Leon Trotsky the war and the indernational.doc

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Leon Trotsky

The War and the International

(The Bolsheviks and World Peace)

Transcribed for theTrotsky Internet Archive,now part of theMarxists’ Internet Archive, by David Walters in 199

PART IThe War and the International Index

Author’s Preface

CHAPTER I. The Balkan uestion

CHAPTER II. Austria!Hun"ary

CHAPTER III# The War A"ainst C$aris%

&'TE(

)L'((AR* '+ &A,E(

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

The forces of prod!ction which capitalis" has evolvedhave o!t#rown the li"its of nation and state$ Thenational state, the present political for", is too narrow for the exploitation of these prod!ctive forces$ Thenat!ral tendency of o!r econo"ic syste", therefore, isto seek to break thro!#h the state bo!ndaries$ The whole #lobe, the land and the sea, the s!rface as wellas the interior has beco"e one econo"ic workshop,the different parts of which are inseparably connected with each other$ This work was acco"plished by capitalis"$ %!t in acco"plishin# it the capitalist states

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were led to str!##le for the s!b&ection of the world'e"bracin# econo"ic syste" to the profit interests of the bo!r#eoisie of each co!ntry$ What the politics of i"perialis" has de"onstrated "ore than anythin#

else is that the old national state that was created inthe revol!tions and the wars ()* of 1+ 9'1 1), 1 - '1 )9, 1 -'1 , and 1 +. has o!tlived itself, and isnow an intolerable hindrance to econo"icdevelop"ent$

The present war is at botto" a revolt of the forces of prod!ction a#ainst the political for" of nation andstate$ It "eans the collapse of the national state as anindependent econo"ic !nit$

The nation "!st contin!e to exist as a c!lt!ral,ideolo#ic and psycholo#ical fact, b!t its econo"icfo!ndation has been p!lled fro" !nder its feet$ All talk of the present bloody clash bein# a work of nationaldefense is either hypocrisy or blindness$ /n thecontrary, the real, ob&ective si#nificance of the War isthe breakdown of the present national econo"iccenters, and the s!bstit!tion of a world econo"y in itsstead$ %!t the way the #overn"ents propose to solvethis proble" of i"perialis" is not thro!#h theintelli#ent, or#ani0ed cooperation of all of h!"anity’sprod!cers, b!t thro!#h the exploitation of the world’secono"ic syste" by the capitalist class of the victorio!s co!ntry which co!ntry is by this War to betransfor"ed fro" a 2reat 3ower into the World3ower$

The War proclai"s the downfall of the nationalstate$ 4et at the sa"e ti"e it proclai"s the downfall of the capitalist syste" of econo"y$ %y "eans of thenational state, capitalis" has revol!tioni0ed the wholeecono"ic syste" of the world$ It has divided the wholeearth a"on# the oli#archies of the #reat powers,aro!nd which were #ro!ped the satellites, the s"allnations, who lived off the rivalry between the #reatones$ The f!t!re develop"ent of world econo"y onthe capitalistic basis "eans a ceaseless str!##le fornew and ever new fields of capitalist exploitation,

which "!st be obtained fro" one and the sa"eso!rce, the earth$ The econo"ic rivalry !nder the

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banner of "ilitaris" is acco"panied by robbery anddestr!ction which violate the ele"entary principles of h!"an econo"y$ World prod!ction revolts not only a#ainst the conf!sion prod!ced by national and state

divisions b!t also a#ainst the capitalist econo"icor#ani0ations, which has now t!rned into barbaro!sdisor#ani0ation and chaos$

The War of 191- is the "ost colossal breakdown inhistory of an econo"ic syste" destroyed by its owninherent contradictions$

All the historical forces whose task it has been to#!ide the bo!r#eois society, to speak in its na"e and

to exploit it, have declared their historical bankr!ptcy by the War$ They defended capitalis" as a syste" of h!"an civili0ation, and the catastrophe born o!t of that syste" is pri"arily their catastrophe$ The first wave of events raised the national #overn"ents andar"ies to !nprecedented hei#hts never attained before$ 5or the "o"ent the nations rallied aro!ndthe"$ %!t the "ore terrible will be the crash of the#overn"ents when the people, deafened by theth!nder of the cannon, reali0e the "eanin# of theevents now takin# place in all their tr!th andfri#htf!lness$

The revol!tionary reaction of the "asses will be allthe "ore powerf!l the "ore prodi#io!s the cataclys" which history is now brin#in# !pon the"$

6apitalis" has created the "aterial conditions of anew 7ocialist econo"ic syste"$ I"perialis" has ledthe capitalist nations into historic chaos$ The War of 191- shows the way o!t of this chaos by violently !r#in# the proletariat on to the path of 8evol!tion$

5or the econo"ically backward co!ntries of !ropethe War brin#s to the fore proble"s of a far earlierhistoric ori#in : proble"s of de"ocracy and national!nity$ This is in a lar#e "eas!re the case with thepeoples of 8!ssia, A!stria';!n#ary, and the %alkan3enins!la$ %!t these historically belated <!estions, which were be<!eathed to the present epoch as aherita#e fro" the past, do not alter the f!nda"ental



character of the events$ It is not the nationalaspirations of the 7erbs, 3oles, 8!"anians or 5innsthat has "obili0ed twenty'five "illion soldiers andplaced the" in the battlefields, b!t the i"perialistic

interests of the bo!r#eoisie of the 2reat 3owers$ It isi"perialis" that has !pset co"pletely the !ropeanstat!s <!o, "aintained for forty five years, and raiseda#ain the old <!estions which the bo!r#eois revol!tionproved itself powerless to solve$ 4et in the presentepoch it is <!ite i"possible to treat these <!estions inand by the"selves$ They are !tterly devoid of anindependent character$ The creation of nor"alrelations of national life and econo"ic develop"enton the %alkan 3enins!la is !nthinkable if 60aris" and

A!stria';!n#ary are preserved$ 60aris" is now theindispensable "ilitary reservoir for the financiali"perialis" of 5rance and the conservative colonialpower of n#land$ A!stria';!n#ary is the "ainstay of 2er"any’s i"perialis"$ Iss!in# fro" the privatefa"ily clashes between the national 7erbian terroristsand the ;absb!r# political police, the War very <!ickly revealed its tr!e f!nda"ental character : astr!##le of life and death between 2er"any and

n#land$ While the si"pletons and hypocrites prate of the defense of national freedo" and independence,the 2er"an n#lish War is really bein# wa#ed for thefreedo" of the i"perialistic exploitation of the peoplesof India and #ypt on the one hand, and for thei"perialistic division of the peoples of the earth on theother$

2er"any be#an its capitalistic develop"ent on anational basis with the destr!ction of the continentalhe#e"ony of 5rance in the year 1 +.'1 +1$ =ow thatthe develop"ent of 2er"any ind!stry on a nationalfo!ndation has transfor"ed 2er"any into the first>capitalistic power of the world, she finds herself collidin# with the he#e"ony of n#land in her f!rtherco!rse of develop"ent$ The co"plete and !nli"iteddo"ination of the !ropean continent see"s to2er"any the indispensable prere<!isite of theoverthrow of her world ene"y$ The first thin#,therefore, that i"perialistic 2er"any writes in her

pro#ra" is the creation of a Middle !ropean ?ea#!eof =ations$ 2er"any, A!stria';!n#ary, the %alkan

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3enins!la and T!rkey, ;olland, the 7candinavianco!ntries, 7wit0erland, Italy, and, if possible,enfeebled 5rance and 7pain and 3ort!#al, are to "akeone econo"ic and "ilitary whole, a 2reat 2er"any

!nder the he#e"ony of the present 2er"an state$This pro#ra", which has been thoro!#hly

elaborated by the econo"ists, political st!dents, &!rists and diplo"ats of 2er"an i"perialis" andtranslated into reality by its strate#ists, is the "oststrikin# proof and "ost elo<!ent expression of the factthat capitalis" has expanded beyond the li"its of thenational state and feels intolerably cra"ped within its bo!ndaries$ The national 2reat 3ower "!st #o and in

its place "!st step the i"perialistic World 3ower$In these historical circ!"stances the workin# class,

the proletariat, can have no interest in defendin# theo!tlived and anti<!ated national @fatherland , whichhas beco"e the "ain obstacle to econo"icdevelop"ent$ The task of the proletariat is to create afar "ore powerf!l fatherland, with far #reater powerof resistance : the rep!blican Bnited 7tates of

!rope ( *as the fo!ndation of the Bnited 7tates of the World$

The only way in which the proletariat can "eet thei"perialistic perplexity of capitalis" is by opposin# toit as a practical pro#ra" of the day the 7ocialistor#ani0ation of world econo"y$

War is the "ethod by which capitalis", at thecli"ax of its develop"ent, seeks to solve its insol!blecontradictions$ To this$ "ethod the proletariat "!stoppose its own "ethod, the "ethod of the 7ocial8evol!tion$

The %alkan <!estion and the <!estion of theoverthrow of 60aris", propo!nded to !s by the

!rope of yesterday, can be solved only in arevol!tionary way, in connection with the proble" of the Bnited !rope of to"orrow$ The i""ediate,!r#ent task of the 8!ssian 7ocial De"ocracy, to whichthe a!thor belon#s, is the fi#ht a#ainst 60aris"$ What60aris" pri"arily seeks in A!stria';!n#ary and the






%alkans is a "arket for its political "ethods of pl!nder, robbery and acts of violence$ The 8!ssian bo!r#eoisie all the way !p to its radical intellect!alshas beco"e co"pletely de"orali0ed by the

tre"endo!s #rowth of ind!stry in the last five years,and it has entered into a bloody lea#!e with thedynasty, which had to sec!re to the i"patient 8!ssiancapitalists their part of the world’s booty by new landrobberies$ While 60aris" stor"ed and devastated2alicia, and deprived it even of the ra#s and tatters of liberty #ranted to it by the ;absb!r#s, while itdis"e"bered !nhappy 3ersia, and fro" the corner of the %osphor!s strove to throw the noose aro!nd theneck of the %alkan peoples, it left to the liberalis"

which it despised the task of concealin# its robbery by sickenin# decla"ations over the defense of %el#i!"and 5rance$ The year 191- spells the co"plete bankr!ptcy of 8!ssian liberalis", and "akes the8!ssian proletariat the sole cha"pion of the war of liberation$ It "akes the 8!ssian 8evol!tiondefinitively an inte#ral part of the 7ocial 8evol!tion of the !ropean proletariat$

In o!r war a#ainst 60aris", in which we have neverknown a @national tr!ce(+* we have never looked forhelp fro" ;absb!r# or ;ohen0ollern "ilitaris", and we are not lookin# for it now$ We have preserved as!fficiently clear revol!tionary vision to know that theidea of destroyin# 60aris" was !tterly rep!#nant to2er"an i"perialis"$ 60aris" has been its best ally onthe astern border$ It is !nited to it by close ties of social str!ct!re and historical ai"s$ 4et even if it wereotherwise, even if it co!ld be ass!"ed that, in$obedience to the lo#ic of "ilitary operations, it wo!lddeal a destr!ctive blow to 60aris", in defiance of thelo#ic of its own political interests : even in s!ch ahi#hly i"probable case we sho!ld ref!se to re#ardthe ;ohen0ollerns as an ally by sy"pathy or even by identity of i""ediate ai"s$ The fate of the 8!ssian8evol!tion is so inseparably bo!nd !p with the fate of

!ropean 7ocialis", and we 8!ssian 7ocialists standso fir"ly on the #ro!nd of internationalis", that wecannot, we "!st not for a "o"ent, entertain the idea

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5rance, and : what is "ore i"portant still : thereby inoc!latin# the 2er"an and A!strian proletariat withthe vir!s of i"perialis"$

We are !nited by "any ties to the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy$ We have all #one thro!#h the 2er"an7ocialist school, and learned lessons fro" its s!ccessesas well as fro" its fail!res$ The 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy was to !s not only a party of theInternational $$$ It was the 3arty par excellence$ Wehave always preserved and fortified the fraternal bondthat !nited !s with the A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy$ /nthe other hand we have always taken pride in the factthat we have "ade o!r "odest contrib!tion towards

winnin# the franchise in A!stria and aro!sin#revol!tionary tendencies in the 2er"an workin#class$( * It cost "ore than one drop of blood to do it$ We have !nhesitatin#ly accepted "oral and "aterials!pport fro" o!r older brother who fo!#ht for thesa"e ends as we on the other side of o!r Western border$

4et it is &!st beca!se of this respect for the past, andstill "ore o!t of respect for the f!t!re, which o!#ht to!nite the workin# class$ of 8!ssia with the workin#classes of 2er"any and A!stria, that we indi#nantly re&ect the @liberatin# aid which 2er"an i"perialis"offers !s in a Cr!pp "!nitions box, with the blessin#,alas of 2er"an 7ocialis"$ And we hope that theindi#nant protest of 8!ssian 7ocialis" will be lo!deno!#h to be heard in %erlin and in Eienna$

The collapse of the 7econd International(9* is atra#ic fact, and it were blindness or cowardice to closeone’s eyes to it$ The position taken by the 5rench and by the lar#er part of n#lish 7ocialis" is as "!ch apart of this breakdown as is the position of the2er"an and A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy$ If the present work addresses itself chiefly to the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy it is only beca!se the 2er"an party wasthe stron#est, "ost infl!ential, and in principle the"ost basic "e"ber of the 7ocialist world$ Its historiccapit!lation reveals "ost clearly the ca!ses of the

downfall of the 7econd International$


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At first #lance it "ay appear that the socialrevol!tionary prospects of the f!t!re are wholly deceptive$ The insolvency of the old 7ocialist partieshas beco"e catastrophically apparent$ Why sho!ld we

have faith in the f!t!re of the 7ocialist "ove"entF7!ch skepticis", tho!#h nat!ral, nevertheless leads to<!ite an erroneo!s concl!sion$ It leaves o!t of acco!ntthe #ood will of history, &!st as we have often been tooprone to i#nore its ill will, which has now so cr!elly shown itself in the fate that has overco"e theInternational$

The present War si#nali0es the collapse of thenational states$ The 7ocialist parties of the epoch now

concl!ded were national parties$ They had beco"ein#rained in the national states with all the different branches of their or#ani0ations, with all their activitiesand with their psyolo#y$ In the face of the sole"ndeclarations at their con#resses they rose to thedefense of the conservative state, when i"perialisrn,#rown bi# on the national soil, be#an to de"olish theanti<!ated national barriers$ And in their historiccrash the national states have p!lled down with the"the national 7ocialist parties also$

It is not 7ocialis" that has #one down, b!t itste"porary historical external for"$ The revol!tionary idea be#ins its life anew as it casts off its ri#id shell$This shell is "ade !p of livin# h!"an bein#s, of anentire #eneration of 7ocialists that has beco"efossili0ed in the self'abne#atin# work of a#itation andor#ani0ation thro!#h a period of several decades of political reaction, and has fallen into the habits and views of national opport!nis" or possibilis"$ Allefforts to save the 7econd International on the old basis, by personal diplo"atic "ethods and "!t!alconcessions, are <!ite hopeless$ The old "ole of history is now di##in# its passa#eways all too well andnone has the power to stop hi"$

As the national states have beco"e a hindrance tothe develop"ent of the forces of prod!ction, so the old7ocialist parties have beco"e the "ain hindrance to

the revol!tionary "ove"ent of theworkin# class$ It was necessary that they sho!ld de"onstrate to the f!ll



their extre"e backwardness, that they sho!lddiscredit their !tterly inade<!ate and narrow "ethods, and brin# the sha"e and horror of nationaldiscord !pon the proletariat, in order that workin#

class "i#ht e"ancipate itself, thro!#h these fearf!ldisill!sion"ents, fro" the pre&!dices and slavishhabits of the period of preparation, and beco"e at lastthat which the voice of history is now callin# it to bethe revol!tionary class fi#htin# for power$

The 7econd International has not lived in vain$ Ithas acco"plished a h!#e c!lt!ral work$ There has been nothin# like it in history before$ It has ed!catedand asse"bled the oppressed classes The proletariat

does not now need to be#in at the be#innin#$ It enterson the new road not with e"pty hands$ The past epochha#be<!eathed to it a rich arsenal of ideas$ It has be<!eathed to it the weapons of criticis"$ The new epoch will teach the proletariat to co"bine the old weapons of criticis" with the new criticis" or weapons$ (1.*

This book was written in extre"e haste, !nderconditions far fro" favo!rable to syste"atic work$ A lar#e part of it is devoted to the old International which has fallen$ %!t the entire book, fro" the first tothe last pa#e, was written with the iea of the =ew International constantly in "ind, the =ew International which "!st rise !p o!t of the present world cataclys", the International of the last conflictand the final victory$

Leon Trotsky

CHAPTER I

THE BALKAN QUESTION@The War at present bein# wa#ed a#ainst 8!ssian60aris" and its vassals is do"inated by a #reat historicidea$ The i"pet!s of this #reat historic idea consecratesthe battlefields of 3oland and of astern 8!ssia$ The roarof cannon, the rattlin# of "echine #!ns, and the onr!sh of cavalry, all betoken the enforce"ent of the de"ocratic






pro#ra" for the liberation of the nations$ ;ad 60aris", inlea#!e with the 5rench capitalistic powers and in lea#!e with an !nscr!p!lo!s >nation of shopkeepers’(11*, nots!cceeded in s!ppressin# the 8evol!tion of 19.), thepresent sla!#hter of the nations wo!ld have been avoided$

