A Letter to the Workers of Zurich Bonapartism and Fascism ment.
the ZACE CIB MILITANT SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1932 The Only Road head stands Papen. In reality, the government is rather sort of political commission of the Relchswehr.
But with all its preponderance over the government, the Reichswehr can In the night of the 15th of June, vionevertheless lay no claim to any indemy reply: An Analysis of the Present Moment in the German Situation pendent political role. hundred thou sont encounters took place in Zurich beTrotsky Replies to a Calumny the minutes the following extract from of the Social Democrats The honorable general has remarked (Continued from page 1)
that our government rests on force and run Hitler will be a submissive Instru steeled they may be (which still requires Learned of these events from the cables of the bourgeois press agencies, which were employs violence against all those who rubs his neck raw and does not hesitate ment of their domination. Yet this is testing. are incapable of commanding a were, consequently, very tendencious and at times to dig his boots into his face. bound up with convulsions, with the nation of sixty five millions, torn by the hostile to the workers. But even with any name because during the thirty five profess adverse ideas which are stigmacivil war profoundest social antagonisms.
It might have been assumed that Bruen risk of a long and weary counter revolutionary. The The out knowing the details, it is not very years of my conscious life have served tized ing would hold on until the final solu and great expenses. To be sure, Fuse Kelchswehr represents only one element autficult toetcneral idea of the char and continue to serve in so far as my honorable general is absolutely correct tion. Yet, in the course of events, anism, as the Italian example shows, leade in the interplay of forces, and not the acter of the events. Encounters beforces permit me, the cause of the em when he says that our government rests other link inserted itself: the Papen in the end to a militarist bureaucratic decisive one.
its fashion, the new tween workers, especially striking work ancipation of the working class.
Reichswehr wel dictatorship of the Bonapartist type.
government. Were we to be exact, should have to make a rectification of But for that it requires a number of does not retfect baldly the political sites or the jobless, and the police are. But the Soviet power, the Messrs. not known any other type of gorernment ernment was a pre Bonapartist sovero victory: a longer span of years in Ger the Bonapartist experiment. The parlia talism. The present terrible crisis which didn It employ measures of reprizal classes engaged in struggle, the state upon the scene in the apen Schlelcher sconomical path, that is, the path of futable argument in favor of dictator extreme and is driving it to make use diference lies precisely in this an in astonishes and outrages the governments In a perfected form, Bonapartism came Pressessing classes would prefer a more cilable wings, offers an obvious and irre capitalist system is stretching the ner evolutionists who attempted to organize and will make use of a coercive apparWherein lies the difference? Bruening speak of the fact that Schleicho hlm ocracy emerge in all their obviousness. et alarm. On the other hand, the very workers that with us it was a matter arrest not the strikers but the capital ot of Hitler, not to ship. Once more the confines of dem of the police and the army at the slight significant difference, isn it, comrades of other countries is the fact that we asserted that he knew no greater hapsele prefers it that way.
Dinless than to serve Hindenburg and The fact that the source of existence of society itself, it is not parliament just indignation of the workers against of defending, not a bourgeois state, but ists who lock out the workers, the fact Paragraph 48. Hitler supported with of the apen government consists in the ary arithmetic that decides. What de the bourgeoisie is growing and is seeking a proletarian state. The Bolsheviks bad that we do not shoot down the pasants a way out. No matter what political Previously organized the October Insur who demand the land but arrest the landhis thst Bruening right hip. But with neutralization of the irreconcilable cides is the struggle.
tendency was heading the strike and the rection (1917) by means of which the ed gentry and the officers who attempted the left elbow Bruening rosted on Wels oamps, in no way signifies, of course, PROSPECTS FOR demonstration at Zurich, the character proletariat overthrew the bourgeoisie, to shoot down the peasants.
xhoulder. In the Reichstag. Bruening that the forces of the revolutionary pro TOMORROW of the bloody encounter is one and the look pression of its banks factorThe leaders of the Zurich democracy found a majority which relieved him letariat and of the reactionary petty We shall not undertake to counsel from same. Capitalisin hus reduced the work tes, confiscated the land of the rural have not gone any further the Generat of the necessity of counting on the Relch bourgeoisie weigh equally on the scale afar what road the attempts at formers to starvation, to misery, to despair. Sentry and turned it over to the peasants, Hoffman in so far as they speak of vio stag of history. The whole question shiftaling a government will take in the next Capitalism is throwing thein out into the chased out the parasites from their palletice without defining the class which BRUENING AND THE here onto the field of polities. Through days. Our hypotheses would come streets. Capitalism is beating them down aces and put up the workers children in employs this violent. And for good the mechanics of the Iron Front the tardily any BUREAUCRACY eys of the them, deprived the exploiters of their cause: the social democracy cannot pose power the question openly and honestly, since The more Bruening independence from socialdemoeracy puralyzes the proletar not the possible transitional forms and capitalist press calumniate the workers voting rights, concentrated the the parliamente grew, the more Independ lat. With the policy of brainless ultim combinations which decide the question and the enpitalist judges condemn the land the wenpons in the hands of the stenders themselves serve the capitalist regime. In the pretty local questions, ent did the summity of the bureaucracy atism the Stalinist bureaucracy blocks bloc of the Right wing with the Center leaders to jail if the bullets of captal workers and thus guarded the first proethe second ry ones, for example the not fell them beforehand.
