PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1932 LEON TROTSKY The Road to Socialism rev It is оце Report thie ar THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC BLIND ALLEY: THE SOVIET SUCCESSES AND THE GERMAN SITUATION; ECONOMIC COLLABORATION BETWEEN HE AND GERMANY. THE UNITED FRONT WITH THE (Continued from page 1)
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY AGAINST THE PAPEN MILITARY BONAPARTISTIC DICTATORSHIP expressing the hope that under a cor Letter to the Chinese honesty and sincerity but who remain in olutionary petty proprietors. He is lost From the Series of Articles in the Forthcoming Book The Only Road. by Leon Trotsky rect polles it will be possible to fuse Bolshevik Leninists who judges in polities according to de in general, with the peasant war; and nominations and labels and not according this would constituto the beginning of the to social facts. All the more so when AUTSKY and Hilferding, among others, have Tarnow seeks to reduce the question of the revolu third Chinese revolution. But meanwhile socialist spirit. But this requires time, the matter deals with politics in which declared more than once in recent years that tionary or the reformist road to socialism to the sim this still remains only a hope and not a years, even decades. When one deals hands are equipped with weapons.
they never shared the theory of the collapse of ple question of the tempo of the transformations certainty. The most important work lies with the initial stages of the revolution, THE DANGER OF PEASANTcapitalism which the revisionists once ascribed to the Deeper a theoretician cannot sink. The tempo of the aboad.
In this letter should like to pose only tarian socialism and moujik individual WORKER CONFLICTS Marxists and which the Kautskyans themselves now socialist transformations depends in reality upon the The true Communist party is the or frequently attribute to the Communists.
state of the productive forces of the country, its cul come question, which appears to me, or at is often take on an extremely acute ganization of the proletarian vanguard.
The Bernsteinians outlined two perspectives: one, ture, the extent of the overhead imposed upon it for portant and acute to the greatest degree. But Is it not a fact that at the head One must not forget that the Working unreal, allegedly orthodox Marxian. according to defense, etc. But socialist transformations, the speedy Once again must stress that the infor of the Chinese Red Armies are none class of Chiua during the last four years this lus been held in an oppressed and amorwhich, in the long run, under the influence of the inas well as the slow, are possible only if at the summation at my disposal is altogether in other than Communists? Doesn I alone exclude the possibility of contlicts phous condition and only recently does ternal antagonisms of capitalism its mechanical col mits of society stands a class interested in socialism, would indeed welcome all amplifications between the peasant detachments and the it evince sigus of reviving lapse was supposed to take place; and a second, real and at the head of this class a party which does not and corrections.
workers organizations? No, that does thing when the Communist party, truly istie. according to which a gradual evolution from dupe the exploited, and which is always ready to sup THE PEASANT ARMY AND not exclude it. The fact that individual leuning upon the lower of the urban capitalism to socialism was to be accomplished. An press the resistance of the exploiters. We must ex. THE INDUSTRIAL CENTERS Communists stand at the head of the proletariat, strives through the workers neasant armies does not at all transformo lead the usunt war. It is an allotithetical as these two schemas may be at first glance, plain to the workers that precisely in that consists The peasant movement has created its the social character of the latter, even if sether different thing when a few thouthey are nevertheless united by a common trait: the the régime of the dictatorship of the proletariat. own armies, las seized upon great territhe Communists at the head bear a de sand or even tens of thousands revoluabsence of the revolutionary factor. While they dis Only, even this docs not suffice. Once it is a questories, and has placed at their head its finite proletarian stamp. And how do thonists asume the leadership of the avowed the caricature of the automatic collapse of tion of the burning problems of the world proletariat, own institutions. In the event of further matters stand in China? Among the peusant war und ure in reality comcapitalism attributed to them, the Marxists demon one should not as the Comintern does forget the successes and all of us, of course, pas communist leaders of the Red detach munists or take ou the name, without strated that under the influence of the sharpening class fact of the existence of the Soviet Union. With re movement will become linked up with many declassed intellectuals and semi in uariat. This is precisely the situation in struggle, the proletariat would carry through the rev gard to Germany, the task today does not lie in com the urban and industrial centers and tellectuals who have not gone through the China. This acts in the extreme to auge olution much sooner than the objective contradictions mencing a socialist construction for the first time, but through that very fact it will come face severe school of proletarian struggle. In mout the danger of conflicts between the of capitalism could lead to its automatic collapse. in tying together Germany productive forces, its cul to face with the working class. What the course of two or three years they workers and the armed peasants. Iu auy This dispute was carried on as long ago as the end of ture, its technical and organizatory genius with the will be the nature of this encounter? Is live the lives of partisan commanders eveut, there will be ao dvaruli, ono may the present century. It must however be acknowledg socialist construction already in process in the so it certain that its character will be peace and commissars, they wage battles, seize rest assured, ut bourgeois provocateurs.