@A de"ocratic 8!ssia wo!ld never have consented to wa#e this !nscr!p!lo!s and f!tile War$ The #reat ideas of freedo" and &!stice now speak the pers!asive lan#!a#e of the "achine #!n and the sword, and every hearts!sceptible of sy"pathy with &!stice and h!"anity canonly wish that the power of 60aris" "ay be destroyedonce for all, and the oppressed 8!ssian nationalities "ay a#ain sec!re the ri#ht to decide their own destinies$

The above <!otation is fro" the Nep !a"a of A!#!stG1, 191-, the official or#an of the 7ocialist party of ;!n#ary$ ;!n#ary is the land whose entire inner It (F* was erected !pon the hi#h handed oppression of thenational "inorities, !pon the enslave"ent of thelabo!rin# classes, !pon the official parasitis" and!s!ry of the r!lin# caste of lar#e landowners$ It is theland in which "en like Tis0a are "asters of thesit!ation, dyed'in'the'wool a#rarians, with the"a!ners of political bandits$ In a word, ;!n#ary is aco!ntry closest of kin to 60ar r!led 8!ssia$

7o what is "ore fittin# that that the Nep !a"a , the7ocialist or#an of ;!n#ary, sho!ld hail with o!tb!rstsof enth!sias" the liberatin# "ission of the 2er"anand A!stro';!n#arian ar"iesF Who other than 6o!ntTis0a co!ld have felt the call to @enforce thede"ocratic pro#ra" for the liberation of the nations F Who was there to !phold the eternal principles of law and &!stice in !rope b!t the r!lin# cli<!e of %!dapest, the discredited 3ana"ists (1H*$ Wo!ld yo!entr!st this "ission to the !nscr!p!lo!s diplo"acy of @perfidio!s Albion((1G* to the nation of shopkeepersF

?a!#hter t!rns away wrath$ The tra#icinconsistencies of the policies followed by theInternational not only reach their cli"ax in thearticles of the poorNep !a"a they disar" !s by theirh!"o!r$

The present series of events be#an with the!lti"at!" sent to 7erbia by A!stria';!n#ary$ There was not the sli#htest reason why the international


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7ocial De"ocracy sho!ld take !nder its protection theintri#!es of the 7erbs or any other of the petty dynasties of the %alkan 3enins!la$ They were allendeavo!rin# to hide their political advent!res !nder

the cloak of national aspirations$ We had still lessca!se to lash o!rselves into a state of "oralindi#nation becli!se a fanatic yo!n# 7erb respondedto the cowardly, cri"inal and wi national politics of the Eienna and %!dapest #overn"ent a!thorities witha bloody assassination$(It is noteworthy that these opport!nistic A!strian and 2er"an 7ocialists are now writhin# with "oral indi#nationover the @treachero!s assassination at 7ara&avo $ And yet they alwayssy"pathi0ed with the 8!ssian terrorists "ore than we, the 8!ssian 7ocialDe"ocrats, did, who are opposed on principle to the terroristic "ethod$

?ost in the "ist of cha!vinis", they can no lon#er see that the!nfort!nate 7erbian terrorist, 2avrilo 3rin0ip, represents precisely thesa"e national principle as the 2er"an terrorist, 7and$ 3erhaps they willeven as !s to transfer o!r sy"pathies fro" 7and to Cot0eb!eF /r perhapsthese en!chs will advise the 7wiss to overthrow the "on!"ents erectedto assassin Tell and replace the" with "on!"ents to the A!strian#overnor, 2eissler, one of the spirit!al forer!nners of the "!rdered Archd!keF : L.T. *

/f one thin# we have no do!bt$ In the dealin#s between the Dan!be Monarchy and the 7erbian#overn"ent, the historic ri#ht, that is to say, the ri#htof free develop"ent, rests entirely with 7erbia, &!st asItaly was in the ri#ht in the year 1 )9$ Bnderneath thed!d between the i"perial police sco!ndrels and theterrorists of %el#rade, there is hidden a far deeper"eanin# than "erely the breed of the Cara#eor#evitches or the cri"es of the 60ar’sdiplo"acy$ /n one side were the i"perialistic clai"sof a national state that had lost its vitality, and on the

other side, the strivin# of the dis"e"bered 7erbiannation to re'inte#rate itself into a national whole and beco"e a livin# vital state$

Is it for this that we have sat so lon# in the school of 7ocialis" to for#et the first three letters of thede"ocratic alphabetF This absol!te lapse of "e"ory,"oreover, "ade its appearance only after the -th of A!#!st$ Bp to that fatal date the 2er"an Marxistsshowed that they knew very well what was happenin#

in 7o!th astern !rope$

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/n !ly G, 191-, after the assassination at 7ara&evo,the #or$%rt wroteJ

@The bo!r#eois revol!tion of the 7o!th 7lavs is in f!llswin#, and the shootin# at 7ara&evo, however wild andsenseless an act in itself is as "!ch a chapter of thisrevol!tion as the battles by which the %!l#arians, 7erbs,and Montene#rins liberated the peasants of Macedoniafro" the yoke of T!rkish fe!dal exploitation$ Is it a wonder that the 7o!th 7lavs of A!stria';!n#ary look withlon#!# to their racial brothers in the kin#do" of 7erbiaFThe 7erbs in 7erbia have attained the hi#hest #oal apeople can attain in the present order of society$ They have attained national independence$ Whereas in Eiennaor %!dapest they treat every one bearin# the narne of 7erb or 6roatian with blows and kicks, with co!rt'"artial &!stice and the #allows $$$ There are seven and a half "illion 7o!th 7lavs who, as a res!lt of the victories in the%alkans, have #rown bolder than ever in de"andin# theirpolitical ri#hts$ And if the i"perial throne of A!striacontin!es to resist their i"pact, it will topple over and theentire "pire with which we have co!pled o!r destiny will break to pieces$ 5or it is in line with historic evol!tionhat s!ch national revol!tions sho!ld "arch onward to victory$

If the International 7ocial De"ocracy to#ether with its7erbian contin#ent, offered its !nyieldin# resistance to7erbia’s national clai"s, it was certainly not o!t of any consideration for the historic ri#hts of A!stria';!n#ary to oppress and disinte#rate the nationalitieslivin# within her borders and "ost certainly not o!tof consideration for the liberatin# "ission of the;absb!r#s$ Bntil A!#!st 191- (1-* no one, except the black and yellow hirelin#s of the press, dared to breathe a word abo!t that$ The 7ocialists wereinfl!enced in their co!rse of cond!ct by entirely different "otives$ 5irst of all, the proletariat, altho!#h by no "eans disp!tin# the historic ri#ht of 7erbia tostrive for national !nity, co!ld not tr!st the sol!tion of this proble" to the powers then controllin# thedestinies of the 7erbian kin#do"$ And in the secondplace : and this was for !s the decidin# factor : theinternational 7ocial De"ocracy co!ld not sacrifice thepeace of !rope to the national ca!se of the 7erbs,reco#ni0in#, as it did, that, except for a !ropeanrevol!tion, the only way s!ch !nity co!ld be achieved

was thro!#h a !ropean war$





%!t fro" the "o"ent A!stria';!n#ary carried the<!estion of her own fate and that of 7erbia to the battlefield, 7ocialists co!ld no lon#er have the sli#htestdo!bt that social and national pro#ress wo!ld be hit

"!ch harder in 7o!th astern !rope by a ;absb!r# victory than by a 7erbian victory$ To be s!re, there wasstill no reason for !s 7ocialists to identify o!r ca!se with the ai"s of the 7erbian ar"y$ This was the ideathat ani"ated the 7erbian 7ocialists, ?&aptchevitchand Cat0lerovitch, when they took the "anly stand of votin# a#ainst the war credits$(To appreciate f!lly this actionof the 7erbian 7ocialists we "!st bear in "ind the political sit!ation by which they were confronted$ A #ro!p of 7erbian conspirators had"!rdered a "e"ber of the ;absb!r# fa"ily, the "ainstay of A!sro'

;!n#arian clericalis", "ilitaris", and i"perialis"$ Bsin# this as a welco"e pretext, the "ilitary parry in Eienna sent an !lti"at!" to7erbia, which for sheer a!dacity, has scarcely ever been paralleled indiplo"atic history$ In reply, the 7erbian #overn"ent "ade extra'ordinary concessions, and s!##ested that the sol!tion of the <!estion in disp!te bet!rned over to the ;a#!e trib!nal$ There!pon A!stria declared war on7erbia$ If the idea of a @war of defence has any "eanin# at all, it certainly applied to 7erbia in this instance$ =evertheless, o!r friends, ?&aptchevitchand Cat0lerovitch, !nshaken in their conviction of the co!rse of actionthat they as 7ocialists "!st p!rs!e, ref!sed the #overn"ent a vote of confidence$ The writer was in 7erbia at the be#innin# of the War$ In the7k!ptchina, in an at"osphere of indescribable national enth!sias"$ a vote was taken on the war credits$ The votin# was by rollcall$ Twoh!ndred "e"bers had answered @4es $ Then in a "o"ent of deathlikesilence ca"e the voice of the 7ocialist ?&aptchevitch @=o $ very one feltthe "oral force of this protest, and the scene has re"ained indelibly i"pressed !pon "y "e"ory$ : L.T. * %!t s!rely we had still lessreason to s!pport the p!rely dynastic ri#hts of the;apsb!r#s and the i"perialistic interests of thefe!dal'capitalistic cli<!es a#ainst the national str!##leof the 7erbs$ At all events, the A!stro';!n#arian7ocial De"ocracy, which now invokes its blessin#s!pon the sword of the ;absb!r#s for the liberation of the 3oles, the Bkrainians, the 5inns and the 8!ssianpeople, "!st first of all clarify its ideas on the 7erbian<!estion, which has #otten so hopelessly "!ddled$

The <!estion at iss!e, however, is not confined tothe fate of the ten "illion 7erbs$ The clash of the

!ropean nations has bro!#ht !p the entire %alkan

<!estion anew$ The 3eace of %!charest(1)*

si#ned in19.G, has solved neither the national nor the

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international proble"s in the =ear ast$ It has only intensified the added conf!sion res!ltin# fro" the two!nfinished %alkan Wars, !nfinished beca!se of theco"plete te"porary exha!stion of the nations

participatin# in it$8!"ania had followed in the path of A!stro'

;!n#arian politics, despite the 8o"anes<!esy"pathies of its pop!lation, especially in the cities$This was d!e not so "!ch to dynastic ca!ses, to thefact that a ;ohen0ollern prince occ!pied the throne,as to the i""inent dan#er of a 8!ssian invasion$ In1 +9 the 8!ssian 60ar, as thanks for 8!"ania’ss!pport in the 8!sso'T!rkish War of @liberation , c!t

off a slice of 8!"anian territory, the province of %essarabia$ This elo<!ent deed provided a s!fficient backin# to the dynastic sy"pathies of the;ohen0ollern in %!charest$ %!t the Ma#yar';absb!r#cli<!e s!cceeded in incensin# the 8!"anian peoplea#ainst the" by their denationali0in# policy inTransylvania, which has a pop!lation of three "illion8!"anians as a#ainst three'fo!rths of a "illion in the8!ssian province of %essarabia and they f!rtheranta#oni0ed the" by their co""ercial treaties, which were dictated by the interests of the lar#e A!stro';!n#arian landowners$ 7o that 8!"ania’s entranceinto the War on the side of the 60ar, despite theco!ra#eo!s and active a#itation a#ainst participationin the War on either side, carried on by the 7ocialistparty !nder the leadership of "y friends 2herea and 8akovsky , is to be laid alto#ether atthe door of the r!lin# class of A!stria';!n#ary, whoare reapin# the harvest they have sown here as well aselsewhere$

%!t the "atter is not disposed of by fixin# thehistorical responsibility$ To"orrow, in a "onth, in a year or "ore the War will brin# to the fore#ro!nd the whole <!estion of the destiny of the %alkan peoplesand of A!stria';!n#ary, and the proletariat will haveto have its answer to this <!estion$ !ropeande"ocracy in the nineteenth cent!ry looked withdistr!st at the %alkan people’s str!##le for

independence, beca!se it feared that 8!ssia "i#ht bestren#thened at the expense of T!rkey$ /n this s!b&ect


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Carl Marx wrote in 1 )G, on the eve of the 6ri"ean WarJ

@It "ay be said that the "ore fir"ly established 7erbiaand the 7erbian nationality is, the "ore the directinfl!ence of 8!ssia on the T!rkish 7lavs is shoved into the back#ro!nd$ 5or in order to be able to "aintain itsposition as a state, 7erbia had to i"port its politicalinstit!tions, its schools $$$ fro" Western !rope$

This prophesy has been brilliantly f!lfilled in what hasact!ally happened in %!l#aria, which was created by 8!ssia as an o!tpost on the %alkans$ As soon as%!l#aria was fairly well established as a national state,it developed a stron# anti'8!ssian party, !nder the

leadership of 8!ssia’s for"er p!pil, 7ta"b!lov , andthis party was able to sta"p its iron seal !pon theentire forei#n policy of the yo!n# co!ntry$ The whole"echanis"of the political parties in %!l#aria is soconstr!cted as to enable it to steer between the two

!ropean co"binations witho!t bein# absol!tely forced into the channel of either, !nless it chooses toenter it of its own accord$ 8!"ania went with the A!stro'2er"an alliance, 7ervia, since 19.G, with8!ssia, beca!se the one was "enaced directly by 8!ssia, the other by A!stria$ The "ore independentthe co!ntries of 7o!th ast !rope are front A!stria';!n#ary, the "ore effectively they will be able toprotect their independence a#ainst 60aris"$

The balance of power in the %alkans, created by the6on#ress of %erlin (1 * in 1 +9, was f!ll of contradictions$ 6!t !p by artificial ethno#raphical bo!ndaries, placed !nder the control of i"porteddynasties fro" 2er"an n!rseries, bo!nd hand andfoot by the intri#!es of the 2reat 3owers, the peoplesof the %alkans co!ld not cease their efforts for f!rthernational freedo" and !nity$ The national politics of independent %!l#aria was nat!rally directed towardsMacdeonia, pop!lated by %!l#arians$ The %erlin6on#ress had left it !nder T!rkish r!le$ /n the otherhand, 7ervia had practically nothin# to look for inT!rkey with the exception of 7an&ak, =ovy %a0ar$ Itsnational interests lay on the other side of the A!stro';!n#arian bo!ndary, in %osnia';er0e#ovina, 6roatia,7lavonia and Dal"atia$ 8!"ania had no interests in

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the 7o!th, where it is separated fro" !ropeanT!rkey by 7ervia and %!l#aria$ 8!"ania’s expansionpolicy was directed towards the =orth West and the

ast, towards ;!n#arian Transylvania and 8!ssian

%essarabia$ 5inally, the national expansion of 2reece,like that of %!l#aria, collided with T!rkey$ A!stro'2er"an politics, ai"in# at the artificial preservationof !ropean T!rkey, broke down not on acco!nt of thediplo"atic intri#!es of 8!ssia, altho!#h these of co!rse were not lackin#$ It broke down beca!se of theinevitable co!rse of evol!tion$ The %alkan 3enins!lahad entered on the path of capitalist develop"ent, andit was this fact that raised the <!estion of the self'deter"ination of the %alkan peoples as national states

to the historical iss!e of the day$The %alkan War disposed of !ropean T!rkey, and

thereby created the conditions necessary for thesol!tion of the %!l#arian and 2reek <!estions$ %!t7ervia and 8!"ania, whose national co"pletion co!ldonly be achieved at the expense of A!stria';!n#ary,fo!nd the"selves checked in their efforts at expansionso!thwards, and were co"pensated at the expense of what racially belon#ed to %!l#aria : 7ervia inMacedonia, and 8!"ania in Dobr!d&a$ This is the"eanin# of the second %alkan War and the 3eace of %!charest by which it was concl!ded$ The "ereexistence of A!stria';!n#ary, this T!rkey of Middle

!rope, blocks the way to the nat!ral self'deter"ination of the peoples of the 7o!th' ast$ Itco"pels the" to keep constantly fi#htin# a#ainst eachother, to seek s!pport a#ainst each other fro" theo!tside, and so "akes the" a tool of the politicalco"binations of the 2reat 3owers$ It was only in s!chchaos that 60arist diplo"acy was enabled to spin the web of its %alkan politics, the last thread of which was6onstantinople$ And only a federation of the %alkanstates, both econo"ic and "ilitary, can interpose aninvincible barrier to the #reed of 60aris"$

=ow that !ropean T!rkey has been disposed of, itis A!stria';!n#ary that stands in the way of afederation of the %alkan states$ 8!"ania, %!l#aria,

and 7ervia wo!ld have fo!nd their nat!ral bo!ndaries,and wo!ld have !nited with 2reece and T!rkey, on the



basis of co""on econo"ic interests, into a lea#!e of defence$ This wo!ld finally have bro!#ht peace to the%alkan 3enins!la, that witches’ ca!ldron whichperiodically threatened !rope with explosions, !ntil

it drew it into the present catastrophe$ Bp to a certainti"e the 7ocialists had to reconcile the"selves to thero!tine way in which the %alkan <!estion was treated by capitalistic diplo"ats, who in their conferences andsecret a#ree"ents stopped !p one hole only to openanother, even wider one$ 7o lon# as this dilatory "ethod kept postponin# the final sol!tion, the7ocialist International co!ld hope that the settle"entof the ;absb!r# s!ccession wo!ld be a "atter not fora !ropean war, b!t for the !ropean 8evol!tion$ %!t

now that the War has destroyed the e<!ilibri!" of the whole of !rope, and the predatory 3owers areseekin# to re"odel the "ap of !rope : not on the basis of national de"ocratic principles, b!t of "ilitary stren#th : the 7ocial De"ocracy "!st co"e to a clearco"prehension of the fact that one of the chief obstacles to freedo", peace and pro#ress, in additionto 60aris" and 2er"an "ilitaris", is the ;absb!r#Monarchy as a state or#ani0ation$ The cri"e of the2alician 7ocialist #ro!p !nder Das0ynski consisted notonly in placin# the 3olish ca!se above the ca!se of 7ocialis", b!t also linkin# the fate of 3oland with thefate of the A!stro';!n#arian ar"ies and the fate of the ;absb!r# Monarchy$ The 7ocialist proletariat of

