BolshevismBourgeoisieCapitalismCominternCommunismCommunist PartyGerman RevolutionKronstadtRussian RevolutionSocialismSovietTerrorismWorkers PartyWorking ClassZinoviev

73 THE WORKERS COUNCIL 72 THE WORKERS COUNCIL JUNE 1, 1921 June 1, 1921 tion, in its struggle for power, has had to employ Mons. Longuet like Herr Bauer, expressed his symthe slogan of Soviets in order to get support against pathy, not with the Communists, who were forming the Communist Party, is one of world historical im a defence to Petrograd of their bodies on the ice portance. When the proletariat of Western Europe in the Gulf of Finland, but with the misguided tools in their solidarity with Soviet Russia, as the hub of world reaction in Kronstadt.
of the world Revolution, say to themselves. My The Kronstadt events compel the West European country, right or wrong, when it refuses to be in proletariat to draw still further conclusions. They fluenced in its relation to the Communist Party of are weighing up our differences with the section of Russia by tales either of its terrorism, or its op the Communist movement which believes that the Rusportunism, it, in this way, expresses its great revolu sian Dictatorship of the Communist Party must be tionary instinct. It understands that here it is not opposed by the dictatorship of the mass; of the whole a question of the extent to which communism is act of the working class. The Laufenbergs and Wolfually being carried out in Russia, whether communism heims (former leaders of the German Communist can be rapidly introduced, or whether it can be in Labor Party. who in 1919, believed they could optroduced in an isolated agricultural country, but it pose the idea of the Dictatorship of the Communist is a question of Russia having been torn out of the Party by the idea of the dictatorship of the masses, hands of the European counter revolution, and that have now avowedly gone into the camp of the counterhundreds of millions of peasants and the economid revolution. In their last pamphlet Moscow and the forces of the greatest country in Europe are not being German Revolution they frankly express themselves employed in the military and economic service of as opponents, not only of the Russian Communist capitalism which is now fighting for its very existence, Party, but also of Soviet Russia, by denouncing the but in the service of the world proletariat struggling Soviet Government to the German labor masses as for a new economic system. And the world proletariat a bad edition of Tzarism. They are now regarded understands that under these conditions the Com by the Communist elements in Germany, with whom munist Party is right when it retains power in its they have up till now maintained a spiritual bond, hands. Whatever the Communist Party does will be as counter revolutionaries. This process can only be judged by history from the standpoint of the manner brought to a definite end when all the sections of the it has served this purpose; this may mean either the Communist International see not only the Russian application of terroristic measures, at the moment aspect of the events of Kronstadt, and the tactics when the enemy is attacking, for the purpose of gather of the Russian counter revolution, but also the intering all the resources of the country to defeat the national aspect. The peculiar Russian feature of counter revolution, or to make concessions to the petty these events lies in the fact that the proletarian stratum bourgeois elements in order to sever them from the in Russian society is smaller than in Western Europe, bearers of counter revolution, the junkers and the that the petty bourgeois stratum in Russia is greater capitalists. This is what the advanced guard of the than in England or Germany, and for that reason, proletariat whit its revolutionary instinct has grasped, its influence upon the working class in Russia is and they see now how correct were those who said greater than it is in Western Europe; for that reason that you cannot support the Russian Revolution and the possibilities of petty bourgeois hesitation and at the same time combat the Russian Communist wavering of the working class is greater in Russia Party. The attempt of the Hilferdings, Dittmanns, than in the West of Europe. The struggle in Western Longuets, and Bauers, to distinguish between Soviet Europe will be far more severe because the bourgeoisie Russia, the Russian Revolution, and the Communist there is far better organized than was the Russian Party, in the light of the stand taken by the Rus bourgeoisie. The food difficulties will be ten times sian counter revolution during the Kronstadt affair, greater than they are in Russia and conditions will is a deception and at best a piece of self deception. arise in which the broad labor masses will wave Long live the Russian Revolution, Long live Soviet when they will begin to think of capitulating to the Russia, Down with the Russian Communists and bourgeoisie, and when the dictatorship of the prolethe Dictators of Moscow, echo the Tzarist minister tariat will only be able to maintain itself in the form of Finance, Kokovtzev, Dardanelles Miliukov, the of the steelhearted advanced vanguard, the Communist Paris Bourse, and General Wrangel and they add: Party. Just as the declaration of the Centre that If the Communist Party of Russia is beaten, the it is in favor of dictatorship, but against terror, is counter revolution can afford for a little while to nothing else than a declaration to the effect that these wrap itself in the mantle of the Soviets. In the light elements are not prepared to use every means to of this, the Hilferdings, the Dittmanns, the Bauers, secure the victory of the masses, and that they are and the Longuets, and all the heroes of the Second prepared to betray it each time a difficult situation and a Half International, prove themselvse to be, arises, so is the cry in favor of dictatorship of the not the Right Wing of the Revolutionary Working whole working class as against the dictatorship of Class Movement, but the Left Wing of the capitalist the Communist Party proof that these elements are counter revolution. The future historian of this great only prepared to fight as long as the backward elestruggle for the freedom of the world proletariat ments of the working class remain at their post, that will record the fact that on the day, on which