territorios, etc. They absorb the spirit In Russia, in the epoch of civil war, ed that the capitalist reality since the war, approached, viet Union.
At first glance the question might ap of the environmment that surrounds them. the proletariat was already in power in in a certain respect, much closer to the Bernsteinian The German Communist Party confines itself to pear to be superfluous. At the head of Meanwhile the majority of the rank and the greater part of the country; the leadcaricature of Marxism than anyone might ever have the mere eulogizing of the Soviet successes, and in this the peasant movement stand Communists de Comunists within the Red detachers in the struggle was in the hands assumed, above all the revisionists themselves: for connection commits gross and dangerous exaggerations or sympathizers. lst not self evidentments consists, indubitably, of peasants, of a strong and tempered party; the enthey had only portrayed the spectre of the collapse in But it is completely incapable of linking together the that in the event of their coming togeth. who assume the name Communist in all tire commanding apparatus up the cen: tralized Red Army was in the hands of order to bring out its unreality. Nevertheless, capital socialist construction in the its enormous animously unito under the Communist the workers. Notwithstanding all this, ism proves in actuality to be closer to automatic decay experiences and valuable achievements, with the tasks banner?
the peasant detachments, incomparably The Lytton weaker than the Red Army often came the more delayed is the revolutionary intervention of of the proletarian revolution in Germany. The Stalin Unfortunately the question is not at into coniict with it, alter it victoriously the proletariat in the destiny of society.
ist bureaucracy, on its part, is least of all in a position Perience of Russia. During the years of (Continued from page 1) moved into the sector of peasant partisanThe most important component part of the theory to render the German Communist Party any assistance the civil war the peasantry in various vers for an invasion of Alanchuria have ship.
in China the situation differ radically, of collapse was the theory of pauperization. The in this highly important question: its perspectives are parts of the country created its own con rewing in the Tokyo war offices Marxists contended with a certain caution that the limited to one single country.
Guerilla detachments, that sometimes for several years, is not even consider and thereto cutirely to the disadvantage grew into whole armies. Some of these ed by these august gentlemen. But then of the workers. In the most important sharpening of the social antagonisms need not neces The incoherent and cowardly state capitalistic pro detachments considered themselves Bol again, Jayken may have to take a leading regions of China the power is in the sarily be equivalent to an absolute sinking of the stand jects of the social democracy must be countered with shevik, and often had workers at their art in the attack guinst Communism hands of bourgeois militarists. In other ard of living of the masses. In reality, it is this latter a general plan for the joint socialist construction of heal. Others remained non party and for it to be harshly dealt with regions, in the huuds of armed peasants process which is experiencing its unfoldment. Wherein the and Germany. Nobody demands that most often had at their head former nou. Interesting are the remarks on the roletarian jwer is as yet nowhere. The could the collapse of capitalism express itself more a detailed plan should be worked out instantly. pre commissioned officers from among the question of the boycott. England still trade unions are weak. The indluence of acutely than in chronic unemployment and the deliminary rough draft suffices. Foundation pillars are list army under the command of Makhno. against itself several years. ago, and ticunt. The peasant detachments drushed struction of social insurance, that is, in the refusal necessary. This plan must as speedily as possible be so long as the guerilla armies operated faced with one at the present time in with knowledge of victories they of the social order to feed its own slaves?