!rope cannot adopt s!ch a sol!tion of the <!estion$5or !s the <!estion of !nited and independent 3olandis on a par with the <!estion of !nited andindependent 7erbia$ We cannot and we will not per"itthe 3olish <!estion to be solved by "ethods which willperpet!ate the chaos at present prevailin# in 7o!th'

astern !rope, in fact thro!#h the whole of !rope$5or !s 7ocialists the independence of 3oland "eans itsindependence on both fronts, on the8o"anov frontand on the ;absb!r# front$ We not only wish the3olish people to be free fro" the oppression of 60aris"$ We wish also that the fate of the 7erbianpeople shall not be dependent !pon the 3olish nobility in 2alicia$

5or the present we need not consider what therelations of an independent 3oland will be to

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%ohe"ia, ;!n#ary and the %alkan$ 5ederation$ %!t itis perfectly clear that a co"plex of "edi!"si0ed ands"all states on the Dan!be and in the %alkan3enins!la will constit!te a far "ore effective bar to the

60arist desi#ns on !rope than the weak, chaotic A!stro';!n#arian 7tate, which proves its ri#ht toexistence only by its contin!ed atte"pts !pon thepeace of !rope$

In the article of 1 )G, <!oted above, Marx wrote asfollows on the astern <!estionJ

We have seen that the states"en of !rope, in theirobd!rate st!pidity, petrified ro!tine, and hereditary intellect!al indolence, recoil fro" every atte"pt atanswerin# the <!estion of what is to beco"e of T!rkey in!rope$ The drivin# force that favo!rs 8!ssia’s advancetowards 6onstantinople is the very "eans by which it istho!#ht to keep her away fro" it, the e"pty theory, nevercarried o!t, of "aintainin# the stat!s <!o$ What is thisstat!s <!oF 5or the 6hristian s!b&ects of the 3orte(1+* it"eans nothin# else than the perpet!ation of theiroppression by T!rkey$ As lon# as they are !nder the yokeof the T!rkish r!le, they look !pon the head of the 2reek 6h!rch, the r!ler of . "illion 2reek 6h!rch 6hristians,as their nat!ral protector and liberator$

What is here said of T!rkey now applies in a still#reater de#ree to A!stria';!n#ary$ The sol!tion of the%alkan <!estion is !nthinkable witho!t the sol!tion of the A!stro';!n#arian <!estion, as they are bothco"prised in one and the sa"e for"!la : theDe"ocratic 5ederation of the Dan!be and %alkan=ations$

@The #overn"ents with their old'fashioned

diplo"acy, wrote Marx, @will never solve thediffic!lty$ ?ike the sol!tion of so "any otherproble"s, the T!rkish proble", too, is reserved for the

!ropean 8evol!tion$ This state"ent holds &!st as#ood today as when it was first written$ %!t for the8evol!tion to solve the diffic!lties that have piled !pin the co!rse of cent!ries, the proletariat "!st have itsown pro#ra" for the sol!tion of the A!stro';!n#arian<!estion$ And this pro#ra" it "!st oppose &!st asstren!o!sly to the 60aristic #reed of con<!est as to thecowardly and conservative efforts to "aintain the A!stro';!n#arian stat!s <!o$





CHAPTER II

AUSTRIA&HUN'AR( 8B77IA= 6KA8I7M !ndo!btedly represents a cr!derand "ore barbarian for" of state or#anisation thandoes the feebler absol!tis" of A!stria';!n#ary, whichhas been "iti#ated by the weakness of old a#e$ %!t8!ssian 60aris" and the 8!ssian state are by no"eans identical$ The destr!ction of 60aris" does not"ean the disinte#ration of the state$ /n the contrary it

"eans its liberation and its stren#thenin#$ All s!chassertions, as that it is necessary to p!sh 8!ssia back into Asia, which fo!nd an echo even in certain 7ocialDe"ocratic or#ans, are based on a poor knowled#e of #eo#raphy and ethno#raphy$ Whatever "ay be the fateof vario!s parts of present 8!ssia : 8!ssian 3oland,5inland, the Bkraine or %essarabia : !ropean 8!ssia will not cease to exist as the national territory of a"any'"illioned race that has "ade notable con<!estsalon# the line of c!lt!ral develop"ent d!rin# the last

<!arter cent!ry$L!ite different is the case of A!stria';!n#ary$ As a

state or#ani0ation it is identical with the ;absb!r#Monarchy$ It stands or falls with the ;absb!r#s, &!stas !ropean T!rkey was identical with the fe!dal'"ilitary /tto"an caste and fell when that castefell$1 * A con#lo"erate of racial fra#"ents centrif!#alin tendency, yet forced by a dynasty to stick to#ether, A!stria';!n#ary presents the "ost reactionary pict!re in the very heart of !rope$ Its contin!ationafter the present !ropean catastrophe wo!ld not only delay the develop"ent of the Dan!be and %alkanpeoples for "ore decades to co"e and "ake arepetition of the present War a practical certainty, b!tit wo!ld also stren#then 60aris" politically by preservin# its "ain so!rce of spirit!al no!rish"ent$

If the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy reconciles itself tothe r!in of 5rance by re#ardin# it as p!nish"ent for5rance’s alliance with 60aris", then we "!st ask that






the sa"e criterion be applied to the 2er"an'A!strianalliance$ And if the alliance of the two Westernde"ocracies with a despotic 60aris" #ives the lie tothe 5rench and n#lish press when they represent the

war as one of liberation, then is it not e<!ally arro#ant, if not "ore so, for the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy to spread the banner of liberty over the;ohen0ollern ar"y, the ar"y that is fi#htin# not only a#ainst 60aris" and its allies , b!t also for theentrench"ent of the ;absb!r# MonarchyF

A!tria';!n#ary is indispensable to 2er"any, to ther!lin# class in 2er"any as we know it$ When ther!lin# !nker class(19* threw 5rance into the ar"s of

60aris" by the forcef!l annexation of Alsace'?orraine ((H.* and syste"atically e"bittered therelations with n#land by rapidly increasin# navalar"a"ents when it rep!lsed all atte"pts at an!nderstandin# with the Western de"ocracies beca!ses!ch an !nderstandin# wo!ld have i"plied thede"ocrati0ation of 2er"any, then this r!lin# classsaw itself co"pelled to seek s!pport fro" the A!stro';!n#arian Monarchy as a reserve so!rce of "ilitary stren#th a#ainst the ene"ies in the ast and the West$

Accordin# to the 2er"an point of view the "issionof the D!al Monarchy(H1* was to place ;!n#arian,3olish, 8o"anian, 60ech, 8!thenian, 7erbian andItalian a!xiliaries in the service of the 2er"an "ilitary and !nker policy$ The r!lin# class in 2er"any hadeasily reconciled itself to the expatriation of ten totwelve "illions 2er"ans, for these twelve "illionsfor"ed the kernel aro!nd which the ;absb!r#s !niteda non'2er"an pop!lation of "ore than forty "illion$ A de"ocratic federation of independent Dan!benations wo!ld have "ade these peoples !seless asallies of 2er"an "ilitaris"$ /nly a "onarchy in A!stria';!n#ary, a "onarchy enforced by "ilitaris", wo!ld "ake that co!ntry of any val!e as an ally to

!nker 2er"any$ The indispensable condition for thisalliance, sanctified by the =ibel!n#en troth (HH* of dynasties, was the "ilitary preparedness of A!stria';!n#ary, a condition to be achieved in no other way

than by the "echanical s!ppression of the centrif!#alnational tendencies$











7ince A!stria';!n#ary is s!rro!nded on all sides by states co"posed of the sa"e races as are within its borders, its forei#n policy is necessarily inti"ately connected with its internal policy$ To keep seven

"illion 7erbs and 7o!th 7lavs within the fra"e of itsown "ilitary state, A!stria';!n#ary is co"pelled toextin#!ish the hearthfire that kindles their politicalleanin#s : the independent kin#do" of 7erbia$

A!stria’s !lti"at!" to 7erbia was the decisive stepin this direction$ took this step !nder the press!re of necessity, wrote d!ard%ernstein in )ieSo!iali ti ehe *onat he+te =o$1 N$ To be s!re itdid, if political events are considered fro" the

viewpoint of dynastic necessity$To defend the ;absb!r# policy on the #ro!nd of the

low "oral standard of the %el#rade r!lers is to closeone’s eyes to the fact that the ;absb!r#s did "akefriends with 7erbia, b!t only when 7erbia was !nderthe "ost despicable #overn"ent that the history of the!nfort!nate %alkan 3enins!la has known, that is, when it had at its head an A!strian a#ent, Milan$ Thereckonin# with 7erbia ca"e aslate beca!se the efforts"ade at self'preservation were too weak in theenfeebled or#anis" of the D!al Monarchy$ %!t afterthe death of the Archd!ke, the s!pport and hope of the A!strian "ilitary party : and of %erlin : A!stria’s ally #ave her$ a sharp di# in the ribs, insistin# !pon ade"onstration of fir"ness and stren#th$ =ot only was A!stria’s !lti"at!" to 7erbia approved of in advance by the r!lers of 2er"any, b!t, accordin# to allinfor"ation, it was act!ally inspired fro" that<!arter$ The evidence is plainly set forth in the very sa"e White Boo, which professional and a"ate!rdiplo"ats offer as a doc!"ent of the ;ohen0ollern love of peace$

After definin# the ai"s of 2reater 7erbianpropa#anda and the "achinations of 60aris" in the%alkans, the White Boo, statesJ

Bnder s!ch conditions A!stria was forced to thereali0ation that it was not co"patible with the di#nity orthe self'preservation of the Monarchy to look on at thedoin#s across the border and re"ain passive$ The

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I"perial 2overn"ent infor"ed !s of this view and askedfor o!r opinion$ We co!ld sincerely tell o!r ally that wea#reed with his esti"ate of the sit!ation and co!ld ass!rehi" that any action he "i#ht find necessary to p!t an endto the "ove"ent in 7erbia a#ainst the A!strian Monarchy wo!ld "eet with o!r approval$ In doin# so, we were wellaware of the fact that event!al war operations on the partof A!stria';!n#ary "i#ht brin# 8!ssia into the field and"i#ht, accordin# to the ter"s of o!r alliance, involve !sin a war$

@%!t in view of the vital interests of A!stria';!n#ary that were at stake, we co!ld not advise o!r ally to show aleniency inco"patible with his di#nity, or ref!se hi" o!rs!pport in a "o"ent of s!ch #rave portent$ We were theless able to do so beca!se o!r own interests also were vitally threatened by the persistent a#itation in 7erbia$ If

the 7erbs, aided by 8!ssia and 5rance, had been allowedto #o on endan#erin# the stability of o!r nei#hbo!rin#Monarchy, this wo!ld have led to the #rad!al breakdownof A!stria and to the s!b&ection of all the 7lavic races tothe 8!ssian r!le$ At this in t!rn wo!ld have "ade theposition of the 2er"anic race in 6entral !rope <!iteprecario!s$ An A!stria "orally weakened, breakin# down before the advance of 8!ssian 3an'7lavis", wo!ld not bean ally with who" we co!ld reckon and on who" weco!ld depend, as we are obli#ed to depend, in the face of the increasin#ly threatenin# attit!de of o!r nei#hbo!rs tothe ast and the West$ We therefore left A!stria a freehand in its action a#ainst 7erbia$

The relation of the r!lin# class in 2er"any to the A!stro'7erbian conflict is here f!lly and clearly defined$ it is not "erely that 2er"any was infor"ed by the A!strian 2overn"ent of the latter’s intentions,not "erely that she approved the", and not "erely that she accepted the conse<!ences of fidelity to anally$ =o, 2er"any looked on A!stria’s a##ression as!navoidable, as a savin# act for herself, and act!ally "ade it a condition of the contin!ance of the alliance$/therwise, @A!stria wo!ld not be an ally with who" we co!ld reckon$

The 2er"an Marxists were f!lly aware of this stateof affairs and of the dan#ers l!rkin# in it$ /n !neH9th, a day after the "!rder of the A!strian Archd!ke,the #or$%rt wrote as followsJ

@The fate of o!r nation has been all too closely knit withthat of A!stria as a res!lt of a b!n#lin# forei#n policy$ /!rr!lers have "ade the alliance with A!stria the basis of o!r



entire forei#n policy$ 4et it beco"es clearer every day thatthis alliance is a so!rce of weakness rather than of stren#th$ The proble" of A!stria threatens "ore and"ore to beco"e a "enace to the peace of !rope$

A "onth later, when the "enace was abo!t toc!l"inate in the dread act!ality of war, on !ly H th,the chief or#an of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy wrotein e<!ally definite ter"s$ @;ow shall the 2er"anproletariat act in the face of s!ch a senselessparoxys"F it asked and then #ave the answerJ @The2er"an proletariat is not in the least interested in thepreservation of the A!strian national chaos$

L!ite the contrary$ De"ocratic 2er"any is far "oreinterested in the disr!ption than in the preservation of A!stria';!n#ary$ A disr!pted A!stria';!n#ary wo!ld"ean a #ain to 2er"any of an ed!cated pop!lation of twelve "illion and a capital city of the first rank, Eienna$ Italy wo!ld achieve national co"pletion, and wo!ld cease to play the role of the incalc!lable factorthat she always has been in the Triple Alliance$ Anindependent 3oland, ;!n#ary, %ohe"ia, and a %alkan5ederation incl!din# a 8!"ania of ten "illioninhabitants on the 8!ssian frontier, wo!ld be a "i#hty b!lwark a#ainst 60aris"$ And "ost i"portant of all, ade"ocratic 2er"any with a pop!lation of +),...,...2er"ans co!ld easily, witho!t the ;ohen0ollerns andthe r!lin# !nkers, co"e to an a#ree"ent with 5ranceand n#land and co!ld isolate 60aris" and conde"nits forei#n and internal policies to co"pletei"potence$ A policy directed towards this #oal wo!ldindeed be a policy of liberation for the people of 8!ssia as well as of A!stria';!n#ary$ %!t s!ch a

policy re<!ires an essential preli"inary condition,na"ely, that the 2er"an people, instead of entr!stin#the ;ohen0ollerns with the liberation of other nations,sho!ld set abo!t liberatin# the"selves fro" the;ohen0ollerns$

The attit!de of the 2er"an and A!stro';!n#arian7ocial De"ocracy in this war is in blatantcontradiction to s!ch ai"s$ At the present "o"ent itsee"s convinced of the necessity of preservin# and

stren#thenin# the ;absb!r# Monarchy in the interestsof 2er"any or of the 2er"an nation$ And it is



absol!tely fro" this anti'de"ocratic viewpoint : which drives the bl!sh of sha"e to the cheek of every internationally "inded 7ocialist that the Wiener Ar-eiter&.eit/n0 for"!lates the historical "eanin#

of the present War, when it declares @it is pri"arily a war of the AlliesN a#ainst the 2er"an spirit $

@Whether diplo"acy has acted wisely, whether thishas had to co"e, ti"e alone can decide$ =ow the fateof the 2er"an nation is at stake And there can be nohesitation, no waverin# The 2er"an people are onein the inflexible iron deter"ination not to bend to the yoke, and neither death nor devil can s!cceed and soforth and so on$ Wiener Ar-eiter&.eit/n0 , A!#!st

)thN$ We will not offend the political and literary tasteof the reader by contin!in# this <!otation$ =othin# issaid here abo!t the "ission of liberatin# other nations$;ere the ob&ect of the war is to preserve and sec!re@2er"an h!"anity $

The defence of 2er"an c!lt!re, 2er"an soil,2er"an h!"anity see"s to be the "ission not only of the 2er"an ar"y b!t of the A!stro';!n#arian ar"y as well$ 7erb "!st fi#ht a#ainst 7erb, 3ole a#ainst3ole, Bkrainian a#ainst Bkrainian, for the sake of @2er"an h!"anity $ The forty "illion non'2er"annationalities of A!stria';!n#ary are considered assi"ply historical "an!re for the field of 2er"anc!lt!re$ That this is not the standpoint of international7ocialis", it is not necessary to point o!t$ It is noteven p!re national de"ocracy in its "ost ele"entary for"$ The A!stro;!n#arian 2eneral 7taff explainsthis @h!"anity in its co""!ni<!e of 7epte"ber 1 thJ@All peoples of o!r revered "onarchy, as o!r "ilitary oath says, >a#ainst any ene"y no "atter who"’, "!ststand to#ether as one, vyin# with one another inco!ra#e$

The Wiener Ar-eiter&.eit/n0 accepts in itsentirety this ;absb!r#';ohen0ollern viewpoint of the A!stro';!n#arian proble" as an !nnational "ilitary reservoir$ It is the sa"e attit!de as the "litarists of 5rance have toward the 7ene#alese and the

