BourgeoisieCapitalismDemocracyMarxismRussian RevolutionSocial DemocracySocialismSovietTerrorismTrotskyWorking Class

THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE November 27, 1918 Chapters from My Diary Officially By Leon Trotzky chiefly by youngsters. Of real chauvinism the Serbian Terrorists and French Liberators: VienINTRODUCTION.
mobs presented very little: but there was alarm nese Currents in the First Days of the War.
When the war broke loose on August 1914 Leon and excitement, and expectation of great events, Trotzky was in Vienna; on August he went to of changes changes for better, of course, THE immediate provocation for the monstrous Switzerland and from there to Paris. Always a man for it was difficult to imagine anything worce.
happenings of the present war was the work of intense energy, Trotzky plunged into affairs whereAnd the press eagerly encouraged this feeling, of a number of Serbtan youths, almost boys, who, ever he was for the moment.
intensified and aggravated it.
in July 1914, murdered the heir apparent to the In Austria, in Switzerland, in France, Trotzky had Now everything depends on what Russia ample opportunity to study the reactions to the war of throne of Austria Hungary, at Sarajevo. Being the bourgeois, of the Socialists, and of the proletarian does, was told by Leopold Wienarsky, Socialrevolutionists of a romantic, nationalist type, they mass. In his usual incisive and caustic style, Trotzky ist Deputy in the Reichsraht, who died last year, expected less than anyone else, that their act of describes the dark forces at work in Capitalism and If the Czar interfers, the war will be popular terrorism would be followed by the consequences, Socialism of that Majority Socialism which be in this country.
of universal scope, which were its sequel.
trayed Socialism and the proletariat by accepting and justifying the policy of Imperialism.
And, as a matter of fact, there is no doubt Later met one of the members of this revolu In the five chapters of this Diary we are, acquaintthat the idea of the Czarist invasion of Austria tionary organization in Paris; it was in the early ed with the political significance of events and the and Germany has excited and alarmed the imagimonths of the war. He was a member of the very psychology of the actors upon the stage of events and nation of the Austro German masses. The intergroup which had organized the Sarajevo assassintheir relation to the class alignments in the great national reputation of Czarism, especially after ation; but he had gone abroad before the murder struggle between Capitalism and Socialism. Many facts equally about Socialism and Capitalism, are here the counter revolution that succeeded the 1905 and volunteered as an interpreter in the French revealed or the first time.
upheaval, was too black to be overlooked, and this Navy at the beginning of the war. The Allies In France, Trotzky edited a Russian paper, Nashe may be said to have inspired the German stateswere planning a landing on the Adriatic coast of Slovo. Becaus of his Socialist activity the French men and scribes with the idea of declaring the Austria Hungary, with the intention of arousing Government expelled him to Spain, where Trotzky war against the Eastern despotism to be a war a revolt in the Southern Slavic provinces of the was again expelled, coming to the United States at the end of February 1917. While in New York, Trotzky of liberation. All of which does not give the Hapsburg Monarchy. For this purpose, Serbian wrote up his diary in chapters, After Two and a Half Scheidemanns the slightest excuse for translating type was loaded onto French warships, to enable Years of War in Europe. But he never finished the the Hohenzollern lies into the tongue of Socialwork; the Russian Revolution came in March, and in them to print revolutionary proclamations, as ism. But it reveals to us the full depth of the April Trotzky departed for Russia arriving there after fall of our Plekhanovs and Deutsches, who, in being detained by the British at Haliafx and released proclamations, and, in general, to bring about an upon demand of the Russian Government under prestheir declining years, discovered within their uprising for national independence.
sure of the Soviets.
breasts the urge to come out as champions for they were designated as translators. As, howthe Czar diplomacy at the moment when it was ever, Serbian revolutionists, on the warships of control of officers and politicians who were equal perpetrating its greatest crimes.
the Republic, might constiute an over inflam ly well connected with both the Serbian Governmable material, a gray haired Serbian spy was ment and the Russian Embassy. As is well known Events came piling in one after the other. The also placed among them for the purpose of first on the Balkan Peninsula the Romanoffs have ne telegraph delivered the news of the murder of hand supervision over the youthful enthusiasts. ver hesitated the use of dynamite.
Jaures. The papers had already become so full It is extremely probable that great foresight is attributable to the Russian Embassy in Paris, the great masses of the city population paid least to doubt the truth of the reports. All the Vienna clad itself in official mourning, although of lies that it was possible for some hours at for in operations of this nature that organ has mighty little attention to the news of the destruc more, since they were succeeded by news of the clear title primacy among the Allies.
tion of the heir to the throne of the Hapsburgs. killing of Poincare and of uprising in Paris. But The whole business, as is well known, came to So the press had to set about the task of working soon it became impossible to doubt any longer that naught. The French vessels sailed around in the up the popular feelings. It is difficult to find words Jaures had been killed. On August 2nd, Germany Adriatic, devoted some attention to Pola, but that will correctly designate the truly colosal vile declared war on Russia; on that very day began after firing a few fruitless shots, turned back ness to which the press of all Europenay, of the exodus of Russian emigrants from Vienna.
again. Why? was the perplexed question of all the world has resorted and still does resort all In the morning of August 3rd walked over the uninitiated. But in French political and with regard to the events of the present war. In to the Wienzeile, to the Arbeiterzeitung new journalistic circles the explanation was already this indecent örgy, the black and yellow press of building, in order to talk over, with the deputies, going the rounds: Italy is not willing. To arouse Austria Hungary, distinguished neither by know what was to be the lot of us Russians.