made the object of action by every organization of the in the rear of the White Guards, they lndia, and America constantly faced with achieved stand under the wing of the The opportunistic brakes in the working class have German working class, primarily of its trade unions served the cause of the resolution. Some the same that cannot bring themselves Comintern. They call themselves, Tho proved to be powerful enough to grant the elementary into this action must be drawn the progressive forces al heroism and trustworthiness. But lomatic language, they question the right with the armed forces of the Soviets.
forces of outlived capitalism additional decades of life. among the Grman technicians, statisticians and econ within the cities these armies often came of one country to institute a boycott What results consequeutly is that As a result, it was not the idyl of the peaceful trans omists. The discussion planned nomy so into conflict with the workers and with against another in times of peace. revolutionary pleasantry of China, through formation of capitalism into socialism which took widespread in Germany, reflecting the hopelessness of the local party organizations.
Contlicts The Soviet Union is mentioned twice. the medium of its ruling stratum, seems place, but a state of affairs infinitely closer to social German capitalism, remain purely academie, bureau also rose sur le comiters of the The report, as is to be expected, calls to have accrued to itself beforehand the decay.
cratic, lifeless pedantic. The Communist vanguard and in some instances they took on a gests that the Soviet Union be included by the nature of things belong to the The responsibility for the present state of society, alone is capable of drawing the treatment of the ques painful and an acute character. in the call. In the words of Pravda, Chinese workers. Isu it possible that the reformists sought for a long time to shift upon the tion out of the charmed circle.
The grim experience of the civil war they look upon the USSR as but another things may turn out so that all these shoulders of the war. But in the first place, the war The socialist construction is already in progress demonstrated to us the necessity for aliulist power. The inclusion of the values will be directed at a certain mo.
did not create the destructive tendencies of capitalism, to this work a bridge must be thrown over the state anusant detachments immediately sorlet Uulon may have some hidden pur ment against the workers?
Of course, the peasant poor and in but only brought them to the outside and accelerated frontiers. Here is the first plan: study it, improve it, vinces that were purged of the White tell. But of greater danger are the re China they constitute the overwhelming them; secondly, the war would have been unable to ac make it concrete! Workers, elect special planning Cards. The best, the most class conferences to the strategie Chinese East majority to the extent to which they complish its work of destruction without the political commissions, charge them with entering into contact scious and disciplined elemcuts were on ern Kailway. Here they speak very bold chiuk politically and these compose support of reformism; thirdly, the hopeless contra with the trade unions and cconomic organs of the So the occasion alsorbed into the ranks of ly of the inclusion of the Sino Soviet small minority sincerely and passiondictions of capitalism are preparing new wars from victs. On the basis of the German trade unions, the tion of the partisans strived to maintain Manchurian system. The designs of the the workers. But the pastutry, even greater ately desire alliance and friendship with various sides. Reformism will be unable to shift the factory councils and other labor organizations, create an independent existence and often came imperialist powers are too obvious to be when armed, is incapable or directing historical responsibility from itself. By paralyzing a central planning commission which has the job of inito direct armed conflict with the go. Ignored.
an independent policy.
and curbing the revolutionary energy of the proletar entering into contact with the Gosplan of the viet authority such as the case with The report concludes with the repeti BOURGEOISIE LEADS int, the international social democracy invests the pro Draw into this work German engineers, organ army of Makhno. But that was not the ment of law and order, again stresses cess of the capitalist collapse with the blindest, un izers, economists!
sole Instance; many peasant detachments, the danger of the growing Communist termediate, indeterminate and vacillating Commonly occupying as it does an inruliest, most catastrophic and bloodiest forms.