Moroccans, and the n#lish have toward the ;ind!s$ And when we consider that s!ch opinions are not a



new pheno"enon a"on# the 2er"an 7ocialists of A!stria, we have fo!nd the "ain reason why the A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy broke !p so "iserably intonational #ro!ps, and th!s red!ced its political

i"portance to a "ini"!"$The disinte#ration of the A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy

into national parts fi#htin# a"on# the"selves, is oneexpression of the inade<!acy of A!stria as a stateor#ani0ation$ At the sa"e ti"e the attit!de of the2er"an'A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy proved that it wasitself the sorry victi" of this inade<!acy, to which itcapit!lated spirit!ally$ When it proved itself i"potentto !nite the "any'raced A!strian proletariat !nder the

principles of Internationalis", and finally #ave !p thistask alto#ether, the A!stro'2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy s!bordinated all A!stria';!n#ary and even its ownpolicies to the @Idea of 3r!ssian !nker =ationalis"$This !tter denial of principles speaks to !s in an!nprecedented "anner fro" the pa#es of the Wiener Ar-eiter&.eit/n0 $ %!t if we listen "ore caref!lly tothe tones of this hysterical nationalis" we cannot failto hear a #raver voice, the voice of history tellin# !sthat the path of political pro#ress for 6entral and7o!th' astern !rope leads over the r!ins of the A!stro';!n#arian Monarchy$

CHAPTER III

THE WAR A'AINST

C.ARIS*%BT ;/W A%/BT 60aris"F Wo!ld not 2er"any’sand A!stria’s victory "ean the defeat of 60aris"F And wo!ld not the beneficent res!lts of the defeat of 60aris" #reatly o!tbalance the beneficent res!lts of adis"e"bered A!stria';!n#aryF

The 2er"an and A!strian 7ocial De"ocrats lay "!ch stress !pon this <!estion in the ar#!in# they doabo!t the War$ The cr!shin# of a s"all ne!tralco!ntry, the r!in of 5rance : all this is &!stified by the



need to fi#ht 60aris"$ ;aase #ives as the reason for votin# the war credits the necessity of @defence a#ainstthe dan#er of 8!ssian despotis" $ %ernstein #oes back to Marx and n#els and <!otes old texts for his slo#an,

@7ettlin# with 8!ssia7Odek!" , dissatisfied with the res!lt of his Italian

"ission, says that what the Italians are to bla"e for isnot !nderstandin# 60aris"$ And when the 7ocialDe"ocrats of Eienna and %!dapest fall in line !nderthe ;absb!r# banner in its @holy war a#ainst the7erbians str!##lin# for their national !nity, they sacrifice their 7ocialistic hono!r to the necessity forfi#htin# 60aris"$

And the 7ocial De"ocrats are not alone in this$ Theentire bo!r#eois 2er"an press has no other ai"s, forthe "o"ent, than the annihilation of the 8!ssiana!tocracy, which oppresses the peoples of 8!ssia and"enaces the freedo" of !rope$

The i"perial 6hancellor deno!nces 5rance andn#land as vassals of 8!ssian despotis"$ ven the

2er"an Ma&or'2eneral von Mor#en, ass!redly a tr!e

and tried @friend of liberty and independence , calls onthe 3oles to rebel a#ainst the despotis" of the 60ar$

%!t for !s who have #one thro!#h the school of historical "aterialis" it wo!ld be a dis#race if we didnot perceive the act!al relations of the interests inspite of these phrases, these lines, this boastin#, thisfo!l v!l#arity and st!pidity$

=o one can #en!inely believe that the 2er"anreactionaries really do cherish s!ch a hatred of 60aris", and are ai"in# their blows a#ainst it$ /n thecontrary, after the War 60aris" will be the sa"e to ther!lers of 2er"any that it was before the War : the"ost closely related for" of #overn"ent$ 60aris" isindispensable to the 2er"any of the ;ohen0ollerns,for two reasons$ In the first place, it weakens 8!ssiaecono"ically, c!lt!rally and "ilitaristically,and soprevents its develop"ent as an i"perialistic rival$ Inthe second place, the existence of 60aris" stren#thensthe ;ohen0ollern Monarchy and the !nker oli#archy,

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since if there were no 60aris", 2er"an absol!tis" wo!ld face !rope as the last "ainstay of fe!dal barbaris"$

2er"an absol!tis" never has concealed the interestof blood relationship that it has in the "aintenance of 60aris", which represents the sa"e social for"tho!#h in "ore sha"eless ways$ Interests, tradition,sy"pathies draw the 2er"an reactionary ele"ent tothe side of 60aris"$ @8!ssia’s sorrow is 2er"any’ssorrow $ At the sa"e ti"e the ;ohen0ollerns, behindthe back of 60aris", can "ake a show of bein# the b!lwark of c!lt!re @a#ainst barbaris" , and cans!cceed in foolin# their own people if not the rest of

Western !rope$With sincere sorrow I see a friendship broken that

2er"any has kept faithf!lly, said Wilhel" II in hisspeech !pon the declaration of war, referrin# neitherto 5rance nor to n#land, b!t to 8!ssia, or rather, tothe 8!ssian dynasty, in accordance with the;ohen0ollern’s 8!ssian reli#ion, as Marx wo!ld havesaid$

We are told that 2er"any’s political plan is tocreate, on the one band, a basis of rapproche"ent with5rance and n#land by a victory over those co!ntries,and, on the other hand, to !tili0e a strate#ic victory over 5rance in order to cr!sh 8!ssian despotis"$

The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrats "!st either haveinspired Wilhel" and his chancellor with this plan, orelse "!st have ascribed this plan to Wilhel" and hischancellor$

As a "atter of fact, however, the political plans of the 2er"an reactionaries are of exactly the oppositecharacter, "!st necessarily be of the oppositecharacter$

5or the present we will leave open the <!estion of whether the destr!ctive blow at 5rance was dictated by strate#ic considerations, and whether @strate#ysanctioned defensive tactics on the Western front$ %!tone thin# is certain, that not to see that the policy of

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the !nkers re<!ired the r!in of 5rance, is to provethat one has a reason for keepin# one’s eyes closed$5rance : 5rance is the ene"y

d!ard %ernstein, who is sincerely tryin# to &!stify the political stand taken by the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy, draws the followin# concl!sionsJ Were2er"any !nder a de"ocratic r!le, there wo!ld be nodo!bt as to how to settle acco!nts with 60aris"$ A de"ocratic 2er"any wo!ld cond!ct a revol!tionary war on the ast$ It wo!ld call on the nations oppressed by 8!ssia to resist the tyrant and wo!ld #ive the" the"eans wherewith to wa#e a powerf!l fi#ht forfreedo"$ L!ite ri#ht N$ ;owever, 2er"any is not a

de"ocracy, and ther fore it wo!ld be a !topian drea"xactly N to expect any s!ch policy with all itsconse<!ences fro" 2er"any as she is$ #or$%rt , A!#!st H th$N Eery well then %!t ri#ht here %ernsteins!ddenly breaks off his analysis of the act!al 2er"anpolicy @with all its conse<!ences $ After showin# !pthe blatant contradiction in the position of the2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy, he closes with the!nexpected hope that a reactionary 2er"any "ay acco"plish what none h!t a revol!tionary 2er"any co!ld acco"plish$ Credo quia absurdum $(HG*

=evertheless, it "i#ht be said in opposition to thisthat while the r!lin# class in 2er"any has nat!rally nointerest in fi#htin# 60aris", still 8!ssia is now 2er"any’s ene"y, and, <!ite independently of the willof the ;ohen0ollerns, the victory of 2er"any over8!ssia "i#ht res!lt in the #reat weakenin#, if not theco"plete overthrow of 60aris"$ ?on# live;indenb!r# ,the #reat !nconscio!s instr!"ent of the 8!ssian8evol!tion, we "i#ht cry alon# with the 6he"nit0 Eolkssti""e$ ?on# live the 3r!ssian 6rown 3rincealso a <!ite !nconscio!s instr!"ent$ ?on# live the7!ltan of T!rkey who is now servin# in the ca!se of the 8evol!tion by bo"bardin# the 8!ssian citiesaro!nd the %lack 7ea$ ;appy 8!ssian 8evol!tion how <!ickly the ranks of her ar"y are #rowin#

;owever, let !s see if there is not so"ethin# really

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3r!ssian 7a"!rai$ /n the contrary, the 3r!ssian7a"!rai #ave the 60ar the opport!nity of playin# therole of defender of the 7erbs, the %el#ians and the5rench$

If we pres!ppose a catastrophal 8!ssian defeat, the war "ay brin# a <!icker o!tbreak of the 8evol!tion, b!t at the cost of its inner weakness$ And if the8evol!tion sho!ld even #ain the !pper hand !nders!ch circ!"stances, then the bayonets of the;ohen0ollern ar"ies wo!ld be t!rned on the8evol!tion$ 7!ch a prospect cart hardly fail to paraly0e8!ssia’s revol!tionary forces for it is i"possible todeny the lct tha the party of the 2er"an proletariat

stands behind the ;ohen0olrn bayonets$ %!t this isonly one side of the <!estion$ The defeat of 8!ssianecessarily pres!pposes decisive victofles by 2er"any and A!stria on the other battlefields, and this wo!ld"ean the enforced preservation of the national'political chaos in 6entral and 7o!th' astern !ropeand the !nli"ited "astery of 2er"an "ilitaris" in all

!rope$

An enforced disar"a"ent for 5rance, billions ininde"nities, enforced tariff walls aro!nd thecon<!ered nations, and an enforced co""ercial treaty with 8!ssia, all this in con&!nction wo!ld "ake2er"an i"perialis" "aster of the sit!ation for "any decades$

2er"any’s new policy, which be#an with thecapit!lation of the party of the proletariat tonationalistic "ilitaris", wo!ld be stren#thened for years to co"e$ The 2er"an workin# class wo!ld feeditself, "aterially and spirit!ally, on the cr!"bs fro"the table of victorio!s i"perialis", while the ca!se of the 7ocial 8evol!tion wo!ld have received a "ortal blow$

That in s!ch circ!"stances a 8!ssian revol!tion,even if te"porarily s!ccessf!l, wo!ld be an historical"iscarria#e, needs no f!rther proof$

6onse<!ently, this present battlin# of the nations!nder the yoke of "ilitaris" laid !pon the" by the



capitalist classes contains within itself "onstro!scontrasts which neither the War itself nor the#overn"ents directin# it can solve in any way to theinterest of f!t!re historical develop"ent$ The 7ocial

De"ocrats co!ld not, and can not now, co"bine theirai"s with any of the historical possibilities of this War, that is, with either the victory of the Triple Alliance or the victory of the ntente$(H *

The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy was once well awareof this$ The #or$%rt in its iss!e of !ly H th,disc!ssin# the very <!estion of the war a#ainst60aris", saidJ

@%!t if it is not possible to locali0e the tro!ble, if 8!ssiasho!ld step into the fieldF What sho!ld o!r attit!detoward 60aris" be thenF ;erein lies the #reat diflic!lty of the sit!ation$ ;as not the "o"ent co"e to strike a death blow at 60aris"F If 2er"an troops cross the 8!ssianfrontier, will that not "ean the victory of the 8!ssian8evol!tionF

And the #or$%rt co"es to the followin#concl!sionJ

@Are we so s!re that it will "ean victory to the 8!ssian8evol!tion if 2er"an troops cross the 8!ssian frontierFIt "ay readily brin# the collapse of 60aris", b!t will notthe 2er"an ar"ies fi#ht a revol!tionary 8!ssia with even#reater ener#y, with a keener desire for victory, than they do the absol!tistic 8!ssiaF

More than this$ /n A!#!st Grd, on the eve of thehistorical session of the 8eichsta#,the #or$%rt wrote in an article entitledThe WarUpon Czarism J

PWhile the conservative press is acc!sin# the stron#estparty in the "pire of hi#h treason, to the re&oicin# of other co!ntries, there are other ele"ents endeavo!rin# toprove to the 7ocial De"ocracy that the i"pendin# war isreally an old 7ocial De"ocratic de"and$ War a#ainst8!ssia, war !pon the blood'stained and faithless 60aris": this last is a recent phrase of the press which oncekissed the kno!t : isn’t this what 7ocial De"ocracy has been askin# for fro" the be#innin#F

@These are literally the ar#!"ents !sed by one portionof the bor#eois press, in fact the "ore intelli#ent portion,and it only #oes show what i"portance is attached to the





opinion of that part of the 2er"an people which stands behind the 7ocial De"ocracy The slo#an no lon#er is>8!ssia’s sorrow is 2er"any’s sorrow$ =ow it is >Down with 60aris" ’ %!t since the days when the leaders of the7ocial De"ocracy referred to %ebel, ?assalle, n#els,MarxN de"anded a de"ocratic war a#ainst 8!ssia, 8!ssiahas <!ite ceased to be the "ere palladi!" of reaction$8!ssia is also the seat of revol!tion$ The overthrow of 60aris" is now the task of all the 8!ssian people,especially the 8!ssian proletariat, and it is &!st the last weeks that have shown how vi#oro!sly this very workin#class in 8!ssia is attackin# the task that history has laid!pon it $$$ And all the nationalistic atte"pts of the >Tr!e8!ssians’ to t!rn the hatred of the "asses away fro"60aris" and aro!se a reactionary hatred a#ainst forei#nco!ntries, partic!larly 2er"any, have failed so far$ The8!ssian proletariat knows too well that its ene"y is not

beyond the border b!t within its own land$ =othin# was"ore distastef!l to these nationalistic a#itators, the Tr!e8!ssians and 3an'7lavists, than the news of the #reatpeace de"onstration of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$/h, how they wo!ld have re&oiced had the contrary beenthe case, had they been able to say to the 8!ssianproletariat, >There, yo! see, the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocratsstand at the head of those who are incitin# the wara#ainst 8!ssia$’ And the ?ittle 5ather (H+* in 7t$3etersb!r# wo!ld also have breathed a si#h of relief andsaid, >That is the news I wanted to hear$ =ow the backbone of "y "ost dan#ero!s ene"y, the 8!ssian8evol!tion is broken$ The international solidarity of theproletariat is torn$ =ow I cart !nchain the beast of nationalis"$ I a" saved ’

Th!s wrote the #or$%rt after 2er"any had already declared war on 8!ssia$

These words characteri0e the honest "anly stand of the prolelariat a#ainst a belli#erent &in#ois"$The #or$%rt clearly !nderstood and cleverly

sti#"ati0ed the base hypocrisy of the kno!tlovin#r!lin# class of 2er"any, which s!ddenly beca"econscio!s of its "ission to free 8!ssia fro" 60aris"$The #or$%rt warned the 2er"an workin# class of the political extortion that the bo!r#eois press wo!ldpractise on their revol!tionary conscience$ @Do not believe these friends of the kno!t, the #or$%rt saidto the 2er"an proletariat$ @They are h!n#ry for yo!rso!ls, and hide their i"perialistic desi#ns behindliberal'so!ndin# phrases$ They are deceivin# yo! yo!,the cannon'fodder with so!ls that they need$ If they s!cceed in winnin# yo! over, they will only be helpin#

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60aris" by dealin# the 8!ssian 8evol!tion a fearf!l"oral blow$ And, if in spite of this, the 8!ssian8evol!tion sho!ld raise its head, these very people willhelp 60aris" to cr!sh it$

That is the sense of what the #or$%rt preached tothe workin# class !p to the -th of A!#!st$

And exactly three weeks later thesa"e #or$%rt wroteJ @?iberation fro" M!scovitis"

FN freedo" and independence for 3oland and5inland, free develop"ent for the #reat 8!ssianpeople the"selves, dissol!tion of the !nnat!ralalliance between the two c!lt!ral nations and 60arist

barbaris" ' these were the ai"s that inspired the2er"an people and "ade the" ready for any sacrifice , and inspired also the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy and its chief or#an$

What happened in those three weeks to ca!sethe #or$%rt to rep!diate its ori#inal standpointF

What happenedF =othin# of i"portance$ The2er"an ar"ies stran#led ne!tral %el#i!", b!rned

down a n!"ber of %el#ian towns, destroyed?o!vain (H * the inhabitants of which had been socrini"ally a!dacio!s as to fire at the ar"ed invaders when they the"selves wore no hel"ets and wavin#feathers$(@;ow characteristically 3r!ssian,’ wrote Marxs to n#els,@to declare that no "an "ay defend his >fatherland’ except in !nifor": L.T. *

In those three weeks the 2er"an ar"ies carrieddeath and destr!ction into 5rench territory, and thetroops of their ally, A!stria';!n#ary, po!nded thelove of the ;absb!r# Monarchy into the 7erbs on the7ave and the Drina$ These are facts that apparently convinced the #or$%rt that the ;ohen0ollerns were wa#in# the war of liberation of the nations$

=e!tral %el#i!" was cr!shed, and the 7ocialDe"ocrats re"ained silent$ And 8ichard 5ischer wassent to 7wit0erland as special envoy of the 3arty toexplain to the people of a ne!tral co!ntry that the violation of %el#ian ne!trality and the r!in of a s"allnation were a perfectly nat!ral pheno"enon$ Why so



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"!ch excite"entF Any other !ropean #overn"ent,in 2er"any’s place, wo!ld have acted in the sa"e way$It was &!st at this ti"e that the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy not only reconciled itself to the War as a

work of real or s!pposed national defence, b!t evens!rro!nded the ;ohen0ollern';absb!r# ar"ies withthe halo of an offensive ca"pai#n for freedo"$ Whatan !nprecendented fall for a party that for fifty yearshad ta!#ht the 2er"an workin# class to look !pon the2er"an 2overn"ent as the foe of liberty andde"ocracy

