appeals and carefully this movement, so rich in ex: to call a general strike every Monday, let by workers delegates from all faemocratie Illusions among the working the Left Opposition calling on the work trst, they will be far from convinced is it still possible to speak seriously of whom it is able to reach. Naturally, at perience. Let us Ilmit ourselves today still, how often have they cried out into torlex and workshops without distinction, class. still it would be a profound misers to enter the Catalonian Federation and conscious Bolshevik Leninists. But sons which it teaches, and to noting September they found an ardentecho let their political and trade union or take to think that these illusions have cannot understand it! We can, to be this only Impores the necessity of our down the reflections which it suggests in the been ploughed, because cir the negative sides of the Barcelona en instance, starts from this premise and Catalonian Federation with the aim of education of our followers. Within the working class. Why? Because ganizations be what they may. One of been definitely liquidated. Maurin, for sure, try to create our nuclei in the cupying ourselves seriously with the Strikes Under Present Conditions the soil had The strike movement which had put cumstances drove the proletariat Irres was the failure of such an organ to make the Bloque obreros y campesino (Work event of the inevitable collapse of the enter the question, why we are for one eral strike, like that of Seville before, justifies the absurd position taken by recruiting a maximum of followers in the scope of this education, there will also great masses of workers in motion on the the.
its appearance during the struggle. Had eve of the fall of the monarchy, has What Should Be Our Attitude to it been otherwise, how different woulders and Peasants Bloe. renouncing dem. Maurin organization. We can send in party and why the Stalinists are taken on a truly gigantle increase since Chaotie Movements ocratic slogans and raising the slogan of dividual comrades into the Federation two parties. If the flow toward us the declaration of the republic. This We have tried to express one truth: tical consequences of the movement!
have been the importance and the poll the taking of power by the proletariat with this aim. But can we openly call proves to be too tempestuous (which is movement, in the majority of cases, has that in the present circumstances, Chaos Strin, the fact that soviets have not the reality, which is the only thing that upon the non party workers to enter the hardly to be feared. then had a purely spontaneous character, and tic movements are inevitable. Does arisen in this or any other of the great can serve as the foundation for a truly Federation? Never. It would be the circle of sympathizera. local organi done more than to sanetion it, place themselves at its head, systematically encouraged? By no means. few months, and that up to the present, pletely lost faith in the bourgeois repubthe revolution and that they ought to be place in this country during the last different. Only u part, and that the only weaken us but even disgrace the members can assemble about it to 300 sympathizers. In this circle of symoften against their will, in order not In the face of such movements, there there is no sign of a tendency in this llc: another part is beginning to be as.
Our Relation to the Party pathizers, it will be necessary to clear to lose the confidence of the working are three fundamental positions that we direction among the Spanish working called lwy doubts: the great majority party is posed differently, since we have centram. After the circle has eached In principle, the question of the officiell up the difference between Leninism and masses.
insignificant occasion was enough to mob First: To condemn them as a whole, hope 80, even though it is certain thay still believes in the republic. They pro not renounced the idea of winning to our a certain level under our direction, it ilize great masses of workers. There is on the ground that at the present time the working class of our country will against the regime, but against the bad each of its sections. It has always apoftcial party to present its views before test, they join the general strike, not side, the Comintern, and consequently can invite the representatives of the nothing surprising about this. Those the working class is incapable of making arrive at the creation of the Soviets by a republicans. The majority of the work peared to me that many comrades have it. On this basis a discussion will arise who are alarmed, or even indignant, at revolution and must limit itself to a different road from that followed by the ers still think that if they took the power underestimated the possibility of the de between our followers and the Stalinists.
ble character of these movements ap: and education, which is possible under Yet we cannot adopt a passive attitude away from Maura, and the governorshipvelopment of the official Communist Only the will bring about a serious reparently forget one essentiat point that regime of bourgeois democracy. This until this moment is reached. We must them by real republicans. things would about this more than once. To ignore and the parts and created for more written you conciliation between the Left Opposition Spain is in the midst of a revolution, and is the position of Pestana, Petro Co. immediately lay the foundations for a be very much better.
the official party as a fletitious quantity, secure path toward a united party than any plan carefully worked out before working class to the Greek Kalendary prerequisites for the creation of Contributing to this illusion in the first to turn our back to it, seems to me to the maithuslan mensures against repro hand. At such times, spontaneous strikes, Second: To encourage such movements organizations destined to group the workplace was the policy of the anarcho syn be a great mistake. On the contrary, duction. chaotic actions, disconnected and 180 systematically, driven on by Instinctive ing class together and prepare it for dicalists of supporting the radical petty with regard to the official party we must The Left Opposition would be transformlated, and excesses of all kinds are a revolutionary sentiment, but devoid of the struggle. This basis can he supplied bourgeoisie, with its praise for the ven stick to the path of uniting the ranks. ed into a sect it it were to come to the purely normal phenomenon. To try to revolutionary theory and tactics and still by the factory councils.
like trying to hold back lost in abstractions. We refer to the Up to now, including the period 1917 Macla, expressions which you will find as we remain a feeble faction, this task of the actions of the official party and the onrushing of a torrent, or to chain elements of the 1929, the peak years of the revotutionary repeatedly in Solidaridad Obrera; like is in generable unachievable. We can of the mass organizations of the prole a tempest.