letarian state against its enemies. It is feel themselves from Bruening and the the revolutionary way out for the work would signify the legalization of the talis political groupings standing behind ers. With a correct leadership of the selzure of power by the National Social This was the simple and obvious ex precisely therein that the regime of the municipal questions, the newlul democracy them. There only remained Anally to proletariat. Fascism would be extermin ists, that is, the most suitable cloak for planation gave, far from Zurich, to the proletarian dictatorship break the bonds with the Reichstag. The ated without difficulty and not a chink the Fascist coup Etat. What relation events of June 16 and 16 Today, on we have defended this regime effectively the workers, in order to maintain its Rut wherever Immaculate bureaucratic conception. With fortunately that is not the situation. The between Hitler, Schlelcher and the Cen leaflet issued by the Socialist Party created the Red Army. Social democracy It is a matter of the fundamental interHitler paralyzed strength of the proletariat has ter lenders, is more important for them of Zurich entitled Settling Accounts of the entire world condemned us and est of the capitalist order and of pri shoulder with the police that it wards assumed the deceptive form of a than it is for the German people. Polit with the communists in this doet hurled all sorts of curses on our heads. vate property, the wory fountations of Zurich Social Democracy, The German social democracy supported the exploitation of man by man, there of the proletariat on the Left. There strength of the Bonapartist clique tcalls, all the conceivable combinations went these in lies the secret of its stability. that Therein lies the political formula of the with Hitler signify the dirtolution of which is running the municipality 10 the Soviet republic. But the Bolsheviks Ciermany, in Auxtrin, in France and in the Hohenzollerns who tried to strangle) the social denocracy, in Nwitzerland, in bureaucracy, courts, police and army in that town, attempts to vindicate itself, did not allow themselves to be strangled. the entire world, invariably takes the is, of the fact that it did not collapse present day.
to Fascism.
at the moment of its birth.
WHAT PAPEN It it is assumed that the Center wiu Against the strikers and the demonstrate with an iron fist they defended the side of the exploiters. It has once more The Bruening government bore a clerk REPRESENTS cal bureaucratie police character. The The Paper Fotomment reprents the would have to pay with natur ytta mund the complet inoumbent not the proletarian diotatorul were Dot agree to a coelition, the whole on ecording to thi đpoument, the workers state. The domestie enemies of demonstrated this in a striking fashion by the June events in Zurich, Reichswehr will remained in Next to the police, the Iron Front torto forces. It independent wetght to Hitler locomotive bee to the one in detapes of its actions Terra Aperwonal cutting potuto rent bio Ite own workers for the role the upon uttalel bus apon Communtum. bourgeoisto divested of their right, the Since the kentlemen of the social demserved as a direct prop of Order. It ta next to nil. Therefore it could only the unconcealed Against the bourgools olleens and studente, beatle ocratie leadership have taken advantage extra parliament Zurich wurkere, the social is precisely in wiping out the dependence nothing but take fright at its own gosary road remains. combination with. Writes: democracy nated my friend Vorovsky. The Rus casting of thetr gullt, will say the wan noctal democrats (the Mensheviks following in conclusion: although canof the Hindenburg Pupen coup Etat. votds arising on all sides of it. By this speedily invure the predominance of the Lants and Trotsky, in similar situa and the Social Revolutionists) directly not Judge the events in Zurich except The Generality moves up automatically and only by this is to be explained that National Socialists. It the latter do not tlons, were severe against all the ultra and indirectly supported this struggle through the accounts rendered by the to first place.
in the deeds of the government up to immediately unite with Paper and at Left syndicalists of the anarchist tend against the workers state. In all in. bourgeois Journals to which can hardly The social democratic leaders turned now there have been two parts of cow. the same time do not pass over to the ency. They pittlessly crushed in blood stances in which they rose against it accord more than ten percent of crudence, out to be completely duped. And it is ardice to each art of audacity. With immediate assault, then the Bonapartist all the putschlsts.