This is the only correct preliminary to the ques which fought splendidly enough against movement and the spread of the Soviet position, the peasantry, in decisive mo Of course, one may speak only conditionally of a tion of planned economy, today, in the year 1932, after the restoration of the landlords, became territory. and repeats the demand for ments, can follow either the proletariat realization of the revisionist caricature of Marxism, fifteen years of the existence of the Soviets, after four transformed aftere victory into the wear the creation of an international gendar or the bourgeoisie. Its road to the proapplicable to a definite historical period. The way out merle, as opposed to Japanese troops letariat the leasantry does not find so teen years of convulsions of the German capitalist pression counter revolution.
alone.
easily and only after a series of mistakes of decaying capitalism, however, will be found, even republic.
AND THE WORKERS Manchukuo, puppet state of Japan, re and defeats. The bridge between the if after a great delay, not upon the road of the auto Nothing is casier than to ridicule the social dem The conflicts between armed peasants mallus yet unrecognized by the major impeasantry and the bourgeoisie is composed matic collapse but upon the revolutionary road. ocratic bureaucracy, beginning with Wels, who has and workers, no matter what their prisin perialist powers (except Japan. Am by the urban petty bourgeoisie, chilly by The present crisis has swept aside with a final flour struck up a Song of Solomon to socialism. Yet, it called forth by the conscious provoention al in delivering this left handed slap to forward under the banner of socialism ish of the broom the remnants of the reformist utopias. must not be forgotten that the reformist workers have or the White Guards, or the tactlessness Japan in the form of the Lytton report. and even Communism.
The opportunist praxis at the present tine possesses a thoroughly serious attitude to the question of so of the Communists or by an unfavorable The western bourgeoisie are withholding The commanding stratum of the Chi.
no theoretical covering whatsoever. For in the long run cialism. One must have a serious attitude to the re concatenation of circumstances, had unofficial recognition of Manchukuo in the nese Red Arany has no doubt succeedit is pretty much a matter of indifference to Wels, Hil formist workers. Here the problem of the united derlying them one and the same social hope that they will thereby be able to get ca in cultivating in itself the psychology ferding, Gruesinski and Noske as to the number of front rises up once again in its full scope.
position and the bringing up of the work however looks upon Manchukuo as being revolutionary party and of mass organicatastrophes that will still hurtle down upon the heads If the social democracy sets itself the task in words: ers and of the peasants. The worker ap but the tool of the Japanese in their at xations of the proletariat make control of the masses of the people, if only their own interests we know that. not to save capitalism but to build proaches questions from the socialist tempt to exploit the Chinese masses. It over the commanding stratum factually remain immune. Only, the point is that the crisis of up socialism, then it must seek an agreement not with standpoint; the peasant viewpoint is is therefore with great satisfaction, that impossible.
the bourgeois régime strikes at the reformist leaders, the Center but with the Communists. Will the Com tetty bourgcols. The worker strives to we read of the official denials by Moscow missars appear in the guise of absolute too.
munist party reject such an agreement? By no means from the exploiters; the peasant seeks oficial recognition to the new state. The cities will be rather apt to look down Act, state, act! the social democracy still cried On the contrary, it will itself propose such an agree to divide it. The worker desires to put Lytton report has attempted to lump from above upon the workers. The dea short while ago, as it fell back before Fascism. Andment, demand it before the masses as a redemption of to cominon use pulaces and parks; where together the Soviet Union with the im mands of the workers might often the state acted: Otto Braun and Severing were kicked the only now exhibited socialist change.
to come prea mare, insofar as the cannot perialist powers. Now by means ord to them either inopportune cope om avisen into the street. Now, wrote the VORWAERTS, every The attack of the Communist party upon the social divide them, leans toward burning the sharply defined polley exposing the aims Nor should one forget such titles as Mulaces and cutting down the parks. The of the American, British and Japanese the fact that within cities, the staffs and body must recognize the advantages of democracy over democracy must proceed at the present time along worker strives to solve problems on a bourgeoisie the workers republic can the offices of the victorious armies are the régime of dictatorship. Yes, democracy has sub three lines. The task of demolishing Fascism retains national scale and in accordance with a give the lie to the above implication, and established not within the proletarian stantial advantages, reflected Grzesinski while he made all its acuteness. The decisive battle of the proletar plan; the peasant, on the other hand, ap come forth as the defender of the rights stums but within the finest buildings of the acquaintance of prison from the inside.