In the "eanti"e every day of the War discloses thedan#er to !rope that the Marxists sho!ld have

foreseen at once$ The chief blows of the 2er"an2overn"ent were not ai"ed at the ast, b!t at the West, at %el#i!", 5rance and n#land$ ven if weaccept the i"probable pre"ise that nothin# b!tstrate#ic necessity deter"ined this plan of ca"pai#n,the lo#ical political o!tco"e of this strate#y re"ains with all its conse<!ences, that is, the necessity for af!ll and definite defeat of %el#i!", 5rance and the

n#lish land forces, so that 2er"any’s hands "i#ht befree to deal with 8!ssia$ Wasn’t it perfectly clear that what was at first represented as a te"porary "eas!reof strate#ic necessity in order to soothe the 2er"an7ocial De"ocracy, wo!ld beco"e an end in itself thro!#h the force of eventsF The "ore st!bborn theresistance "ade by 5rance, whose d!ty it has act!ally beco"e to defend its territory and its independencea#ainst the 2er"an attack, the "ore certainly will the2er"an ar"ies be held on the Western front and the"ore exha!sted 2er"any is on the Western front, theless stren#th and inclination will re"ain for hers!pposedly "ain task, the task with which the 7ocialDe"ocracy credited her, the @settlin# with 8!ssia $ And then history will witness an @hono!rable peace between the two "ost reactionary powers of !rope, between =icholas, to who" fate #ranted cheap victories over the ;absb!r# Monarchy P(8!ssian diplo"acy is interested only in s!ch wars, wrote n#els in 1 9., @as force her alliesto bear the chief b!rden of raisin# troops and s!fferin# invasion, andleave to the 8!ssian troops only the work of reserves$ 60aris" "akes waron its own acco!nt only on decidedly weaker nations, s!ch as 7weden,T!rkey and 3ersia$ : L.T. *, A!stria';!n#ary "!st now be



placed in the sa"e class as T!rkey and 3ersia, rottento its core, and Wilhel" , who had his @settlin# , b!t with %el#i!", not with 8!ssia$

The alliance between ;ohen0ollern and 8o"anov :after the exha!stion and de#radation of the Westernnations : will "ean a period of the darkest reaction in

!rope and the whole world$

The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy by its present policy s"oothes the way for this awf!l dan#er$ And thedan#er will beco"e an act!ality !nless the !ropeanproletariat interferes and enters as a revol!tionary factor into the plans of the dynasties and the capitalist

#overn"ents$Part II

To- of -a"e

Note For Part I)$ Re"ol/tion and $ar 1 aN2345&24261 The 5rench8evol!tionary Wars led since 1+99 by =apoleon %onaparteestablished the 5rench nation'state and abolished fe!dalri#hts west of the lbe$ bN2474&24651 The str!##le for theliberation of Italy fro" A!stria and the !nification of Italy incl!din# the liberation of the 6ity of 8o"e fro" the 3ope$

cN2487&24841 3r!ssia and A!stria attacked Den"ark inan!ary 1 -J 3r!ssia annexed 7chleswi#, A!stria took

;olstein$ In 1 3r!ssia, havin# sec!red the ne!trality of 8!ssia, 5rance and Italy, declared war on A!stria, a war, which in the words ofMoltke, 6hief of 7taff, @was a fi#ht forhe#e"ony $$$ lon# conte"plated and cal"ly prepared $$$ /n

!ly G, 1 , at 7adowa CQni##rRt0N the A!strians weredecisively defeated$ This ass!red the do"ination of the;ohen0ollerns over the =orth 2er"an 6onfederation andended the 2er"an 6onfederation$ dN2439&24321 /n !ly H, 1 9, the 3rovisional 2overn"ent of 7pain pro"!l#atedthe candidat!re of 3rince ?eopold of ;ohen0ollern tos!cceed L!een Isabella who had been deposed in 1 $ /n

!ly , 5rance protested and six days later, the candidat!re was withdrawn$ /n !ly +, the 5rench A"bassador to2er"any, %enedetti, de"anded an apolo#y fro"the Caiser and an !ndertakin# that a ;ohen0ollern wo!ldnever a#ain aspire to the 7panish throne$ The Caiser was at

"s, takin# the waters$%is"arck redrafted the Caiser’s reply the now'fa"o!s "s despatchN so as to "ake war


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inevitable$ /n !ly 19, 1 +. 5rance declared war$ 3r!ssiascored i""ediate victoriesJ A!#!st -th at Wissenb!r#, A!#!st th at Worth$ /n /ctober H+, at Met0, 1+),... troops!nder Marshal %a0aine were s!rro!nded$ The "ain ar"y !nder Marshal MacMahon and the "peror =apoleonIII hi"self s!rrendered at 7edan on 7epte"ber H$ 3aris fellafter a fo!r "onth sei#eJ 7epte"ber 19 to an!ary H th 1 +1$%y the 3eace of 5rankf!rt 1.th May 1 +1N 5rance lost Alsace'?orraine, Moselle, ;a!t 8hine, %as 8hine and had topay an inde"nity of five tho!sand "illion francs$ The victory of 3r!ssia bro!#ht abo!t the !nion of 2er"any !nder3r!ssian he#e"ony$ Wilhel" I was crowned "peror of 2er"any at Eersailles on an!ary 1 , 1 +1$ The defeat of 5rance led to the 3aris 6o""!ne and the end of the 5rench"onarchy$ p$viiN

$ the United State o+ E/rope1 This slo#an was p!t

forward by the 8!ssian 7ocial De"ocrats in 191- and 191)and was later withdrawn for tactical reasons$ It beca"e anofficial 6o"intern slo#an in 19HG d!rin# the 8!hr 6risis$7eeJ ?eninJThe Tasks of the Revolutionary Social emocracy in the !uropean War A!#!st 191-N,The War " the Russian Social emocracy 7epte"ber 191-N,The efeat of Russia ... /ctober 191)N, # $e% Theses /ctober191)N andT%o Lines of Revolution =ov$'Dec$ 191)N$TrotskyJThe Fir t Fi"e (ear o+ the Co:intern , Eol$II,p$G-1$ p$xN

+$ The concept of @national tr!ce &ur'friede N was based on

an old "edieval c!sto" that private <!arrels sho!ld cease when the castle was besei#ed$ in 2er"any in 191- it "eantthe co"plete cessation of opposition and the class str!##le$/n A!#!st G$ the Caiser declaredJ @I no lon#er know parties,I know only 2er"ans $$$ The tr!ce between classes wasshortlived and on May 1, 191 , with the arrest of Carl ?iebknecht, civil peace broke down co"pletely$ In5rance, they had the Union Sacr(e $ M$ Deschanel ine!lo#isin# a!rSs, saidJ @There are no "ore adversaries here,there are only 5rench"en $$$

$ The i:pa;t o+ the 2596 Re"ol/tion1 ee pa0e65< p$xiN

9$ /n A/0/ t 7th= 2527 a few ho!rs after the 2er"anar"ies had violated the ne!trality of %el#i!" and?!xe"bo!r#N the vote for war credits ca"e !p in the8eichsta#, and the entire 7ocial De"ocratic fraction voted brthe credits$ The date "arkes the collapse of the 2er"an7ocial De"ocracy and the 7econd International$ p$xiN

1.$ The phrase is fro" MarxJ )ntroduction to a Contributionto the Critique of *e'el+s Philosophy of Right 1 --N

7eeJ Marx n#elsJOn Reli0ion , Moscow 19)+, p$).N

11$ A reference to n#land$ p$1N

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1H$ The internationally financed 3ana"a 6anal 6o"pany 3residentJ 5erdinand de ?essepsN crashed in 5ebr!ary 1 9$

The scandal to!ched "any pro"inent people, incl!din#6le"encea!$ p$HN

1G$ Per+idio/ Al-ion1 The 5rench La perfide #n'leterre ,perfidio!s n#land, had beco"e by the ti"e of the 5rench8evol!tion, shortened to #lbion perfide $ p$HN

1-$ 7th A/0/ t 25271 7ee note 9$ /n !ne H , 191- a%osnian st!dent 2avrilo 3rincip assassinated A!strian Archd!ke 5ran0 5erdinand and his wife at 7ara&evo$ /n !ly HG, A!stria delivered an !nacceptable !lti"at!" to 7erviaand declared war on !ly H $

1)$ Bal,an War 1 The first be#an /ctober 191H$ The T!rks were p!shed back to 6onstantinople$ It ended with the

Treaty of ?ondon, May G., 191G$ T!rkey was forced to #ive!p all clai"s to its for"er !ropean possessions$ Albania was created as a new state$ In !ne 191G, the 7econd War broke o!t$ %!l#aria attacked 7erbia and 2reece, and8!"ania and T!rkey opposed %!l#aria$ It ended with theTreaty of %!charest, !ly G., 191G$ Italy invaded Albania in191-$

1 $ The Con0re o+ Berlin was held !ne' !ly 1 +!nder the chair"anship or %is"arck, revised the Treaty of 7an 7tefano March 1 + N which ended the 8!sso'T!rkish war of 1 ++'+ $ At %erlin the 2reat 3owers carved !p 7o!th'

astern !rope to their advanta#e$

1+$ Porte1 The 7!bli"e or /tto"an 3orte was the T!rkish6o!rt at 6onstantinople till 19HG$

1 $ Trotsky’s prediction of the disinte#ration of the A!stro';!n#arian "pire proved correct$ In her >/ni/Pa:phlet , also written in 191), 8osa?!xe"b!r# wroteJ@;istorically, the li<!idation of A!stria';!n#ary is thelo#ical se<!ence of T!rkish disinte#ration, and both are indirect line with the process of historical develop"ent$

19$ >/n,er fro" @ !n#herr J yo!n# aristocrat or "ilitary cadetN were 3r!ssian landlords with lar#e estates ast of the

lbe$ They were the do"inant conservatives of 2er"any,retainin# their "edieval ri#hts !ntil the end of the 1st World War and their estates !ntil the end of the Hnd$

H.$ Al a;e&Lorraine1 7ee note )$

H1$ The A/ tro&H/n0arian )/al *onar;h? wasestablished by the @ #us'leich 6o"pro"iseN between the A!strian #overn"ent and the ;!n#arian opposition in 19 +$It was r!led by the ;absb!r#s till the revol!tion of 191 $















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HH$ Ni-el/n0en Troth1 5ro" the 2er"an classicalpoe" ,ibelun'enlied c$ 1H.. ADN, a troth between the heroand his betrayer$

HG$ Credo @/la a- /rd/:1 ?atinN I believe that which isabs!rd$

H-$ The R/ o&>apane e War over rival clai"s toManch!ria and Corea be#an with an attack on 3ort Arth!r by the apanese on 5ebr!ary , 19.-$ The 8!ssians lost onland, and in May 19.), at the %attle of Ts!shi"a lost all of itsnavy$ 3eace was si#ned at 3orts"o!th =ew ;a"pshire,B7AN in 7epte"ber 19.)$ The 8!ssian defeat contrib!ted tothe 8evol!tion of 19.)$ p$19N

H)$ %etween 19.9 and 191G, 8!ssian ind!stry #rew enor"o!slyJ iron prod!ction increased by . tons of steel,

H.,... k" of rails by H..U and sleepers by +U$ (F* p$H.NH $ The Triple Allian;e1 The D!al Alliance of 1 +9 between 2er"any and A!stria';!n#ary was &oined by Italy in 1 G$ Italy broke away in 19. at the Al#eciras 6onferenceand &oined the @ ntente nations : %ritain, 5rance and8!ssia : in 191)$ p$H1N

H+$ Little Father1 The 60ar of 8!ssia$ p$HHN

H $ Lo/"ain , the seat of the %el#ian Military ;ead<!artersin 191- was b!rnt by the 2er"an Ar"y be#innin# A!#!stH)th 191-$ The "edieval Bniversity and Town ;all, and the?ibrary established 1-H N were lost to posterity$ 6ivilians were s!""arily exec!ted$ The sackin# lasted six days$

To- of -a"e

'lo ar? O+ Na:e

Be-el = A/0/ t 2479&252 1 Marxist of worker ori#in, co'fo!nder with Wilhel" ?iebknecht of the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy 1 9$ In 8eichsta# fro" 1 +$ 7entenced with?iebknecht to two years’ i"prison"ent for @treason

opposition to 5ranco'2er"an WarN in 1 +H$ ?eader of the2er"an 7D and the Hnd International in pre'war years$

Bern tein = Ed/ard 2469&25 D 1 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocrat left 2er"any d!rin# the Anti'7ocialist ?aws andeditedSo!ial&)e:o,rat in 7wit0erland$ xpelled fro"there in 1 , lived in ?ondon till 19..$ ;e was a friend of

n#els in the latter’s last years and was na"ed his literary exec!tor, in which capacity he censored n#els’ works$8eichsta# Dep!ty 19.H'19. , 191H'191 , 19H.'19H $ A










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pacifist'centrist d!rin# World War I$ 5o!nder of theIndependent 7ocial De"ocratic 3arty B73DN 191 , b!tret!rned to the 7ocial De"ocracy 1919$ 6hief exponent of revisionis" and refor"is" for over twenty five years, be#innin# 1 9 $ A!thor ofE"ol/tionar? So;iali : 1 999 and other works$

Bi :ar;, = Otto "on 2426&2454 1 Do"inated the2er"an and !ropean political scene 1 H'1 9. as6hancellor$ Bnified 2er"any !nder the do"ination of 3r!ssia and the ;ohen0ollerns$ A!thor of the Anti'7ocialist?aws$ Dropped by "peror Wilhel" II in March 1 9.$

Bonaparte= Lo/i Napoleon III 2494&243 1 =ephew of =apoleon I, "peror of 5rance 1 )H'1 +.$

)a !?n ,i = I0na;? 2488&25 8 1 ?eader of the 2alician3olish 7ocialists$ Me"ber A!strian 8eichstrath fro" 1 91$ Anti'8!ssian cha!vinist$ ?ater &oined 3ils!dski$

)o-ro0ean/& 'herea = Con tantin 2466&25D9 1 8!"anian Marxist$ 5o!nder and ?eader of 8!"anian 7ocial De"ocracy$

Fi ;her = Ri;hard 2466&25D8 1 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat,3arty 7ecretary fro" 1 99$ 5ro" 19.H "ana#erof #or$%rt $ D!rin# the war in 8i#ht'6entre Ma&ority with

bert and 7cheide"nann$ xpelled anti'warN "e"bersfro" staff of #or$%rt , and won a 6o!rt case$ 8epresentedMa&ority at 7tockhol" 6onference 1919$ Me"ber of =ational Asse"bly 1919'19H.$ 5ro" 19H. "e"ber of 8eichsta#$

Haa e = H/0o 248 &2525 1 ?awyer of ewish ori#in$2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat$ Me"ber International 7ocialist%!rea! and 8eichsta# Dep!ty 1 9+'191 $ 7!cceeded %ebel asleader of 7D 3arlia"entary fraction 191G$ /pposed votin# for war credits within the 3arty b!t s!cc!"bed to Ma&ority decision$ 5o!nder and leader of Independent 7ocialDe"ocratic 3arty B73DN 191 $ Minister of 5orei#n Affairsand 6olonies in bert’s @7ocialist 6oalition =ove"ber 191 $8esi#nedJ Dece"ber H9, 191 $ 7hot on the steps of the8eichsta# by a Monarchist officer$

Ha- -/r0 )?na t?1 Ancient fe!dal r!lin# fa"ily takin# itsna"e fro" the @;abichtsb!r# 6astle of the ;awkN of Alsace$ %e#an with a few acres$ 8!dolph I 1H1 '1H91Nori#inally a 7wiss 6o!nt, havin# defeated /ttoker of ;ohensta!ffen in 1H+ , was elected e"peror of the ;oly 8o"an "pire of -.. fe!dal baronies, th!s ac<!irin# A!stria and its dependencies$ The dynasty r!led over "any peoples, b!t co!ld never knit the" into one nation$ %etween

1H9 and 1-99 tried to annex 7wit0erland and failed$ In 1 .title of ;oly 8o"an "peror was abandoned$ The "ale line

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died o!t in 1+-. and on Maria Theresa’s "arria#e thedynasty was known as the ;o!se of ;absb!r#'?orraine$ After the #us'leich of 1 +, the ;absb!r#s r!led over A!stria';!n#ary$ With the A!strian 8evol!tion "perorCarl abdicated on =ove"ber 1H, 191 $

Hinden-/r0 = Pa/l "on Benee,endor++ /nd "on2473&25 7 1 3r!ssian "ilitarist$ 5o!#ht in war a#ainst

5rance 1 +.'+1$ 2eneral in 19.G$ 8etired 1911$ 8ecalled at be#innin# of War$ Eictor at Tannenb!r# 191- and theMas!rian ?akes 191) a#ainst 8!ssia$ ?ater 5ield Marshal$7!cceeded bert as 3resident 19H)$ 6o'existed with ;itlerfro" 19GH till his death$

Hohen!ollern )?na t?1 5rederick of ;ohen0ollern,%!r#rave of =!re"b!r#, was "ade elector of %randenb!r#in 1-1)$ Bp to 1 .9 %randenb!r# was a barren re#ion

between the Middle /der and the Middle lbe$ In 1 1 , theD!kedo" of 3r!ssia, a 3olish fief since 1- , devolved on5rederick Willia" of %randenb!r#, @the 2reat lector $ TheDynasty rose after the 3eace of Westphalia 1 - with thehelp of 5rance and n#land who backed the 3rotestantr!lers a#ainst the 8o"an 6atholic r!lers of A!stria$ Bnder%is"arck’s leadership, the dynasty e"er#ed as the principalpower in the =orth 2er"an 5ederation$ After the victory a#ainst 5rance 1 +., the Cin# of 3r!ssia beca"e "peror of 2er"any$ The Dynasty ended with the abdication of Caiser Wilhel" II, on =ove"ber 9th, 191 $

