July 19, 1919.
THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Soviet Hungary and the Allies CO OMRADES: will not utter a single the situation over before we determine what By Bela Kun to do, what can best succeed in this land where beautiful word, and beg that you will Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs today the proletariat assumed power. Before listen in deadly seriousness to what say. The Address Delivered to the Budapest the determination that we establish a Proledictatorship of the proletariat is define it Workers Council tarian Dictatorship was reached there were once more the self government of the prolesigns from certain circles that if we were to tariat. The proletariat itself decides how it is renounce our belief in Socialism, and place to work and thereby really does work. Pro and some did not participate. It was clear to letarian dictatorship means a break with all us that an army could not be easily organized, fensive of the Entente would not materialize, our faith in the coming of a Messiah, the ofsecret diplomacy, it means a break with every that a new revolutionary discipline could not if, in other words, the Hungarian proletariat policy that requires being pursued behind the be easily created. Armies, revolutionary prowould bend its head under the yoke of triumback of the proletariat. And will here say, without exaggeration and in concrete form, tionary proletarian discipline only of them phant, Imperialism. Interruptions: never, never. all that one can and must say today about the selves in the war against counter revolution, military and foreign situation. When use and can maintain it only of its own accord. International Proletarian Revolution the word can do mean that will (Lively assent and applause. To us this was Comrades! speak further and beg you to conceal anything. When say can will clear, we have cooly and deliberately calcul hear me out quietly and seriously, for this is tell you everything that we know, all the know ated, for the revolutionary proletariat has not not the hour for enthusiasm but for deeds.
ledge we can gather from the signs and symp only a warm heart, but also a cool, calm, deli. That it, that it. The case is this, comtoms.
berating head.
rades, if government should be established From Comrade Kunfi speech it is clear The Rumanian offensive at first was suchere that would again set up the old order. we all know it is that two world forces cessful; Szatmarnemeti has fallen. Now Szat of private property, a government that would are fighting over Hungary, over the Hungarian marnemeti is under bourgeois rulership, the not only make exploitation by the Hungarian Soviet Republic. The coming together of im dictatorship of the bourgeois. The rulership of capitalists possible, but would allow a double perialistic capital and Bolshevik Socialism is the proletariat has ended and the order of exploitation of the Hungarian proletariattaking place before us, and we are partici private property, rightly the anarchy of private exploitation by the Entente and by the Hunpaters in the clash. The comrades know of the property, restored. The Rumanian troops are garian capitalists it may call itself Socialist exchange of notes with the representative of now before Nagyvarad, and within a short or coalition, if there should come such a govthe Entente, Gen. Smuts, who was here. It was time the exploiting capitalist order will be ernment, say, should such a government take not as if we stood on the principle of territo again established in that city. part, a very over power, and, will add, should there be rial integrity, not as if we wished to establish small part, of our troops held their ground, a Proletariat that will surrender its power, the oppressive policies of the old Hungary sacrificed everything, fought to the last drop then, comrades, the Entente offensive will against the deeds of the nationalists, but it is of blood; the rest like menials ran away so not materialize.
because the Hungarian Republic of the work that the defense was lost. Debrecen is an im The alternative, comrades, is quite clear.
ing masses wishes to live and exist that we do portant point, and there the workers have supIf we do not wish for private property, the not favor the pushing back of the demarcation pressed the counter revolution (lively apreturn of Capitalism, if we wish, on the conline towards us. We are not willing to leave plause. there the armed proletariat has not trary, to uphold the Dictatorship of the Proour freed proletari brothers in the neutral only not given up its power, but today holds letariat, then we must act. We must consider zone to bend anew under the yoke of Capital it stronger than ever.
immediately which forces we can use as a deism, to suffer again from the exploitation of To relate details about this Rumanian front, fense against the hostile imperialistic powers.
Capitalism. For this reason we are not willing is, think, unnecessary. Towards Bekoscsaba We must bear in mind that while the territory to submit, for submission would mean de the war situation is bad. There the troops have of Hungary is small, not so immeasurably big priving the Hungarian proletariat of the poss in part lost ground, the other part is holding as Russia, and having no such unlimited posibility of physical life. We will not accept out. The Rumanians, are attacking everysibilities for defense, still the forces of the the new boundary line, for we do not wish where with more power and better arms, better International Proletarian Revolution are at to lessen the territory under the rule of the equipment, than the army of the young prole our service. If we have considered that, then proletariat, the territory over which the dictat tarian state has at its command. So far the we have thrown in our lot with the Internaorship of the proletariat has full sway, and we offensive on the other fronts has not materialtional Proletarian Revolution. say it now, are willing to make any sacrifices rather than ized.
and will always say so, comrades, submit.
At first we thought that when the foreign though the Entente succeeds in instituting The Rumanian Boyar Army Offensive. armies came to the demarcation lines elected massacres here, that we have not been conWhat had happened in Paris in the mean by General Smuts and Colonel Vix that they quered if we have united our freedom with the while is not known to us in detail.
would not go any further. The situation today International Proletarian Revolution. Great We know, however, that the offensive is such that we must presuppose, and certain applause. was started by the Rumanian Boyar Army. It very well established developments lead us to But first of all, comrades, we must reckon started with the whole force that the Boyars believe that the Entente will take up the offen on our own power. While the International can today muster against the Hungarian Soviet sive against us with full force, that the Entente Proletarian Revolution is on our side, is comGovernment. Cries, shame. We can not is italy to bring on us the fate of the Paris ing, is developing, still it is necessary that cxpect anything else from Imperialism.
Commune, that the Entente imperialists are we hold out until we gain the active support (That it. It is not a question of morals, determined to strangle the proletariat of this of the International Revolutionary Proletariat.
of likes or dislikes, but of the international land. Calls: that we will never permit. class war (stormy assents. the international Comrades. The Czech front has not yet been Our first task in this case is that everyone revolution and the internationl counter revolu set noving, nor is the Southern front yet. here in Budapest, who is not necessary in the tion.
action. do not know, however, whether at Central Administration, every proletarian and Cool and deliberate thought told us that this this moment the advance has not already every representative of the proletariat who would come. When we established the prole begun. Possibly it has, but it is also probable can be spared, under any circumstances, must tarian dictatorship in Hungary we did not put that it has not. If not today then perhaps it go to the front. Unity is necessary now. At out of our reckoning not being able to will start tomorrow. interruption. mobil this moment all friction must disappear, we cope, in a systematic war, with the military ize. To cry mobilize, comrades, is an easy must establish an iron unity that nothing can power of the Entente troops. We did not be thing, also can cry mobilize, still it is destroy or dissolve. That it, that it. lieve that we could arrest the offensive, direct necessary to delay the decision until point who goes to the front, must go with the ed against us from all sides, with the six divi out the consequences, till every one has perknowledge that the Central Dictatorship is in sions that the terms of the armistice permitted ceived the whole situation.
good hands; who remains at his post, must the Soviet Republic to retain. We have empha No one must doubt that on the question of believe that the fate of the Revolution is in sized, and continue to emphasize, that the armament and equipment we are badly placed good hands at the front. If this is so, if the fate of the Hungarian Soviet Republic lies We took over an almost impossible task in proletariat, Budapest proletariat, whose rewith the international revolution, with the in the war situation and to develop any sort of presentatives, whose deputies you are, will not ternational social revolution. That it. The great military action during the time when we be lethargic, but will advance, happy in the Rumanian offensive has set in. Our troops in were forced to build up the new state was sacrifice, in ever increasing numbers, then service on the different fronts were exhausted, impossible. That is why we must first think (Continued on Page 12)
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