with guns in hund, we treated them nevertheless declare in all security, no more than proper for them in periods Prussia, that is the social democracy, character of the government will have to This Jeaflet has instignted me to ad without mercy, since the labor movement is involved, of social crises. These petty bourgeois the government played a sure game: it emerge more sharply: von Schleicher dress myself by means of the present But the Zurich social democracy slightest reserve on the side of those that all my sympathies are without the Intriguers appear to be clever only un. knew that these gentlemen would offer would have his hundrod daye. ketter to the Zurich workers. It is the deceiving you when it refers to Lenin who participated in the strike, who proder those conditions where cleverness no resistance. But after it had dissolved without the preceding Napoleonic years. aim of the present Letter to denounce and Trotsky to justify its bloody violence tested against the brutalitay of the police Isn necessary. Now they pull the covers the Reichstag, it summoned new elections Hundred days no, we are figuring far this calumny. Lenin and myself have against the workers rising against the and who have fallen victims of the new over their heads at night, sweat and and did not dare to postpone them. After too generously. The Reichswehr does not more than one been the ohjects of hope for a miracle: Perhaps in the end proclatining the state of martial law decide. Schleicher does not suffice. The endermostan Sacerdotalesnow that we sure, in both instances. Wherever the tews of the Zurich Communists may be Wecks but also the overstuffed furniture to facilitate the capitulation without a Junkers and the magnates of financial stee of the Gerinan general staff. Never struggle, in the last analysis, we always of the barricade with them. Even if and the small, Innocent savings. But struggle of the social democratie leaders. capital can be stood firmly on its feet theless have never known a more men arrive at a point where violence is re they have committed one mistake or an there won be any miracles. However, isn there a Reichswehr only by the method of a wenrisome and dacious and a baser calumny than the sorted to. This will always be the case other do not know of any these are Unfortunately, however, the Commun We are not inclined to forget it. Engels relentless civil war. Will Hitler be able one cast on us by the leaflet of the Zur as long as the classes continue to exist. the mistakes or our class, these are the ist party has also been taken complete designated the state of the armed de to fulfill this task? That depends not But the whole question is determined by mistakes of the proletarian revolution ly by surprise by the events. The Stal tachments of people with material auxi only upon the evil will of Fascism, but the whole life of Lenin was dedicated what class exercises the violence.
Inist bureaucracy was unable to forescelaries in the form of prisons, etc. With also upon the revolutionary will of the to the overthrow of bourgeois society, which is raising its head against At one of the sessions of the Brest capitalist yoke. In spite a thing. Today Thaelmann, Remmele respect to the present governmental proletariat.
of its state, its privileges, its laws, its Litovsk conference, on January 14, 1918. democratic peacock feathers all and others speak on every occasion of power, it can even be said that the TROTSKY justice, Its police, its prisons and its General Horrman, the actual head of the which the social democracy is covering with the coup Etat of July 20. How is iteichswehr alone really exists. But the Prinkipo, August 2, 1932.
army. How then can anyone employ the German General Starr on the Eastern itself up. It has acted and it is acting that? At first they contended that Reichswehr in no way represents a subname of Lenin to justify the reprisals of Front, protested against the violence em in the events of Zurich as the direct Fascism is already here and that only missive and guaranteed instrument in the READ AND SUBSCRIBE TO the bourgeoisie against the workers. played by the Soviet governmet. take agent of the class enemy. The social counter revolutionary Trotskyists could hands of that group of people at whose THE MITANT also protest against the utilization of the occasion to quote verbatim from speak of it as something in the future. Continued on page 2)
Now it turns out that to pass over from Bruening to Papen for the present not must be smashed. The October revoluto Hitler but only to Papen. whole coup Etat was necessary. Yet the tion must be extended. The Iron ring class content of severing. Bruening and of the world capitalists. with the backThe United States has held the domin The Conflict Between Proletarian Internationalism and Stalinist direct introduction to the proletarian Soviet Union must be broken. The exHitler, these sages taught us, 18 one and the same thing. Then whence and ating position in the world chain of capwherefore the coup Etat?
itallsm ever since the world war. Prior National Reformism tension of the October revolution means The second aspect of the permanent to fight, not only the national bourgeBut the confusion doesn come to an to the world war American capitalism theory already characterizes the socialist oisie, but to fight world capitalism and ende with thos. Abxem thuong handheeliciter the Amertenn Imperialists must wage a much concerned with the world revolu but all were drowned in the workers: rene how and sucomune interdefineres particularly the economic pressure of has now been revealed plainly enough. constant struggle to maintain and extend tion as the Communists are, but for op: Blood.
gle all social relations are transformed.