a rebellion in the southern provinces of Austria ledge nor by talent, cannot be said to occupy an In the Secretary Office, found Friedrich Hungary, it seemed, meant raising the banner of insignificant place. When the word was handed Adler, or Doctor Fritz, as he is called in party a national unification of the Yugo Slavs Italy, out from the centre, unseen to the public, from circles, to distinguish him from his father, Vichowever, considers that Dalmatia should by the diplomatic inferno in which the destinies of tor Adler, who is called simply the Doctor, with rights belong to her by right, let us say, of nations are hatched, the scribblers of every shade out further designation. Rather tall. lean, slightly imperialist appetite, and she issued a protest of political complexion, after the Sarajevo shoot stooping, with a distinguished brow edged by cur.
against the proposed landing of an allied force. ing, spewed forth more lies than had ever before ly locks of blond hair, and with an expression of At that time it was necessary to pay a price for been seen in the history of the world.
constant thoughtfulness on his face, Fritz was Italy benevolent neutrality, later, for her par We Socialists might have looked on with calm a figure all by himself in the rather numerous ticipation in the war. That is why the French disdain at this irrefutable proof of the moral de party intelligentsia of Vienna, which was given ships turned back so unexpectedly, together with gradation of bourgeois society, which was mani for too much to horseplay and petty joking. He their portable printing presses, their Serbian in fest in the murderous industry of the patriotic had spent a year and a half or two years in Zurich, terpreters and their gray haired spy.
press on either side of the trenches, if the as a Privatdozent in the Department of Physics What this? was the question the young most distinguished Socialist organs had not taken at the University, but also as editor of the local Serb revolutionist whom have mentioned be the same tack. The unexpectedness of this blow party organ, Das Volksrecht. In the war period, fore asked me. It is clear the Allies are simply made it doubly mortifying to us.
Swiss Socialism began passing through a radical selling out the Serbs to Italy. How about the war By the way, when we speak of unexpectedness, process of internal rebirth, its interests began for the liberation of the small nations? And, in we cannot employ the term more than in a half to pursue two divergent paths. The old mandarins that case, what have we Serbs to fight for? Is it sense to the case of the Vienna Arbeiterzeitung. of party, deeming that the essence of Marxist possible that have volunteered my services in the course of a seven years stay in Vienna wisdom is in the proverb rolling stone gathers simply that might shed my blood to secure the (1907 1914. had ample opportunity to acquaint no moss, withdrew into the background. But in transfer of Dalmatia to Italy? And what was myself with the cast of mind of the leading circles the years that Fritz spent at Zurich, the atmosthe reason for the sacrifice my Gavrilo Prinzip, and the rest Sarajevo friend of the Austrian Social Democracy, and expected phere of Swiss Socialism was still characterized He was in the depth of despir, this youth with revolutionary initiative from them less than by a profoundly provincial quality. It proved too much for Fritz, who returned to Vienna, became the tawny, yet freckled face and the feverishly nature of the articles of Leuthner, who ran the Secretary of the Austrian Party and editor of its bright eyes. The true meaning of the war of international affairs end of the paper, was suffi theoretical monthly, Der Kampf. Simultaneously as Dalmatia was concerned. got a good deal of aiemiyowell known even before the war. As early he took upon himself the bringing out of a week information from him concerning the inner life an article against the Prusso Austrian tendency in a very large edition, intended chiefly for cirof the southern Slav revolutionary organizations, of the central organ of the Austrian Social De culation in the provinces. During the weeks imand particularly the group of youngsters who mocracy.
More than once, on my journeys in the mediately preceding the war, Fritz was occupied killed the Hapsburg heir apparent, the head of Balkans, heard bitter complaints from Balkan with the preparations for the International Conthe Austro Hungarian war party. particularly Serbian) Socialists (particularly gress; on his desk lay the printed matter that The organization, which bore the romantic de from my never to be forgotten friend, Dmitri had been prepared for his event, the jubilee signation The Black Hand, was constructed Tutsovich, who was killed as an officer in the pre stamps and other things: the party had expended strictly on the basis of a carbonari conspiracy. sent war) who were indignant that the Serbian some 20, 000 kronen in the various preparations The initiation of new members involved a number capitalist press was maliciously quoting the chau for the Congress.
It would be an exaggeration to say that it was was pressed against their bared breasts, and they Serbs, as a clear demonstration that the inter already possible in those days to discern, in the were sworn to silence and loyalty under the pe national solidarity of the working class was sim building in Wienzelie, two distinct groupings of organization extended over all the Yugo Slav pared for the boundless hatred of its fellow men yet formed. But already it was possible to obprovinces of the Hapsburg Monarchy, making which this organ gave so many specimens of in serve a profound difference of psychological attiuse of the most self sacrifying elements of the the early days of the war.
tude toward the war. Some seemed to delight in educated youth, and centred in Belgrade, in the After the presentation of Austria Hungary it, launched abuse at the Serbians and Russians, famous ultimatum to Serbia, patriotic demonstra drawing no serious distinction between govern The carbonari were Italian revolutionists in the 19th tions were held in Vienna. They were attended Continued on page five century, who fought the Austrian tyranny,