Kara0eor0e"it;h1 The r!lin# fa"ily of 7erbia, fo!nded by Cara#eor#e 3etrovich who led the 1st %alkan !prisin# a#ainstthe /tto"an "pire in 1 .-$ The fa"ily fe!d withthe /brenoviches led to alternation of r!lership betweenthe"$ 3eter Cara#eor#e took power in %el#rade by co!pd’etat in 19.G$ 2randson 3eter was the last Cin# of 4!#oslavia$

Kat!lero"it;h = Tri h;ha 2435& 1 ?awyer, 5o!nder of 7erbian 7ocial De"ocracy$ In 7erbian parlia"ent fro"19. '19H1$ Anti'"ilitarist$ Attended Cienthal 6onference$5o!nder and 6hair"an 7erbian 6o""!nist 3arty, and whenthis was banned, for"ed the Independent ?abo!r 3arty$

Kr/pp = Al+red 242D&2443 1 2er"an ind!strialist, steeltycoon and "!nitions "an!fact!rer$ %e#an with his father’siron for#e and converted it into the firt %esse"er steel plant$In 1 +1, at the fo!ndin# of the 2er"an "pire, was theleader of 2er"an ind!stry$ 7on, 5rederick Alfred Cr!pp

1 )-'19.HN, was a personal friend of the Caiser$

La alle= Ferdinand 24D6&2487 1 2er"an socialist$5o!nder of the 2eneral Association of 2er"an Workers

1 GN$ As the only leadin# 2er"an 7ocialist of his#eneration not forced into exile, he was able despite hisshortco"in#s, to exert a #reat infl!ence on the 2er"an

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workin# class "ove"ent$ ;is followers later helped for" the2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$

Lie-,ne;ht = Karl 2432&2525 1 ?eft Win# 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocrat$ Me"ber 2er"an 8eichsta# and 3r!ssian?andta#$ Anti'"ilitarist$ ;e was the first, and at first only,Dep!ty to oppose war credits in the 8eichsta# in 191-$Drafted d!rin# the war, he was i"prisoned for anti'waractivity, May 191 to =ove"ber 191 $ ?eader International2ro!p and later, 7partac!s ?ea#!e$ /ne of the leaders of the%erlin !prisin# 1919$ Assassinated by co!nter'revol!tionary soldiers, an!ary 1)th 1919, with 8osa?!xe"b!r# $

Lie-,ne;ht = Wilhel: 24D8&2599 1 5riend of Marx,fo!nder and leader of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$8eichsta# Dep!ty$ ailed 1 +H for opposition to the 5ranco'3r!ssian War$

L/ e:-/r0 = Ro a 2439&2525 1 3olish 7ocialist$ oined2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy 1 9+$ With Carl ?iebknecht led?eft Win#$ %rilliant theoretician ?enin called her @anea#le N$ I"prisoned "any ti"es for anti'war activity$ ?eaderof the @7partacists and fo!nder of the 2er"an 6o""!nist3arty$ Assassinated by reactionary officers an!ary 1)th,1919$

*olt,e = Hel:/th "on= 'eneral The (o/n0er 2474&2528 1 =ephew of the lder Moltke$ 2er"an 6hief of 7taff inthe early years of World War I$

*or0en = "on= *aGor 'eneral1 2er"an Division6o""ander on the 8!ssian 5ront$

O-reno"i;h1 Alternative r!lin# fa"ily of 7erbia to theCara#eor#esN$ Dynasty fo!nded by Milos 1+ .'1 .N whor!led 1 G.'G9 and 1 ) '1 .$ 7on, Milan r!led 1 ' 9$2randson Alexander 1 + '19.GN, the last of the dynasty, was assassinated with his wife 19.G$ 7eeCara#eor#evitchN

Prin;ip = 'a"rilo 2456&2524 1 %osnian st!dent "e"ber

of secret patriotic or#ani0ation to free co!ntry fro" A!stria$7hot Archd!ke 5ran0 5erdinand and his wife on H !ne191- at 7ara&evo$ 7entenced to life i"prison"ent, died inprison$

Ra,o" ,? = Chri tian 'eor0ie"i;h 243 &2572 1 %!l#arian by birth$ Me"ber 8!"anian 7ocialDe"ocracy since the 1 9.s$ Ki""erwaldist$ I"prisoned191 for anti'war activity$ 8eleased by 8!ssian troops f91+, went to 8!ssia and &oined the 6o""!nists$ ;eld vario!s2overninent and diplo"atic posts$ As friend of Trotsky,expelled 19G $ 8einstated later$ 7entenced to prison 19G $

7aid to have died 19-1$

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Ro:ano" 1 8!lin# dynasty of 8!ssia 1 1G'191+$

Sand = Karl L/d$i01 ena theolo#y st!dent who wasexec!ted for the assassination of Cot0eb!e in 1 19$ 5or ati"e yo!n# "aidens in Mannhei" offered wreaths at theplace of exec!tion$

Sta:-/lo" = Ste+an No,olo" 2467&2456 1 %!l#arstates"an$ 5i#!red in risin# of 1 +)' a#ainst 2reat 3owers,6hief of 8!ssophile re#ency 1 $ 3re"ier 1 +'1 9-$5orced to retire$ Assassinated$

S/de,/: = Al-ert O ,ar Wilhel: 2432&2577 1 2er"an 8i#ht'Win# 7ocial De"ocrat$ 8evisionistand cha!vinist$ 8eichsta# 19..'191 $ Eisited Italy and8!"ania in atte"pt to win over 7ocialists to 2er"anI"perialis"$ Minister of 5inance of 3r!ssia 191 '19H.$

Ti !a= I t"an 2482&2524 1 ;!n#arian 3re"ier 19.G')and 191G'191+$ 3ro'2er"an$ Assassinated G1st /ctober 191 ,the first day of the ;!n#arian 8evol!tion$

Wilhel: I 2353&2444 1 Cin# of 3r!ssia 1 1'1 +1 and2er"an "peror 1 +1'1 $

Wilhel: II 2465&2572 1 2er"an "peror 1 '191 $?ast ;ohen0ollern r!ler$ /verthrown by the =ove"ber 191revol!tion, retired to ;olland$

Leon Trotsky

The War and the International(The Bolsheviks and World Peace)

Transcribed for theTrotsky Internet Archive,

now part of theMarxists’ Internet Archive, by David Walters in 199

PART IIThe War and the International Index

Cha-ter I The War A"ainst the West

Cha-ter The War of /efence

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Cha-ter I What Ha0e (ocialists to do 1ithCa-italist Wars2

Cha-ter II The Colla-se of the International

&'TE(

)L'((AR* '+ &A,E(

CHAPTER I#

THE WAR A'AINST THE WEST

/= his ret!rn fro" his diplo"atic trip to Italy,Dr$7Odek!" wrote in the #or$aert that the Italianco"rades did not s!fficiently co"prehend the nat!reof 60aris"$ We a#ree with Dr$ 7Odek!" that a2er"an can "ore easily !nderstand the nat!re of 60aris" as he experiences daily, in his own person, thenat!re of 3r!ssian'2er"an absol!tis"$ The two@nat!res are very closely akin to each other$

2er"an absol!tis" represents a fe!dal'"onarchicalor#ani0ation, restin# !pon a "i#hty capitalistfo!ndation, which the develop"ent of the last half'cent!ry has erected for it$ The stren#th of the 2er"anar"y, as we have learned to know it anew in itspresent bloody work, consists not alone in the #reat"aterial and technical reso!rces of the nation, and inthe intelli#ence and precision of the work"an'soldier, who had been drilled in the school of ind!stry and his

own class or#ani0ations$ It has its fo!ndations also inits !nker officer caste, with its "aster classtraditions, its oppression of those who are below andits s!bordination to those who are above$ The 2er"anar"y, like the 2er"an state, is a fe!dal'"onarchicalor#ani0ation with inexha!stible capitalist reso!rces$The bo!r#eois scribblers "ay chatter all they wantabo!t the s!pre"acy of the 2er"an, the "an of d!ty,over the 5rench"an, the "an of pleas!re the realdifference lies not in the racial <!alities, b!t in thesocial and political conditions$ The standin# ar"y,that closed corporation, that self's!fficin# state within















the state, re"ains, despite !niversal "ilitary service, acaste or#ani0ation that in order to thrive "!st haveartificial distinctions of rank and a "onarchical top tocrown the co""andin# hierarchy$

In his work,The Ne$ Ar:? , a!rSs showed thatthe only ar"y 5rance co!ld have is one of defence b!ilt on the plan of ar"in# every citi0en, that is, ade"ocratic ar"y, a "ilitia$ The bo!r#eois 5rench8ep!blic is now payin# the penalty for havin# "adeher ar"y a co!nterpoise to her de"ocratic stateor#ani0ation$ 7he created, in a!rVs, words, @a bastardre#i"e in which anti<!ated for"s clashed with newly developin# for"s and ne!trali0ed each other$ This

incon#r!ity between the standin# ar"y and therep!blican re#i"e is the f!nda"ental weakness of the5rench "ilitary syste"$

The reverse is tr!e of 2er"any$ 2er"any’s barbarian retro#rade political syste" #ives her a #reat"ilitary s!pre"acy$ The 2er"an bo!r#eoisie "ay #r!"ble now and then when the praetorian castespirit of the officers’ corps leads to o!tbreaks like thatof Kabern$(H9* They "ay "ake wry faces at the crown3rince and his slo#an, @2ive it to the" 2ive it tothe" The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy "ay invei#hever so sharply a#ainst the syste"atic personal ill'treat"ent of the 2er"an soldier, which has ca!sedproportionately twice as "any s!icides in the 2er"an barracks as in the barracks of any other co!ntry$ %!tfor all that, the fact that the 2er"an bo!r#eoisie hasabsol!tely no political character and that the 2er"an7ocialist party has failed to inspire the proletariat withthe revol!tionary spirit has enabled the r!lin# class toerect the #i#antic str!ct!re of "ilitaris", and so placethe efficient and intelli#ent 2er"an work"en !nderthe co""and of the Kabern heroes and their slo#an,@2ive it to the" $

3rofessor ;ans DelbrOck seeks the so!rce of 2er"any’s "ilitary stren#th in the ancient "odel of Te!tob!r#erwald (G.*, and he is perfectly &!stified$

@The oldest 2er"anic syste" of warfare, he writes, @was based on the retin!e of princes, a body of specially selected warriors, and the "ass of fi#hters co"prisin# the

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entire nation$ This is the syste" we have today also$ ;ow vastly different are the "ethods of fi#htin# now fro"those of o!r ancestors in the Te!tob!r#erwald We havethe technical "arvels of "odern "achine #!ns$ We havethe wonderf!l or#ani0ation of i""ense "asses of troops,and yet o!r "ilitary syste" is at botto" the sa"e$ The"artial spirit is raised to its hi#hest power, developed toits !t"ost in a body which once was s"all b!t now n!"bers "any tho!sands, a body #ivin# fealty to their War ?ord, and by hi", as by the princes of old, re#ardedas his co"rades and !nder their leadership the wholepeople, ed!cated by the" and disciplined by the"$ ;ere we have the secret of the warlike character of the 2er"annation$

The 5rench Ma&or,Driant, looks on at the 2er"anCaiser in his White 6!irassier’s !nifor", !ndo!btedly the "ost i"posin# "ilitary !nifor" in the world, andrep!blican by constraint that he is, his heart is filled with a lover’s &ealo!sy$ And how the Caiser spends histi"e @in the "idst of his ar"y, that tr!e fa"ily of the ;ohen0ollerns The Ma&or is fascinated$

The fe!dal caste, whose ho!r of political and "oraldecay had str!ck lon# a#o, fo!nd its connection withthe nation once "ore in the fertile soil of i"perialis"$

And this connection with the nation has taken s!chdeep root that the prophecies of Ma&or Driant, writtenseveral years a#o, have act!ally co"e tr!e propheciesthat !ntil now co!ld only have appeared as either thepoisono!s pro"ptin#s of a secret %onapartist, or thedrivelin# of a l!natic$

@The Caiser, he wrote is the 6o""ander in 6hief and behind hi" stands the entire workin# class of 2er"any asone "an $$$%ebel’s 7ocial De"ocrats are in the ranks,their fin#ers on the tri##er, and they too think only of the welfare of the 5atherland$ The ten'billion war inde"nity that 5rance will have to pay will be a #reater help to the"than the 7ocialist chi"eras on which they fed the day before$

4es, and now they are writin# of this f!t!re inde"nity even in so"e 7ocial De"ocratic N papers, with openrowdy insolence>an inde"nity, however, not of ten billions, b!t of twenty or thirty billions$

2er"any’s victory over 5rance : a deplorablestrate#ic necessity, accordin# to the 2er"an 7ocial

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De"ocrats : wo!ld "ean not only the defeat of 5rance’s standin# ar"y it wo!ld "ean pri"arily the victory of the fe!dal'"onarchical state over thede"ocratic'rep!blican state$

5or the ancient race of;indenb!r# s, Moltkesand Cl!ck s, hereditary specialists in "ass'"!rder, are &!st as indispensable a condition of 2er"an victory asare the -H centi"eter #!ns, the last word in h!"antechnical skill$

The entire capitalist press is already talkin# of the!nshakable stability of the 2er"an Monarchy,stren#thened by the War$ And 2er"an professors, the

sa"e who proclai"ed ;indenb!r# a doctor of All the7ciences, are already declarin# that political slavery isa hi#her for" of social life$

@The de"ocratic rep!blics, and the so'called "onarchiesthat are !nder s!b&ection to a parlia"entary re#i"e, andall the other bea!tif!l thin#s that were so extolled>whatlittle capacity they have shown to resist the stor"

These are the thin#s that the 2er"an professors are writin# now$ It is sha"ef!l and h!"iliatin# eno!#h toread the expressions of the 5rench 7ocialists, who hadproved the"selves too weak to break the alliance of 5rance with 8!ssia or even to prevent the ret!rn tothree years’ "ilitary service, b!t who, when the War be#an, never the less donned their red tro!sers and seto!t to free 2er"any$ %!t we are sei0ed with a feelin#of !nspeakable indi#nation on readin# the 2er"an7ocialist party press, which in the lan#!a#e of exaltedslaves extols the brave heroic caste of hereditary oppressors for their ar"ed exploits on 5renchterritory$

/n A!#!st 1), 1 +., when the victorio!s 2er"anar"ies were approachin# 3aris, n#els wrote in aletter to Marx, after describin# the conf!sed conditionof the 5rench defenceJ

@=evertheless, a revol!tionary #overn"ent, if it co"essoon, need not despair$ %!t it "!st leave 3aris to its fate,and contin!ed carry on the war fro" the 7o!th$ It is thenstill possible that s!ch a #overn"ent "ay hold o!t !ntilar"s and a""!nition are bro!#ht and a new ar"y



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or#ani0ed with which the ene"y can be #rad!ally p!shed back to the frontier$ That wo!ld be the ri#ht endin# to the war for both co!ntries to de"onstrate that they cannot becon<!ered$

And yet there are people who sho!t like dr!nkenhelots, @/n to 3aris$ And in doin# so they have thei"p!dence to invoke the na"es of Marx and n#els$In what "eas!re are they s!perior to the thricedespised 8!ssian liberals who crawled on their bellies before his xcellency, the "ilitary 6o""ander, whointrod!ced the 8!ssian kno!t into ast 2alicia$ It iscowardly arro#ance this talk of the p!rely @strate#iccharacter of the war on the Western front$ Who takesany acco!nt of itF 6ertainly not the 2er"an r!lin#classes$ They speak the lan#!a#e of conviction and of "ain force$ They call thin#s by their ri#ht na"es$ They know what they want and they know how to fi#ht forit$

The 7ocial De"ocrats tell !s that the War is bein# wa#ed for the ca!se of national independence$ @That isnot tr!e, retorted ;err Arth!r Dix$

@ !st as the hi#h politics of the last cent!ry, wrote Dix,@owed its specially "arked character to the =ational Idea,so the political' world events of this cent!ry stand !nderthe e"ble" of the I"perialistic Idea$ The i"perialisticidea that is destined to #ive the i"pet!s, the scope andthe #oal to the strivin# for power of the #reat$ )er Welt$irt ;ha+t ,rie0 , 191-, p$GN$

@It shows #ratifyin# sa#acity, says the sa"e ;err Arth!r Dix, @on the part of those who had char#e of the"ilitary preparations of the war, that the advance of o!rar"ies a#ainst 5rance and 8!ssia in the very first sta#e of the War took place precisely where it was "ost i"portantto keep val!able 2er"an "ineral wealth free fro" forei#ninvasion, and to occ!py s!ch portions of the ene"y’sterritory as wo!ld s!pple"ent o!r own !nder#ro!ndreso!rces I-id< , p$G N

The @strate#y of these wait and see 7ocialists, whonow speak in whispers, really be#ins with the robbery of "ineral wealth$ The 7ocial De"ocrats tell !s thatthe War is a war of defence$

%!t ;err 2eor#e Ir"er says clearly and distinctlyJ

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@3eople o!#ht not to be talkin# as thro!#h it were asettled thin# that the 2er"an nation had co"e too latefor rivalry for world econo"y and world do"inion>thatthe world has already been divided$ ;as not the earth been divided over and over a#ain in all epochs of historyF Lo "o: en0li ;hen WeltGo;h , 191-, p$-H$N

The 7ocialists try to co"fort !s by tellin# !s that%el#i!" has only been te"porarily cr!shed and thatthe 2er"any will soon vacate their %el#ian <!arters$%!t ;err Arth!r Dix, who knows very well what he wants, and who has the ri#ht and the power to want it, writes that what n#land fears "ost, and expressly so,is that 2er"any sho!ld have an o!tlet to the Atlantic/cean$