the is, as long as the struggle is easy, when there will Russian Communists filled the breaches in the de be no need to starve, to freeze or to bleed. In our fences of Petrograd with their bodies, caused by the pamphlet The Dictatorship of the Working class and ronstadt mutiny, the Freiheit referred to Zinoviev the Communist Party, written in the summer of 1919 as the corrupter of the Russian Proletariat. that against Laufenberg and Wolfheim, we wrote under no circumstances will the Communist Party dissolve endeavour to hold it. The conditions will then im after the seizure of power. It will closely bind its prove. The working class will again rally round the members, the best representatives of the Dictatorship, Party and it will be able to lead the struggle to ultimate and decide with them what measures have to be car victory. The emancipation of the working class can ried out in the organs of power of the proletariat. only be the task of the fighting majority of the prot The Communist Party, as a concentrated power, will letariat. But in the struggle for emancipation, circummarch in advance of the masses and its organs, in stances may arise in which the revolutionary minority order to preserve the dictatorship. For the proletariat of the working class must take the whole burden of is not secured once and for all in one blow. Until the struggle upon its own shoulders, in which dictatorultimate victory it must be won anew every day. The ship of the proletariat must temporarily take the form labor masses, which to day are divided into sections, of the dictatorship of the Communist Party. That varying stages of fighting fitness, must, in the process was the position at one time in Russia.
of the advancing proletarian revolution, be imbued We are convinced that the Kronstadt events will with the determination to fight, in order that the teach those communist elements who have not sufexistence of a proletarian dictatorship be at all post ficiently appreciated the role of the Party in the resible. But this unity is only relative. There will volution, the real conclusions of the resolution of the always be a section of the proletariat, which during Second Congress of the Communist International on the establishment of the dictatorship, will be hostile, this question. It is not sufficient however for the or will idly stand aside, and the masses, which on the principle that the proletarian party must retain power.
day of victory, will celebrate, in the days of difficulty, in its own hand when the petty bourgeois counter in the days of setbacks, will waver, will doubt the revolution in the form of the dissatisfaction of the possibility of ultimate victory and will think of sur workers, advances against it to be accepted. It must render. The proletarian revolution does not bring be understood that however much the Communist any immediate relief from poverty. Under certain cir Party must rely upon the masses of the workers in cumstances it will bring a change for the worse in order to secure victory, conditions may arise even in the position of the proletariat, and for this Western Europe, in which the vanguard will have to reason, it is necessary to have a strong, cen retain power in its own hands for some time. It must tralized Communist Party, which, as the strong be understood that under all circumstances the Com of the proletariat, must be determined for munist Party is the soul of the Revolution, and the a certain period, if the conditions of the struggle do backbone of the Proletarian Dictatorship.
not improve, and the temper of the masses does not The struggle which the Communist Party is at rise, to retain power as a Party representing the re present conducting in order to strengthen its influence volutionary minority. Naturally, if the majority of among the as yet non Communist working masses, the the working class is imbued with the false hope that struggle which it is conducting to awaken the initiative it will be able to live better in the chains of capitalist of these masses, is the culmination of its iron deter slavery, than by struggling for its freedom and will mination at all cost to maintain power. This deterexhibit active hostility to the proletarian dictatorship, mination should serve as an example for the Com the Communist Party will not be able to maintain munists in other countries. The greatest lesson of the its position; but it must remain at its post and Kronstadt events is its international lesson.
arm Class Divisions in France By ISAAC HOURWICH Prior to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia it was in the United States? In the present article we shall generally accepted as a fact that the proletariat con examine the results of the French census in 1911.
stitutes the majority of the population of every capitalIn the following table the whole active istic country. The present writer, in a number of French population is classified substantially along the articles, challenged this belief and showed, on the same lines as the population of the United States basis of the United States census returns, that the is classified. The French definition of the active proletariat, including hired farm help, constituted in population differs from the American definition of 1900 but 44. per cent. of all persons engaged in gain persons engaged in gainful occupations in that the ful occupations, while the industrial wagen earners wives of farmers, small traders, and independent artisans are counted as active alone numbered but 34. per cent. of all bread winners.
persons, whereas the American census of occupations includes among An analysis of the later census figures by Prof. Alvin bread winners only those married women who are Hansen, of the University of Minnesota, showed little change in 1910. The industrial wage earners still personally proprietors of the farm or business, or who are paid for their labor or services. The Amerconstituted but 38. per cent. of the total number of ican census statistics, however, are not quite conbread winners.
sistent, because they classify farmers unmarried Is the United States in an exceptional condition? daughters as farm laborers. Furthermore, the French What is the situation in the European countries where census makes no distinction between farm laborers the socialist movement has made greater strides than and farmers children helping on the farm.