Thaelmann, Remmele and others speak this power against the onslaughts of the posite reasons. Therefore, the interven Jective situations Inut wrong policies.
The process necessarily retains a political economic and political crisis stays the The break down of capitalism, in the of the Faseist coup Etat of July 20. other capitalist nations. This new position of the dollar, for economic ditont places greater responsibilities upon or military purpose, to hold in check the the role social democracy played in these collisions of various groups of society against the world proletariat and the The vanguard fighters already know character, that is, it develops through hands of world capitalism in their fight At the same time, they warn the work ere against the approkching danger of the United States in the maintenance of October revolution has been a major task revolutions. It is the task of the Left in transformation. Outbreaks of Civil revolutionary workers fighting the capof the American Imperialists since 1917.
the Hitlerist, that is of the equally world capitalist conditions.
The contradiction between socializedl The danger of the extension of the Oct. Opposition to explain the role Stalinism War and foreign wars alternate with per stalists on the weak link. The interFasclat overturn. Finally, the democracy is designated just as before provinction and capitalist appropriation, ober revolution is a life and death mat listory will look to Stalinism for an in economy, technique, science, the fam. the capitalists of the wenk link only played in these revolutions since 1923. iods of peaceful reforms.
social Revolutions vention of the imperialists in support of a social Fascist. The unfolding events between produdction for a world market. Iter for world capitalism and the United answer. And the question can only belily, morals and usages develop in com becomes effective when the vanguard of are in this way reduced to this, that and national boundaries, lie at the bot States representing the dominating fac auswered upon the basis of the applica plicated reciprocal action and do not the proletariat does not present a polley species of Fascism takes the power from tom of the contradiction between the end in a fashion altogether contrary to Revolution. Stalinism as a bud and now Therein lies the permanent character of in Russia with Lenin and Trotsky. the tor. This compels Wall Street to pro tion of the theory of the Perm allow society to reach an equilibrium. based on a Marxian revolutionary theory.
each other with the aid Fascist international responsibilities and Internciete all needs of the American imperialists. the lingering Isolationist. ideology of as the flower of the reaction against the social revolution as such.
coups Etat. Isn it clear that correct revolutionary theory and action whole Stalinist theory was created only the international responsibilities of Am the 19th century.
October did not then, nor does it now The burning question of the capital understand the theory of the Permanent social revolution which constitutes the vention. But the non Marxian revolu The international character of the held at bay the world capitalist Interfor the purpose of gluing up the human erionn capitalism can only be properly elected on the basis of the solution of sets is the opposite side of the burpines Rovolution. Stalinism hus merely us third aspect of the theory of the per tionary theory of Stalinism, for a series brain?
the Internal needs. On the other hand, problem the proletariat Our pro urped the heritage of the October Rev manent revolution, results from the state of revolutions, since 10:23 did not enable FINISHING OFF THE the American imperialists can only solve blem is the understanding and applica olution, which is the first fruit of the of economy and social structure of hul SOCIAL DEMOCRATS the Internal difficulties confronting than tion of the theory of the Permanent Reytheory of the Permanent Revolution.
proletariat to hold in check the counmanity. Internationalism is no abstract ter offensive of the imperialists olution. Theirs the defeat of the Per The less prepared the workers were, on the basis of world capitalism.
There are reasons for the one success principle, but a theoretical and political Only after the defeat of the German the more the appearance of the Papen The solution of this contradiction is maurent Revolution.
government on the wene had to arouse not possible under the rule of the Amer The word permanent, like the word resolution and the many failures pollection of the character of world oca revolution in 1923 were the world imthe Impression strength. complete an capitalists or any other capitalists, dialectic or imperialism or a whole ser that followed. The determining factor nomy of the world development of properialists successful in their interven ignoring of the parties, new emergency At the bottom, it is the same contradictos of other words are used in the poll the problem was not the objective ductive forces, and the world scale of tion through the Duwag Man and then decrees, dissolution of the Reichstag. tion which brought on the last worla Bical sense and not in the bourgeois condition which was the most favorable the class stresle. The social revolu the Young Planl. And likewise, etter pressive measures, state of selge in war and now has developed tooteater permanent revolution has nothing in of policies. The major defeats of the cannot be completel on these grounds. capitalists intervened at the start Democracy. And with what ease! Al of the world and the Soviet Union. The common with the old Bucharin concept, proletariat and the Communist vanguard lion you kin with a shot; the lea you real solution of this problem can be which on the basis of the October recommenced with the 1923 revolution in ship, the internal and external contradicthe policies of the vanguard declated squash between the fingernails; social had only on the basis of the proletarian olution, estimates that a mounting wave Germany. Up to that time the Russian tions grow inevitably together with the from Marxism, from the theory of the democratic ministers are finished of world revolution.
of revolutions, one right on top of the revolution under the leadership of Lenin growing successes.