@5or this very reason, he contin!es, @we "!st neither let%el#i!" #o o!t of o!r hands, nor "!st we fail to "akes!re that the coast line fro" /stend to the 7o""e shallnot a#ain fall into the hands of any state which "ay beco"e a political vassal of n#land$ We "!st see to itthat in so"e for" or other 2er"an infl!ence is sec!rely established there$

In the endless battles between /stend and D!nkirk,sacred @strate#y is now carryin# o!t this pro#ra" of

the %erlin stock exchan#e, also$The 7ocialists tell !s that the War between 5rance

and 2er"any is "erely a brief prel!de to a lastin#alliance between those co!ntries$ %!t here, too, ;err Arth!r Dix shows all the cards$ Accordin# to hi",@there is b!t one answerJ to seek to destroy the n#lish world’ trade, and to deal deadly blows at n#lishnational econo"y$

@The ai" for the forei#n policy of the 2er"an "pire forthe next decades is clearly indicated, 3rofessor 5ran0 von?is0tanno!nces$ @>3rotection a#ainst n#land,’ that "!st be o!r slo#an$ Ein :ittele/ropai ;herStaaten"er-and , 191-, p$H-$N

@We "!st cr!sh the "ost treachero!s and "alicio!s of o!r foes, cries a third$ @We "!st break the tyranny which

n#land exercises over the sea with base self'seekin# andsha"eless conte"pt of &!stice and ri#ht$

The War is directed not a#ainst 60aris", b!t pri"arily a#ainst n#land’s s!pre"acy on the sea$

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@It "ay be said, 3rofessor7chie"ann confesses, @that nos!ccess of o!rs has #iven !s s!ch &oy as the defeat of the

n#lish at Ma!be!#e and 7t$ L!entin on A!#!st H th$

The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrats tell !s that the chief ob&ect of the War is the >settle"ent with 8!ssia $ %!tplain, strai#htforward ;err 8!dolf The!den wants to#ive 2alicia to 8!ssia with =orth 3ersia thrown in$Then 8!ssia @wo!ld have #ot eno!#h to be satisfied for"any decades to co"e$ We "ay even "ake her o!rfriend by it$

@What o!#ht the War to brin# !sF asks The!den,and then he answersJ

@The chief pay"ent "!st be "ade !s by 5rance 5rance"!st #ive !s %elfort, that part of ?orraine which borderson the Moselle, and, in case of st!bborn resistance, thatpart as well which borders the Maas$ If we "ake the Maasand the Moselle 2er"an bo!ndaries, the 5rench willso"e day perhaps wean the"selves away fro" the idea of "akin# the 8hine a 5rench bo!ndary$

The bo!r#eois politicians and professors tell !s thatn#land is the chief ene"y that %el#i!" and 5rance

are the #ateway to the Atlantic /cean that the hope of a 8!ssian inde"nity is only a Btopian drea", anywaythat 8!ssia wo!ld be "ore !sef!l as friend than as foethat 5rance will have to pay in land and in #old : andthe #or$aert exhorts the 2er"an workers to @holdo!t !ntil the decisive victory is o!rs$

And yet the #or$aert tells !s that the War is bein# wa#ed for the independence of the 2er"annation, and for the liberation of the 8!ssian people$ What does this "eanF /f co!rse we "!st look forideas, lo#ic and tr!th where they do not exist$ This issi"ply a case of an !lcer of slavish senti"ents b!rstin#open and fo!l p!s crawlin# over the pa#es of the workin# "en’s press$ It is clear that the oppressedclass which proceeds too slowly and inertly on its way toward freedo" "!st in the final ho!r dra# all itshopes and pro"ises thro!#h "ire and blood, beforethere arises in its so!l the p!re, !ni"peachable voice>the voice of revol!tionary honor$

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CHAPTER #

THE WAR OF )EFENCE@T; thin# for !s to do now is to avert this dan#er8!ssian’ despotis"N, and to sec!re the c!lt!re and

independence of o!r land$ Th!s we will "ake #ood o!r word, and do what we have always said we wo!ld$ Inthe ho!r of dan#er we will not leave o!r 5atherland inthe l!rch $$$ 2!ided by these principles we vote for the war credits$

This was the declaration of the 2er"an 7ocial

De"ocratic fraction, read by ;aase in the 8eichsta#session of A!#!st -th$

;ere only the defence of the fatherland is"entioned$ =ot a word is said of the @liberatin#"ission of this War in behalf of the peoples of 8!ssia, which was later s!n# in every key by the 7ocialDe"ocratic press$ The lo#ic of the 7ocialist press,however, did not keep pace with its patriotis"$ 5or while it "ade desperate efforts to represent the War as

one of p!re defence, to sec!re the safety of 2er"any’spossessions, it at the sa"e ti"e pict!red it as arevol!tionary offensive war for the liberation of 8!ssiaand of !rope fro" 60aris"$

We have already shown clearly eno!#h why thepeoples of 8!ssia had every reason to decline withthanks the assistance offered the" at the point of the;ohen0ollern bayonets$ %!t how abo!t the @defensivecharacter of the WarF

What s!rprises !s even "ore than what is said in thedeclaration of the 7ocial De"ocracy is what it concealsand leaves !nsaid$ After;ollwe# had already anno!nced in the 8eichsta# the acco"plished violation of the ne!trality of %el#i!" and ?!xe"bo!r#as a "eans of attackin# 5rance, ;aase does not"ention this fact in a sin#le word$ This silence is so"onstro!s that one is te"pted to read the declarationa second and a third ti"e$ %!t in vain$ The declarationis written as tho!#h s!ch co!ntries as %el#i!", 5rance

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and n#land had never existed on the political "ap of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$

%!t facts do not cease to be facts si"ply beca!sepolitical parties sh!t their eyes to the"$ And every "e"ber of the International has the ri#ht to ask this<!estion of 6o"rade ;aase, @What portion of the five billions voted by the 7ocial De"ocratic fraction was"eant for the destr!ction of %el#i!"F It is <!itepossible that in order to protect the 2er"anfatherland fro" 8!ssian despotis" it was inevitablethat the %el#ian fatherland sho!ld be cr!shed$ %!t why did the 7ocial De"ocratic fraction keep silent onthis pointF

The reason is clear$ The n#lish ?iberal #overn"ent,in its effort to "ake the War pop!lar with the "asses,"ade its plea excl!sively on the #ro!nd of thenecessity of protectin# the independence of %el#i!"and the inte#rity of 5rance, b!t !tterly i#nored itsalliance with 8!ssian 60aris"$ In like "anner, andfro" the sa"e "otives, the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy speaks to the "asses only abo!t the war a#ainst60aris", b!t does not "ention even by na"e %el#i!",5rance and n#land$ All this is of co!rse not exactly flatterin# to the international rep!tation of 60aris"$ 4et it is <!ite distressin# that the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy sho!ld sacifice its own #ood na"e to thecall to ar"s a#ainst 60aris"$ ?assalle said that every #reat political action sho!ld be#in with a state"ent of thin#s as they are$ Then why does the defence of thefatherland be#in with an abashed silence as to thin#sas they areF /r did the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy perhaps think that this was not a @bi# political action F

Anyway, the defence of the fatherland is a very broad and very elastic conception$ The worldcastastrophe be#an with A!stria’s !lti"at!" to7erbia$ A!stria, nat!rally, was #!ided solely by theneed of defendin# her borders fro" her !neasy nei#hbo!r$ A!stria’s rop was 2er"any$ And 2er"any,in t!rn, as we already know, was pro"pted by theneed to sec!re her own state$ @It wo!ld be senseless to

believe, writes ?!dwi#L!essel on this point, @thatone wall co!ld be torn away fro" this extre"ely


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co"plex str!ct!re !ropeN witho!t endan#erin# thesec!rity of the whole edifice$

2er"any opened her @defensive war with an attack !pon %el#i!", the violation of %el#i!"’s ne!trality bein# alle#edly only a "eans of breakin# thro!#h to5rance alon# the line of least resistance$ The "ilitary defeat of 5rance also was to appear only as a strate#icepisode in the defence of the fatherland$

To so"e 2er"an patriots this constr!ction of thin#sdid not see" <!ite pla!sible, and they had #ood#ro!nds for disbelievin# it$ They s!spected a "otive which s<!ared far better with the reality$ 8!ssia,

entena# !pon a new era of "ilitary preparation, wo!ld be a far #reater "enace to 2er"any in two or three years than she was then$ And 5rance d!rin# that ti"e wo!ld have co"pletely carried o!t her threeyear ar"y refor"$ Is it not clear, then, that an intelli#ent self'defence de"anded that 2er"any sho!ld not wait forthe attack of her ene"ies b!t sho!ld anticipate the" by two years and take the offensive at onceF And isn’tit clear, too, that s!ch an offensive war, deliberately provoked by 2er"any and A!stria, is in reality apreventive war of defenceF

=ot infre<!ently these two points of view areco"bined in a sin#le ar#!"ent$ 2ranted that there isso"e sli#ht contradiction between the"$ The onedeclares that 2er"any did not want the War now andthat it was forced !pon her by the Triple ntente, while the other i"plies that war was disadvanta#eo!sto the ntente now and that for that very reason2er"any had taken the initiative to brin# on the Warat this ti"e$ %!t what if there is this contradictionF Itis li#htly and easily #lossed over and reconciled in thesavin# concept of a war of defence$

%!t the belli#erents on the other side disp!ted thisadvanta#eo!s position of bein# on the defensive, which 2er"any so!#ht to ass!"e, and did its!ccessf!lly$ 5rance co!ld not per"it the defeat of 8!ssia on the #ro!nd of her own self'defence$ n#land#ave as the "otive for her interference the i""ediatedan#er to the %ritish Islands which a stren#thenin# of





was that in that war 2er"any was fi#htin# for herri#ht to national !nity, which was a necessary condition for the econo"ic develop"ent of theco!ntry and the 7ocialist consolidation of the

proletariat$ In the sa"e sense the 6hristian peoples of the %alkans wa#ed a war of defence a#ainst T!rkey,fi#htin# for their ri#ht to independent nationaldevelop"ent a#ainst the forei#n r!le$

The <!estion of the i""ediate internationalpolitical conditions leadin# to a war is independent of the val!e the war possesses fro" the historico'"aterialistic point of view$ The 2er"an war a#ainstthe %onapartist Monarchy was historically

!navoidable$ In that war the ri#ht of develop"ent wason the 2er"an side$ 4et those historical tendenciesdid not, in the"selves, predeter"ine the <!estion asto which party was interested in provokin# the war &!st in the year 1 +.$ We know now very well thatinternational politics and "ilitary consideFationsind!ced %is"ark to take the act!al initiative in the war$ It "i#ht have happened &!st the other way,however$ Witk #reater foresi#ht and ener#y, the#overn"ent of =apoleon III co!ld haveanticipated %is"arck , and be#!n the war a few yearsearlier$ That wo!ld have radically chan#ed thei""ediate political aspect of the events, b!t it wo!ldhave "ade no difference in the historic esti"ate of the war$

Third in order is the factor of diplo"acy$ Diplo"acy here has a twofold task to perfor"$ 5irst, it "!st brin#abo!t war at the "o"ent "ost favo!rable for its ownco!ntry fro" the international as well as the "ilitary standpoint$ 7econd, it "!st e"ploy "ethods whichthrow the b!rden of responsibility for the bloody conflict, in p!blic opinion, on the ene"y #overn"ent$The expos!re of diplo"atic trickery, cheatin# andknavery is one of the "ost i"portant f!nctions of 7ocialist political a#itation$ %!t no "atter to whatextent we s!cceed in this at the cr!cial &!nct!re, it isclear that the net of diplo"atic intri#!es in the"selvessi#nifies nothin# either as re#ards the historic role of

the war or its real initiators$%is"arck ’s clever"anoe!vres forced =apoleon III to declare war on











3r!ssia altho!#h the act!al initiative ca"e fro" the2er"an side$ (G1* =ext follows the p!rely "ilitary aspect$ The strate#ic plan operations can be calc!latedchiefly for defence or attack, re#ardless of which side

declared the war and !nder what conditions$ 5inally,the first tactics followed in the carryin# o!t of the plannot infre<!ently play a #reat part in a strate#icesti"atin# the war as a war of defence or of a##ression$

@It is a #ood thin#, wrote n#els to Marx on !ly G1,1 +., @that the 5rench attacked first on 2er"an soil$ If the 2er"ans repel the invasion and follow it !p by invadin# 5iench terrifory then it will certainly notprod!ce the sa"e i"pression as if the 2er"ans had

"arched into 5rance witho!t a previo!s invasion In ths way the war re"ains, on the 5rench side, "ore%onapartistic$

Th!s we see by the classic exa"ple of the 5ranco3r!ssian War that the standards for &!d#in# whether a war is defensive or a#ressive are f!ll of contradictions when two nations clash$ Then how "!ch "ore so arethey when it is a clash of several nations$ If we !nrollthe tan#le fro" the be#innin#, we arrive at the

followin# connection between the ele"ents of attack and defence$ The first tactical "ove of the 5renchsho!ld, at least in n#els’ opinion, "ake the peoplefeel that the responsibility of attack rested with the5rench$ And yet the entire strate#ic plan of the2er"ans had an absol!tely a##ressive character$ Thediplo"atic "oves of %is"arck forced %onaparte todeclare war a#ainst his will and th!s appear as thedist!rber of the peace of !rope, while the "ilitary'political initiative in the war ca"e fro" the 3r!ssian#overn"ent$ These circ!"stances are by no "eans of sli#ht i"portance for the historical esti"ate of the war, b!t they are not at all exha!stive$

/ne of the ca!ses of this war was the #rowin#a"bition of the 2er"ans for national self'deter"ination which conflicted with the dynasticpretensions of the 5rench Monarchy$ %!t this national@war of defence led to the annexation of Alsace'?orraine and so in its second sta#e t!rned into adynastic war of con<!est$







The correspondence between Marx and n#elsshows that they were #!ided chiefly by historicalconsiderations in their attit!de towards the war of 1 +.$ To the", of co!rse, it was by no "eaps a "atter

of indifference as to who cond!cted the war and flow itcond!cted$ @Who wo!ld have tho!#ht it possible,Marx writes bitterly, @that twenty'two years after 1 -a nationalist war in 2er"any co!ld have been #ivens!ch theoretical expression$ 4et what was of decisivesi#nificance to Marx and n#els was the ob&ectiveconse<!ences of the war$ @If the 3r!ssians tri!"ph, it will "ean the centrali0ation of the state power :!sef!l to the centrali0ation of the 2er"an workin#class$

?iebknecht and %ebel, startin# with the sa"ehistorical esti"ate of the war, were directly forced totake a political position toward it$ It was by no "eansin opposition to the views of Marx and n#els, b!t, onthe contrary, with their perfect ac<!iescence that?iebknecht and %ebel ref!sed, in the 8eichsta#, totake any responsibility for this war$ The state"entthey handed in readJ

@We cannot #rant the war appropriations that the8eichsta# is asked to "ake beca!se that wo!ld be a voteof confidence in the 3r!ssian #overn"ent $$$ Asopponents on principle of every dynastic war, as 7ocial8ep!blicans and "e"bers of the International ?abo!r Association, which, witho!t distinction of nationality fi#hts all oppressors and endeavo!rs to !nite all theoppressed in one #reat brotherhood, we cannot declareo!rselves either directly or indirectly in favo!r of thepresent war$

7chweit0er acted differently$ ;e took the historicalesti"ate of the war as a direct #!ide for his tactics :one of the "ost dan#ero!s of fallacies : and in votin#the war credits #ave a vote of confidence to the policy of %is"arck $ And this in spite of the fact that it wasnecessary, if the centrali0ation of state power arisin#o!t of the War was to prove !sef!l to the 7ocialDe"ocratic ca!se, that the workin# class sho!ld fro"the very be#innin# oppose the dynastic' !nkercentrali0ation with their own class'centrali0ation filled

with revol!tionary distr!st of the r!lers$




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7chweit0er’s political attit!de invalidated those very conse<!ences of the War which had ind!ced hi" to#ive a vote of confidence to the "akers of the War$

5orty years later, drawin# !p the balance sheet of hislife'work, %ebel wroteJ

@The attit!de that ?iebknecht and I took at the o!tbreak and d!rin# the contin!ance of the war has for years beena s!b&ect of disc!ssion and violent attack, at first even inthe 3arty b!t only for a short ti"e$ Then they acknowled#ed that we had been ri#ht$ I confess that I donot in any way re#ret o!r attit!de, and if at the o!tbreak of the war we had known what we learned within the nextfew years fro" the official and !nofficial disclos!res, o!rattit!de fro" the very start wo!ld have been still harsher$ We wo!ld not "erely have abstained, as we did, fro" votin# the first war credits, we wo!ld have voted a#ainstthe"$ A/to-io0raph? , 3art II, p$1 +$N

