BourgeoisieCominternCommunismLeninSocialismStrikeWorking Class

58 THE WORKERS COUNCIL May 15, 1921 59 May 15, 1921 THE WORKERS COUNCIL to cpportunity for revolutionary education. The time first opportunity that presented itself to put its had come for intensive agitation against the rulers new, more aggressive methods to the test. It puffed who had brought Germany into this terrible pre up a purely local upheaval into an offensive against dicament, an agitation that must increase daily and capitalist Germany, and hoped to sweep the whole hourly in strength and open determination, an agi country in one bold attack, only to find that they tation that must grow, step by step, with the grow had woefully overestimated the strength, the ining revolutionary understanding of the masses. But fuence and the readiness of their organization, that nothing was further from their thoughts. On the they had no conception of the real sentiment that contrary, when Hoersing, the social democratic existed among the German working people at that president of the Prussian Province Saxony, sent a particular moment, e. that they neither knew, nor few hundred Sipo police and sharp shooters in full were able to judge the actual balance of power be.
fighting regalia into the strongly communistic in tween capitalist and proletarian sympathy that dustrial districts of Central Germany, ostensibly tu prevailed at that time.
quell the crime wave that he insisted was making In the nationalist excitement that lad taken positself felt in that territory, a communist climax was session of a large part of the working class, they the answer. The working class was called to arms.
saw revolutionary spirit. They hoped, by a sponThe first proclamation that followed upon the taneous, powerfully inaugurated movement, Hoersing invasion was already aflame with threats sweep the masses that stand behind the social deof forceful and violent retaliation. Every work mocracy and the independents into revolutionary man must stand in his place, where be belongs, on action, and failed to understand that their headlong the side of the fighting proletariat. Every weapon plunge was having exactly the opposite effect; that at the disposal of the working class must be used the masses who had begun to demonstrate a marked if we would help our hard pressed brethren in sympathy for the party so long as it showed promMiddle Germany. The working class must arm, ise of returning to sane and consistent activity, prepared to meet the foe. The weapons in the were turning in disgust from this new outbreak.
hands of the working class. And shortly after By their hasty outbreak they had chained the very there followed another which ended, Every work. men and women whom they hoped to win, more ingman must take his weapon wherever he can firmly to their opportunist and reform leaders. The find it.
spirit of the nursed by the Executive of The Rote Fahne of Vienna, recently charac the Third International, had taken possession of the terized by Lenin as the best communist newspaper, new members of the Central Committee, and had comments tipon this action of the as brought them to this desperate mistake.
follows: The failed all along the line. At first The was right in taking up the chalthe masses in the industrial Central Germany anlenge. But it made a grave mistake when it allowed swered its call. But the party soon lost all control itself to be carried away by the bitterness that was over the movement it had started, and its leadership rampant in the masses, instead of leading this inwent into the hands of more than questionable elefuriation into the channels of consciously revoluments, such as, for instance, that well known revotionary determination. The first proclamation, with lutionary romanticist, or perhaps robber chieftain its words, Every workman will take his weapon would be the more fitting term, Max Hoelz, whose wherever he finds it, could only add to the in Robin Hood escapades in Saxony have spread fluence of the revolutionary romanticists and deshis fame far beyond his own fatherland.
perados of the movement, far, though, this may Outside of Central Germany their call to arms have been from the purpose of those who wrote it. met with practically no response. In Berlin everyA partial strike, demanding the withdrawal of the thing was quiet, the large industrial centers were Hoersing troops, simultaneous demonstrations all apathetic, except for a few individual deeds of over Germany to arouse interest and sympathy for heroism that were neither communistic nor revothe cause of the workmen in the Mansfeld district, lutionary. Such acts, we all know full well, cannot blow upon blow, increasing in strength and deter be prevented. They are bound to occur in times of mination, constant appeals to the supporters of the revolutionary upheaval. But when they occur majority socialist and the independent camps for where there is not a sign of mass action, they sink sympathy and support only this could they have down to the level of every day crime.
hoped to galvanize the masses into conscious acThe fight was broken off unwillingly, and far tion. The counter revolution has come prepared too late. The leaders of the movement must have for a small, unimportant outpost skirmish, the Censeen, after the first few days had passed, that the tral Comunittee of the believed that it could movement was absolutely hopeless. They must spread the fight, over night, along the entire battle have realized that the prize they were paying was front, to bring, in a few short hours, an entire army far too high, that not even the withdrawal of the corps to the barricades. That was their great misHoersing troops was an adequate return for the take. The call, Every workman must take his hundreds that were killed and for the White Terror weapon wherever he finds it! should have come that would inevitably follow. The struggle ended at the end of a long, well prepared and gradually with defeat. But this defeat need not have been intensified campaign, instead of at its beginning.