int against Fascism will signify simultaneously the proaches all problems on a local scale of the Chinese peoplesu the cities, within the houses and apartFrom this experience resulted the conclusion: It is collision with the Bonapartist state apparatus. This plans from a conter, etc. etc.
ments of the bourgeoisie; and all this time to proceed to socialization! Tarnow, yesterday makes the general strike an indispensable fighting It is understood that a peasant also facilitates the inclination of the upper VOTE istratum still a doctor of capitalism, suddenly decided to become weapon. It must be prepared. special general is capable of raising binself to the soof the peasant armies to feel itself as a part of the cultured and its grave digger. Well, where capitalism has turned strike plan must be worked out, that is, a plan for the cialist viewpoint. Under a proletarias COMMUNIST educateu classes, nowise the proletar.
the reformist ministers, police chiefs and lord lieuten mobilization of the forces to carry it out. Proceed regime ever larger masses of peasants ants into unemployed, it has manifestly exhausted it ing from this plan, to unfold a mass campaign. On become educated and brought up in the (To Be Continued)
self. Wels writes a programmatie article: The hour the basis of this campaign, to propose to the social of socialism has struck! There only remains for democracy an agreement for the carrying out of the be conducted within the framework of democracy. upon the majority of the working class and insofar as Schleicher to rob the deputies of their salary and the general strike under definite political conditions. Re situation where Hitler possesses an army of 400, 000 it guarantees the Communist party the freedom of agiformer ministers of their pension and Hilferding will peated and made concrete at every new stage, this pro men, Papen Schleicher, besides the Reichswehr, the tation and organization. Such a way of putting the write a study on the historic rôle of the general strike. posal will lead in the process of its development to the semi private Stahlhelm army of 200, 000 men, the question will be comprehensible to every social demThe Left turn of the social democratic leaders creation of the Soviets as the highest organs of the bourgeois democracy the half tolerated Reichsbanner ocratic and non party worker.
startles one with its stupidity and deceitfulness. This united front.
army, the Communist party the proscribed Red Front The third line, finally, is the fight for socialism.
by no means signifies, however, that the manoeuver is That Papen economic plan, which has now become army such a situation by itself lays here the problem Here too the iron must be forged while it is hot and condemned in advance to failure. This party, laden law, brings the German proletariat unprecedented pov of the state as a problem of power. better revolu the social democracy pressed to the wall with a concrimes, still stands head of millior It erty, is recognized the ders the tionary school cannot be imagined. crete plan of collaboration the What will not fall of its own accord. One must know how social democracy and the trade unions. In the press, The Communist party must say to the working is necessary on this point has already been said above.
to overthrow it.
they express themselves with a vehemence they have class: Schleicher is not to be overthrown by any par. Naturally, these sectors of struggle, which are of The Communist party will declare that the Wels not voiced for a long time. Between their words and liamentary game. If the social democracy wants to varying significance in the strategical complete perTarnow course towards socialism is a new form of their deeds lics an abyss, we know that well. but we set to work to overthrow the Bonapartist government spective, are not separated from each other, but rather mass deception, and that will be correct. It will re must understand how to pin them down to their word. with other means, the Communist party is ready to overlap and merge. The political crisis of society delate the history of the social democratic socializa system of joint measures of struggles against the ré aid the social democracy with all its strength. At the mands the combining of the partial questions with the tions of the last fourteen years. That will be useful. gime of emergency decrees and Bonapartism must be same time, the Communists obligate themselves in ad general questions. precisely therein lies the essence of But it is insufficient: history, even the most recent, elaborated. This struggle imposed upon the proletar vance to use no violent methods against a social dem the revolutionary situation.
cannot substitute for active politics.
iat by the whole situation cannot, by its very nature, ocratic government insofar as the latter bases itself PRINKIPO, September 10, 1932 corne