Third: The position of those who movement, there have been in Spain no wise responsittle is Maurin himself, who only produce a tendeney toward unity tarlet. The Spanish revolution is a fact.
All revolutions, without exception, while rejecting as absurd the pretension factory councils, properly so called. still at a lecture in Madrid favored the tak inside the official party by becoming a We have already, without all this, lost a have known such periods. more than of holding back the isolated chaotic the system of delegates of representa ing of power by the advanced elements serious force great deal of time, including the Left that they are inconceivable without movements of the masses at a time like tives of the factory and the workshop of the Ateneo. How can any one will not be them. revolution is not the act of this, understand the danger of The opponents of the broad faction Opposition, in Spain. We able to the reply to this: But if we group about us Situation, which reproduce this revolutionary such has become widespread, and in recent peet, under these conditions, that objectives times the idea of factory councils has working class, which evolves slowly and abroad section of workers, we automat day. at will next year.
one day, of that Big Night of which movements when they lack are passing up tothe pre war revolutionary syndicalists and direction, and who try to take ad made much headway and has acquired learns only with the help of its own ex Precisely in tically transform ourselves into a sec Spin the Opposition can within a brief used to dream It is a prolonged andl vantage of such movements to make the a certain popularity among the mass perience, should abandon immediately and party. must admit that this argu time grow into a great force. But the painful process, during which the mass working class understand the necessity We must therefore start from this and at one blow its democratic Illusions ment astonishes me. If we are to reason first condition for this is not to tear es go seeking a path, in a struggle sown of a party, to forge it in the fire of point and energetically encourage with difficulties. choatic actions, par struggle, and mubordinate these move creation of such organizations, assign but only a correct polley can contribute to avoid the danger of a second party. become a force, but to strive toward tial Offensive, victories and defeats. The ments to the general revolutionary strug ling to them, as an immediate aim, the to liquidating them definitively. the Bolshevik Leninists must altogether strike is one or the most characteristic gle which is to lead the proletariat to control of production. The leaders of That is all can say in the meantime The Internal Crisis of the disappear from the face of the earth.
manifestations of this struggle. The the seizure of power and the installation the accept them, and favor them working class learns most by its own of its dictatorship. This ought to be the while they still concelve of them as trade nal crisis of the Two words, in conclusion, on the Inter That is just what the Stalinists want. on the disputed question, on the basis experience. The important thing is to position of Communists.
Political malthusianism is the most un of incomplete information. will be draw the necessary lessons from this ex bo The Arst of these positions is dictated top. by the trade union committees. The theme ist rate stel tenderla ve his resianism. Every political tendency that matiem The general strike, declared against natural of all the varieties of malthus very happy to receive additional inforperience, so that the sacrifice inay not by absolute luck of faith in the revolu socialists, for their part, through their olutionary organization, has undoubtedly grows in forees cannot help going in September 27, 1931 be in vain and the proletariat may suetionary ability. TROTSKY.
the working class, by representative in the Provisional Gov sharpened the crisis. The recent resis the direction of uniting around it the cessfully conquer the obstacles which it may stumble on its way.
The Character of the September Strike, gram. It leads inevitably to a policy in reality does not pursue resolutionary Solidaridad Obrera is a clear proof of ditioned by the lack of concrete pro paring a bill for workers control which nation in a body of the editorial state of The Barcelona general strike was. in of strangling the Aghting action of the control as our aim, but class collaborais. The fact that the organ of the this sense, a typical movement of a rev. proletariat and to collaboration, direct tion.
Confederation, for the first time in the FOR YOUR LIBRARY olutionary period. Its starting point was or indirect, with the republican bour Communists must fight both concep history of our movement categorically perfectly correct protest against the cost. The policy of the reformist ele tions with equal energy. The factory condemns the strike in the first number Books by Leon Trotsky The movement bore the stamp of the mounts of the In trying to hold council must not be appointed from the which appeared after it took place to back the strike movements by nicans of top, but must be elected democratically sufficiently eloquent on this point, and it.
the entire remarkable epoch which produced a series of measures which lead back by all workers without exception. The reveals before the eyes THE STRATEGY OF THE WORLD REVOLUTION our shame, are nothing new. In this leaflet of the Confederal Committee. the laboration with the bourgeisie, but takthe is suffering.
respect, as in many others, the republic shameful break up of the metal workers. ing possession of the means of proclucBut the crisis will go still deeper. In 88 pages, two colored paper cover 250 Introduction by Max Shachtman the tele tlon.
more or less normal times, such crises of the defunct monarchy. still it was phone workers, engaged in a struggle of THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF THE There is not a single revolutionary can be conjured away with relative ease.
only in a clear cut revolutionary situa enormous importance, the giving up of worker who will not be disposed to struk Under revolutionary conditions like the COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL tion that this procedure, which former the most profoundly significant political gle jointly with the Comunists on the present, it is a much more difficult matA Criticism of Fundamentals ly aroused indignation in the most ad demands, such as the recognition of fac basis of a struggle for the factory counter, The Livergencies do not have an Introduction by Cannon vanced minority only, should excite and tory councils, etc. and finally, the policy dls. And this struggle, correctly orienabstract character, but are a logical con 140 pages hard paper cover 356 set in motion hundreds of thousands of of direct support of the Catalonian Gentated, correctly guided, will irresistibly sequence of the problem which the sitTHE SPANISH REVOLUTION workers 80 pages, paper cover eralidad, all prove our statement. This be converted into a puwerful movement nation places before the inexor.