Remaining Isolated, Permanent Revolution. Correct theory with a fllip The imperialist struggle for the redis other, would sweep capitalism from the and Trotsky was consolidating itself, the proletarian state must finally be and correct action is no guarantee to Only, in spite of the appearance ofision of the earth is the central problem earth in one straight line. The theory the International was building a world come a victim of these contradictions, victory but only through the Marcian concentrated forces, the Papen govern of the American Imperialists, to which of the Permanent Revolution does not mertast and the workers were in motion. The way out for It lies only in the vie policy and action can the proletariat ment such is weaker yet than itse other problems are subordinated consider as permanent. the time ole against world capitalism. Upon the de tory of the proletariat of the advanced gain power.
predecessor. The Bonapartist regime can But within this Imperialist problem ment in the series of revolution. The feat of the 1923 revolution the American countries. Viewed from this standpoint attain a comparatively stable and dur there is contatried another is a tener este Each considers the development of the revolu Staliniam replaced Marxism in the Com fielent whole! it is only a link in the in extension of the October revolution. We when the relationship of forces has a division of the earth enlarges the pro. Interrelationship, regardless of ebbs and socialism in one country replaced the olution presents a permanent process in fight accordingly. Today we have another brings revolutionary epoch to a close: delay in solving the question of the re tion from country to country. In their munist International. The theory ofternational chain. The international re expect nothing else from America and ready been tested in battles; when the spects of the extension of the October Nows. PERMANENT until the class pro theory of the Permanent Revolution, na spite of all fleeting rises and falls problem. Stalinism is a new growth of revolutionary classes are already spent revolution, of the social revolution. On lems of the proletariat are SOLVED tonai reformism replaced international What is the relation of American im. Pechstonismo poisoning perialism to this theory, or to be more stream with the theory of socialism in Marxlan while the possessing classes have not yet the other hand, cach step toward the let us follow the process of the classism.
freed themelves from the fear: will not solution of the problem of the lord Permanent Revolution and its relation to tion may be outlined in the following float lost to the world revolution. The checks the action of The theory of the Permanent Revoluexact, the continuation of the Russian one country theory which stifles and the morrow bring Without this basic condition, that is, forces of the social revolution. This American imperialism.
manner: First, it embraces the problem United States as the strongest Ink of parties in the struggle to extend the important Marxian concept to of the transition of the democratic rev: proletarian revolution from world capitalism struggles to prevent the October without a preceding exhaustion of the clearly reveals the present stage of capolution.
mass energies in battles, the Bonapartistitalism as the decay stage.
regime is in no position to develop Although he solution for capitalism 18 but not understood in living reality, To the historic origin of the theory. The the world, no matter where the civil war means to understand the relation of AmThrough the Papen government, the not possible, a breathing spell for some the Lenin formula, Without a revolu conception of the permanent revolution breaks anterWorld capitalism, which in erican Imperialism to world capitalism hankers have undertaken the attempt to establishing Fascism in Germany. bytton. In 1917, Lenin and Trotsky filled the middle of the 19th century, by Marx frame of the system of reaction, in ober revolution means to reject the stat Secure their event organiken uithee the police smashing the Soviet Union is possible. this formula with reality by applying and his adherents, in opposition to the the entstolte es era claselo struggle between inist revisionist theory of socialism in and the regular army. The idea of giv Alease of life for capitalism depends the theory of the Permanent Revolution democratic ideology which, as is known, the exploiters and exploited.
The weak links of the capitalist chain To extend the October revolution means one country and all that flows from it.
ing up all power to Hitler, who supa much upon the action or rather, in to the weakest link in the capitalist prosumed that all questions should be ports himself upon the raging and in action of the proletarian vanguard as it chain. Other weak links of the capital settled peacefully, in the reformist or in the first place, to arm the vanguard leashed bands of the petty bourgeoisie, does upon the action of the leading Im ist chain followed, in Italy. in Germany evolutionary way. by the erection of the The Permanent Revolution, New York, ent Revolution All quotations from Trotsky, with the Marxian theory of the Perman1s far from a pleasant one to them. They perialists.
1918, in Hungary, in Finland, in Bul rational or democratic state. Marx redo not, of course, doubt that in the long The American imperialista as garia, in Germany in 1028 and in China, garded the bourgeois revolution as the 1981.
the the The Theory of Permanent Revolution and American Imperialism of of but the new as are