without value to the International revolutionary Thai, in a few words, is the crux of the matter. movement if it had known enough to learn the lesThe Executive Committee of the used the sons that it taught, if it had recognized and admitted the errors that had been committed. But such straight line of Communist principles laid down by was not the case. On the 6th of April the Execu the Third International, and has thrust the party tive of the Third International directed a proclama into a confusion of violent and forceful action. In tion To the revolutionary workingmen of Ger so doing it has gravely weakened the fighting spirit many, in which they call to the German prole of one of the most important European sections of tariat: With you we mourn the death of those who the Communist International at a moment when fe! as herces in the cause of proletarian freedom. the world situation more than ever before deWith you we tremble in fury at the thought that manded, and had the right to expect powerful demour comrades, who are suffering in prison cells, will onstrations of international solidarity from the be delivered to the dry, guillotine of democratic proletarian masses in Germany. In order to avoid military courts. The first attack of the German open and unsparing criticism, which is the duty of proletariat was repulsed. The bourgeoisie and its every party member and a necessity to the health lackeys will try to carry dissatisfaction into the and life of the movement, the Central Committee ranks of the retreating troops. The Communist In has sought to bury the highly uncomfortable alterternational tells you that you were right! The vic cation by creating a case against Levi. The undertory of the working class can not be won with the signed protest indignantly against this attempt, first blow. You have turned over a new leaf in the which we regard as seriously injurious to the party.
history of the German working class. Prepare for The conception voiced by Comrade Levi is fully in new struggles. Review what this fight has taught, accord with the policies of the Third International learn from it, close your ranks, strengthen your and with the decisions adopted at its second interlegal and your illegal organizations, intensify the national conference on tactics and principles of the proletarian discipline and the communist under Communist movement. The differences between the standing of your fighters!
undersigned and the Central Committee are not In short, the Executive sanctions the March up passivity on the one hand and activity on the other, rising from start to finish, and backs up the leaders as the Central Committee would have it believed.
of the Paul Levi, in a pamphlet which ap On the contrary, the undersigned believe that inpeared on the 6th of April, entitled Wider den creased and intensified revolutionary activities are Putschismus (Against Irresponsible Revolts. urgently needed in our movement. The question vehemently attacked and bitterly condemned the before us at the present time presents itself as uprising, detailing a number of incidents connected follows: with its inception, concerning the truth of which we Shall this increased and intensified revolutionhere in America cannot judge. We know Paul Levi ary activity be conducted upon the basis laid down only through the Communist press, and we know by the Third International, or shall our movement that, until recently, he stood high in the graces of submit to a reversion to Bakuristic coup états?
our comrades in Moscow. We do not know what In closing, the eight signers, all ex members of motives led him to publish this pamphlet at a time the Executive Committee, demand the immediate when it must necessarily encourage the White Ter convocation of a party convention, a demand ror of class justice in inflicting severe penalties which, for the present, has been turned down by upon the Communists who are in jail as a result of the Central Committee. On the other hand it took this ill starred attempt. We can imagine, however, up the matter in a session that lasted two days and that the dread of another similar attempt in May adopted long declarations with 26 against 14 votes or in June forced him to speak; that he felt that only which were subsequently published in the Rote the sharpest criticism and ruthless exposure of the Fahne of Berlin to show that the March uprising cancer sores that were infesting the very heart of was necessary and that it is but the first of a series the movement could save the German movement. of offensives that are still to come. They demand Furthermore he may have speculated upon the that the offensive be continued along the same line probable effect that his exposure, at this time, and that the Central Committee be empowered to would have upon the third Congress of the Com readjust the party organization to meet the requiremurist International that is to begin in Moscow on ments of this new aggressive tactic.
the 1st of June. Regarded superficially, the Central CommitWhatever his motives may have been, we have tee says in one of its declarations, the revolutionno right to accuse him of having acted dishonor ary offensive has ended with a defeat for the ably or consciously against the best interests of the For a time the will be isolated from party. He was expelled from the party for the pub large portions of the working class. But in reality, lication of this pamphlet on the 15th of April. This this occurrence bears within it the fruitful germs was to be expected, for no party will tolerate so of new, broader revolutionary action. It has opened flagrant a breach of discipline. But it is also a fact up new fields for revolutionary propaganda, and in that Klara Zetkin and Adolf Hoffmann and others the end will strengthen the faith of the workers in have come out openly in support of Levi decla the and in so doing strengthen the motive ration, and have been ordered by the Central Com power of the working class. The struggles of Demittee, in consequence, to refrain from fulfilling cember, 1918, of January and March, 1919, were their duties as representatives of the party in the failures, and yet in them and through them the onag and in the Landtag sessions until the ward march of Communism in Germany was born.
next meeting of the Central Committee. The state But while, at that time, the advance guard of the ment made by Klara Zetkin begins as follows: class conscious proletariat fought in the defensive. The Central Committee has deserted the to day it is the attacker, and carries on the fight