10e Why. clamored the vestal virgins tendency must be fought pltllessly, since which will lead to the creation, on the ably demanding from it a clear and pre THE PERMANENT REVOLUTION of republican legality. why do these it constitutes a danger to the revolution base of the factory councils, of Sovietu, cise answer how shall we make the rev 208 page bookcloth bound 00 olution workers, who under the monarchy toleras serious as the reformist socialism of or other organisms similar to the Sovated passively the mass detentions, the Largo Caballero and Co. with which it lets in structure and functions.
paper bound The Communist Party cannot remain systematie application of the fugitive coincides fundamentally.
For all these reasons, we believe that outside of this internal struggle of ten THE REAL SITUATION IN RUSSIA prisoners law. the military dictator The second tendency is no less can the creation of factory councils should dencies, whose outcome may have enorIntroduction by Max Eastman ship, why do these workers rise up now. gerous, since it can, and inevitably will be the basic slogan at the present time mous consequences for the future of the 364 page book formerly now 00 when the consolidation of the new re lead the proletariat to a bloody defeat. Every important strike, every mass move Spanish proletariat. Let ys not forget MY LIFE 600 pages 00 gime ought to be the chief consideration The elements of the are cap ment, should be utilized in this directhat this will depend 90 on whether of everybody, against the fact that a few able of provoking only mass movements tlon.
or not the workers in the who COMMUNISM AND SYNDICALISM men here and there are kept in jail by without future or isolated actions. The Experience of the Guerrilla Fight are the flower of the working class of The Trade Union Question Government order? Why do the same heroic but in the last analysis sterile. One of the most interesting episodes of our country, continue to give their conIntroduction by James Cannon people, who showed such patience for the magnificent defense of the Bullding the Barcelona general strike was the fidence to the anarchists. To win over 64 pages, paper cover 150 years, show such Impatience now? Trades Union by a few dozen admirable armed defense of the Building Trades these workers should be the principal THE SPANISH REVOLUTION Because the situation is revolutionary militants have clearly revealed the trea Union. For more than six hours, a few aim of our party. This will be accomIN DANGER now, and was not before. Because the sures of aggressiveness and self sacrifice dozen workers, Insuffelently armed but pllahed, not by the stupid splitting tac84 pages paper cover military dictatorship and its bloody re which the working class possesses, and fortified in the union local, kept at bay ties followed up to now, but by an inpressions were not, as these gentlemen has demonstrated the miracles which it a large force of police. Similarly, in telligent policy which will be able to PROBLEMS OF THE DEVELOPthink, the cause of the passivity of the can perform, elven a consistent direction the neighboring streets, other groups of take advantage of the internal struggle MENT OF THE working class, but the result. Because and discipline.
workers, sheltered behind a barricade within the not by heaping in48 pages, paper cover 15c the energy, the aggressiveness, the fight Communists must bend every effort to carried on a fight against the armed vective on its leaders, and putting into Special Rates in Bundles of or more ing spirit of the proletariat are not a make the best revolutionary elements force of the government, and after hours circulation such idrotle epithet as anSINCE LENIN DIED constant phenomenon of all periods, but of the understand the neces of struggle, retreated strategically with archo fascists. but proving patiently By Max Eastman only revolutionary periods. After sity for a party, and try to form with out giving up a single prisoner into the and persistently to the revolutionary these periods of high tension, the work them at least a united front for action hands of the enemy.
ing class, particularly if it has been Only their active, energetic and prudent This episode is rich in lessons for us. ism and the necessity of a workers the sterility of powerd deal Com158 page book printed in London beaten, falls inevitably into a state of intervention can avert a defeat of the During the insurrection of December, munist Party: to prevent the peasant depression, of passivity, which smooth proletariat and the installation of 1905 in Moscow, a few hundred poorly revolutionary situation, Instead of leadPloneer Publishers the road for reaction.
84 Eat 10th Street bloody regime of bourgeols dictatorship armed workers obstinately sustained a ing to the victory of the proletariat, from To understand the profound meaning In July, 1917, the workers and soldiers Aght, thanks to a correctly led guerrilla leading to the enthronement of a dieNew York City of the last general strike in Barcelona, of Petrograd launched an impetuous struggle, against thousands of perfectly tatorship without a mandate, of the fase we must see it in its place in the gen movement in favor of turning over the armed and equipped soldiers. First Kaut ist type. ANDRES NIN.
oppose them or. 60 150 1924 50e