If we co"pare the ?iebknecht'%ebel state"ent of 1 +. with ;aase’s declaration in 191-, we "!stconcl!de that %ebel was "istaken when he said, @Thenthey acknowled#ed that we had been ri#ht$ 5or the vote of A!#!st -th was e"inently a conde"nation of %ebel’s policy forty'fo!r years earlier, since in ;aase’s

phraseolo#y, %ebel had then left the fatherland in thel!rch in the ho!r of dan#er$ What political ca!ses andconsiderations have led the party of the 2er"anproletariat to abandon its #lorio!s traditionsF =ot asin#le wei#hty reason has been #iven so far$ All thear#!"ents add!ced are f!ll of contradictions$ They arelike diplo"atic co""!ni<!es which are written to &!stify an already acco"plished act$ The leader writerof )ie Ne/e .eit writes : with the blessin# of 6o"rade Ca!tsky H11 that 2er"any’s positiontowards 60aris" is the sa"e as it was towards%onapartis" in 1 +.$ ;e even <!otes fro" a letter of

n#elsJ @All classes of the 2er"an people reali0ed thatit was a <!estion, first of all, of national existence, andso they fell in line at once$ 5or the sa"e reason, weare told, the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy has fallen inline now$ It is a <!estion of national existence$@7!bstit!te 60aris" for %onapartis", and n#els’ words are tr!e today$ And yet the fact re"ains, in allits force, that %ebel and ?iebknecht de"onstratively ref!sed to vote either "oney or confidence to the






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#overn"ent in 1 +.$ Does it not hold &!st as well,then, if we @s!bstit!te 60aris" for %onapartis" F Tothis <!estion no answer has been vo!chsafed$

%!t what did n#els really write in his letterconcernin# the tactics of the labo!r partyF

@It does not see" possible to "e that !nder s!chcirc!"stances a 2er"an political party can preachtotal obstr!ction, and place all sorts of "inorconsiderations above the "ain iss!e$ Totalobstr!ction : %!t there is a wide #ap between totalobstr!ction and the total capit!lation of a politicalparty$ And it was this #ap that divided the positions

between %ebel and7chweit0er in 1 +.$ Marx andn#els were with %ebel a#ainst 7chweit0er$ 6o"radeCa!tsky "i#ht have infor"ed his leader writer,;er"ann Wendel, of this fact$ And it is nothin# b!tdefa"ation of the dead for Si:pli;i i:/ now toreconcile the shades of %ebel and %is"arck in ;eaven$If Si:pli;i i:/ and Wendel have the ri#ht toawaken anybody fro" his sleep in the #rave for theendorse"ent of the present tactics of the 2er"an7ocial De"ocracy then it is not %ebel, b!t 7chweit0er$It is the shade of 7chweit0er that now oppresses thepolitical party of the 2er"an proletariat$

%!t the very analo#y between the 5ranco'3r!ssian War and the present War is s!perficial and "isleadin#in the extre"e$ ?et !s set aside all the internationalrelations$ ?et !s for#et that the War "eant first of allthe destr!ction of %el#i!", and that 2er"any’s "ainforce was h!rled not a#ainst 60aris" b!t rep!blican5rance$ ?et !s for#et that the startin# point of the War was the cr!shin# of 7ervia, and that one of its ai"s was the stren#thenin# and consolidation of the arch'reactionary state, A!stria';!n#ary$ We will not dwellon the fact that the attit!de of the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy dealt a hard blow at the 8!ssian8evol!tion, which in the two years belore the War hada#ain flared !p in s!ch a te"pest$ We will close o!reyes to all these facts, &!st as the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy did on A!#!st -th, when it did not see that

there was a %el#i!" in the world, a 5rance, n#land,


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7ervia, or A!stria';!n#ary$ We will #rant only theexistence of 2er"any$

In 1 +., it was <!ite easy to esti"ate the historicalsi#nificance of the war$ @If the 3r!ssians win, thecentrali0ation of state power will f!rther thecentrali0ation of the 2er"an workin# class$ AndnowF

What wo!ld be the res!lt for the 2er"an workin#class of a 3r!ssian victory nowF The only territorialexpansion which the 2er"an workin# class co!ld welco"e, beca!se it wo!ld co"plete the national!nity, is a !nion of 2er"an A!stria with 2er"any$

Any other expansion of the 2er"an fatherland "eansanother step towards the transfor"ation of 2er"any fro" a national state to a state of nationalities, and theconse<!ent introd!ction of all those conditions whichrender "ore diffic!lt the class str!##le of theproletariat$

?!dwi# 5rank hoped : and he expressed this hopein the lan#!a#e of a belated ?assallean : that later,after a victorio!s war, he wo!ld devote hi"self to the

work of the @internal b!ildin# !p of the state$ There isno do!bt that 2er"any will need this @internal b!ildin# !p after a victory no less than before the War$ %!t will a victory "ake this work easierF There isnothin# in 2er"any’s historical experiences any "orethan in those of any other co!ntry to &!stify s!ch ahope$

@We re#arded the doin#s of the r!lers of 2er"any afterthe victories of 1 +.N as a "atter of co!rse, says %ebel in

his A/to-io0raph? $ @It was "erely an ill!sion of the3arty xec!tive to believe that a "ore liberal spirit wo!ldprevail in the new order$ And this "ore liberal re#i"e was to be #ranted by the sa"e "an who had till thenshown hi"self the #reatest ene"y, I will not say of de"ocratic develop"ent, b!t even of every liberaltendency, and who now as victor planted the heel of hisc!irassier boot on the neck of the new "pire$ Eol$II,p$1 N

There is absol!tely no reason to expect differentres!lts now fro" a victory fro" above$ /n thecontrary$ In 1 +. 3r!ssian !nkerdo" had first to

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adapt itself to the new i"perial order$ It co!ld not feelsec!re in the saddle all at once$ It was ei#ht years afterthe victory over 5rance before the anti'7ocialistlaws (GH* were passed$ In these forty'fo!r years

3r!ssian !nkerdo" has beco"e the i"perial!nkerdo"$ And if, after half a cent!ry of the "ostintense class str!##le, !nkerdo" sho!ld appear atthe head of the victorio!s nation, then we need notdo!bt that it wo!ld not have felt the need of ?!dwi# 5rank ’s services for the internal b!ildin# !p of the state had he ret!rned safe fro" the fields of 2er"an victories$

%!t far "ore i"portant than the stren#thenin# of

the class position of the r!lers is the infl!ence a2er"an victory wo!ld have !pon the proletariat itself$The War #rew o!t of i"perialistic anta#onis"s between the capitalist states, and the victory of 2er"any, as stated above, can prod!ce only one res!ltterritorial ac<!isitions at the expense of %el#i!",5rance and 8!ssia, co""ercial treaties forced !ponher ene"ies, and new colonies$ The class str!##le of the proletariat wo!ld then be placed !pon the basis of the i"perialistic he#e"ony of 2er"any, the workin#class wo!ld be interested in the "aintenance anddevelop"ent of this he#e"ony, and revol!tionary 7ocialis" wo!ld for a lon# ti"e be conde"ned to therole of a propa#andist sect$

Marx was ri#ht when in 1 +. he foresaw, as a res!ltof the 2er"an victories, a rapid develop"ent for the2er"an labo!r "ove"ent !nder the banner of scientific 7ocialis"$ %!t now the internationalconditions point to the very opposite pro#nosis$2er"any’s victory wo!ld "ean takin# the ed#e off therevol!tionary "ove"ent, its theoretic shallowin#, andthe dyin# o!t of the Marxist ideas$

CHAPTER #I







WHAT HA#E SOCIALISTSTO )O WITH CAPITALIST

WARS%BT T; 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy, we shall be tolddoes not want victory$ /!r answer "!st be in the firstplace that this is not tr!e$ What the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy wants is told by its press$ With two orthree exceptions 7ocialist papers daily point o!t to the2er"an workin#"an that a victory of the 2er"anar"s is his victory$ The capt!re of Ma!be!#e, thesinkin# of three n#lish warships, or the fall of

Antwerp aro!sed in the 7ocial De"ocratic press thesa"e feelin#s that otherwise are excited by the #ain of a new election district or a victory in a wa#e disp!te$ We "!st not lose si#ht of the fact that the 2er"anlabo!r press, the 3arty press as well as the trade !nionpapers, is now a powerf!l "echanis" that in place of the ed!cation of the people’s will for the class str!##lehas s!bstit!ted the ed!cation of the people’s will for"ilitary victories$ I have not in "ind the !#ly cha!vinistic excesses of individ!al or#ans, b!t the!nderlyin# senti"ent of the overwhel"in# "a&ority of the 7ocial De"ocratic papers$ The si#nal for thisattit!de see"s to have been #iven by the vote of thefraction on A!#!st -th$

%!t the fraction was not thinkin# of a 2er"an victory$ It "ade it its task only to avert the dan#erthreatenin# fro" the o!tside, to defend the fatherland$That was all$ And here we co"e back to the <!estion of wars of defence and wars of a##ression$ The 2er"anpress, incl!din# the 7ocial De"ocratic or#ans, doesnot cease to repeat that it is 2er"any of all co!ntriesthat finds itself on the defensive in this War$ We havealready disc!ssed the standards for deter"inin# thedifference between a war of a##ression and a war of defence$ These standards are n!"ero!s andcontradictory$ 4et in the present case they testify !nani"o!sly that 2er"any’s "ilitary acts cannotpossibly he constr!ed as the acts of a war of defence$

%!t this has absol!tely no infl!ence !pon the tactics of the 7ocial De"ocracy$



5ro" a historical standpoint the new 2er"ani"perialis" is, as we already know, absol!tely a##ressive$ Br#ed onward by the feverish develop"entof the national ind!stry, 2er"an i"perialis" dist!rbs

the old balance of power between the states and playsthe first violin in the race for ar"a"ents$

And fro" the standpoint of world politics thepresent "o"ent see"ed to be "ost favo!rable for2er"any to deal her rivals a cr!shin# blow : whichhowever does not lessen the #!ilt of 2er"any’sene"ies by one iota$

The diplo"atic view of events leaves no do!bt

concernin# the leadin# part that 2er"any played in A!stria’s provocative action in 7erbia$ The fact that60arist diplo"acy was, as !s!al, still "ore dis#racef!l,does not alter the case$

5ro" the standpoint of strate#y the entire 2er"anca"pai#n was based on a "onstro!s offensive$

And finally fro" the standpoint of tactics, the first"ove of the 2er"an ar"y was the violation of the

%el#ian ne!trality$If all this is defence, then what is attackF %!t even if

we ass!"e that events as pict!red in the lan#!a#e of diplo"acy ad"it of other interpretations : altho!#hthe first two pa#es of the White Boo, are very clearas to their "eanin# : has the revol!tionary party of the workin# class no other standards for deter"inin#its policy than the doc!"ents presented by a#overn"ent that has the #reatest interest in deceivin#itJ

@%is"arck d!ped the whole world, says %ebel, @and knew how to "ake people believe that it was =apoleon whoprovoked the war, while he hi"self, the peace'lovin#%is"arck, fo!nd hi"self and his policy in the position of bein# attacked$

@The events precedin# the war were so "isleadin#, that5rance’s co"plete !npreparedness for the war, that sheherself declared, was #enerally overlooked, while in

2er"any, which appeared to be the one attacked,preparations for war had been co"pleted down to the very last a#on'nail, and "obili0ation "oved with the



precision of clockwork$ A/to-io0raph? , Eol$III,pp$1 +'1 N$

After s!ch an historical precedent one "i#ht expect"ore critical ca!tion fro" the 7ocial De"ocracy$

It is <!ite tr!e that %ebel "ore than once repeatedhis assertion that in case of an attack on 2er"any the7ocial De"ocracy wo!ld defend its fatherland$ At theconvention held at ssen (GG*, Ca!tsky answered hi"J

@In "y opinion we cannot pro"ise positively to share the#overn"ent’s war enth!sias" every ti"e we areconvinced that the co!ntry is threatened by attack$ %ebelthinks we are "!ch f!rther advanced than we were in1 +. and that we are now able to decide in every instance whether the war which threatens is really one of a##ression or not$ I sho!ld not like to take thisresponsibility pon "yself$ I sho!ld not like to !ndertaketo #!arantee that we co!ld "ake a correct decision inevery instance, that we shall always know whether aovern"ent is deceivin# !s, or whether it is not act!ally representin# the interests of the nation a#ainst a war of attack $$$ 4esterday it was the 2er"an #overn"ent thattook the a##ressive, to"orrow it will be the 5rench#overn"ent, and we cannot know if the day after it "ay not be the n#lish #overn"ent$ The #overn"ents are

constantly askin# t!rns$ As a "atter of fact what we areconcerned with in case of war is not a national b!t aninternational <!estion$ 5or a war between #reat powers will beco"e a world war and will affect the whole of

!rope, not two co!ntries alone$ 7o"e day the 2er"an#overn"ent "i#ht "ake the 2er"an proletariat believethey were bein# attacked the 5rench #overn"ent "i#htdo the sa"e with its s!b&ects, and then we sho!ld have a war in which the 5rench and 2er"an workin#"en wo!ldfollow their respective #overn"ents with e<!alenth!sias", and "!rder each other and c!t each other’sthroats$ 7!ch a contin#ency "!st be avoided, and it will

be avoided if we do not adopt the criterion of thea##ressive or defensive war, b!t that of the interests of the proletariat, which at the sa"e ti"e are internationalinterests $$$ 5ort!nately, it is a "isconception to ass!"ethat the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy in case of war wo!ld want to &!d#e by national and not by internationalconsiderations, and felt itself to be first a 2er"an andthen a proletarian party$

With splendid clearness,Ca!tsky in this speechreveals the terrible dan#ers : now a still "ore terrible

act!ality : that are latent in the endeavo!r to "akethe position of the 7ocial De"ocracy dependent !pon








an indefinite and contradictory for"al esti"ate of whether a war is one of defence or one of a##ression$%ebel in his reply said ilothin# of i"portance and hispoint of view see"ed <!ite inexplicable, especially

after his own experience of the year 1 +.$=evertheless, in spite of its theoretical inade<!acy,

%ebel’s position had a <!ite definite politicalsi#nificance$ Those i"perialistic tendencies which thedan#er of war be#at excl!ded the possibility for the7ocial De"ocracy’s expectin# salvation fro" the victory of either of the warrin# parties$ 5or that very reason its entire attention was directed to thepreventin# of war, and the principal task was to keep

the #overn"ents worried abo!t the res!lts of a war$@The 7ocial De"ocracy, said %ebel, @Will oppose

any #overn"ent which takes the initiative in war$ ;e"eant his as a threat to Wilhel" II ’s #overn"ent$@Don’t reckon !pon !s if so"e day yo! decide to!tili0e yo!r cannon and yo!r battleships$ Then het!rned to 3etro#rad and ?ondonJ @They had bettertake care not to attack 2er"any in a "iscalc!lation of weakness fro" within on acco!nt of the obstr!ctionistpolicy of the powerf!l 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$

Witho!t bein# a political doctrine, %ebel’sconception was a political threat, and a threat directedsi"!ltaneo!sly at two fronts, the internal front andthe forei#n front$ ;is one obstinate answer to allhistorical and lo#ical ob&ections wasJ @We’ll find the way to expose any #overn"ent that takes the first steptowards war$ We are clever eno!#h for that$

This threatenin# attit!de of not only the 2er"an7ocial De"ocracy b!t also of the International 3arty was not witho!t res!lts$ The vario!s #overn"entsact!ally did "ake every effort to postpone theo!tbreak of the war$ %!t that is not all$ The r!lers andthe diplo"ats were do!bly attentive now to adaptin#their "oves to the pacifist psycholo#y of the "asses$They whispered with the 7ocialist leaders, nosed abo!tin the office of the International, and so created asenti"ent which "ade it possiblefor a!rSs and ;aase to declare at %r!ssels, a few days










before the o!tbreak of the War, that their partic!lar#overn"ents had no other ob&ect than thepreservation of peace$(G-* And when the stor"s broke loose, the 7ocial De"ocracy of every co!ntry

looked for the #!ilty party : on the other side of the border$ %ebel’s !tterance, which had played a definitepart as a threat, lost all wei#ht the instant the firstshots were fired at the front iers$ That terrible thin#took place which Ca!tsky had prophesied$

What at first #lance appeared the "ost s!rprisin#thin# abo!t it all is, that the 7ocial De"ocracy had notreally felt the need for a political criterion$ In thecatastrophe that has occ!rred to the International the

ar#!"ents have been notable for their s!perficiality$They contradicted each other, shifted #ro!nd, and were of only secondary si#nificance the #ist of the"atter bein# that the father land "!st be defrnded$ Apart fro" considerations of the historical o!tco"e of the War, apart fro" considerations of de"ocracy andthe class str!##le, the fatherland that has co"e downto !s historically "!st be defended$ And defended not beca!se o!r #overn"ent wanted peace and was@perfidio!sly attacked , as the international penny'a'liners p!t it, b!t beca!se apart fro" the conditions orthe ways in which it was provoked, apart fro" who was ri#ht and who was wron#, war, once it breaks o!t,s!b&ects every belli#erent to the dan#er of invasionand con<!est$ Theoretical, political, diplo"atic and"ilitary considerations fall into r!ins as in anearth<!ake, a confla#ration or a flood$ The#overn"ent with its ar"y is elevated to theposition of the one power that can protect and save its people$Thelar#e "asses of the people in act!ality ret!rn to apre'political condition$ This feelin# of the "asses, thisele"ental reflex of the catastrophe, need not becritici0ed in so far as it is only a te"porary feelin#$ %!tis <!ite a different "atter in the case of the attit!de of the 7ocial De"ocracy, the responsible politicalrepresentative of the "asses$ The politicalor#ani0ations of the possessin# classes and especially the power of the #overn"ent itself did not si"ply float with the strea"$ They instantly set to work "ost

intensively and in very vaned ways to hei#hten this!npolitical senti"ent and to !nite the "asses aro!nd








the ar"y and the #overn"ent$ The 7ocial De"ocracy not only did not beco"e e<!ally active in the oppositedirection, b!t fro" the very first "o"ent s!rrenderedto the policy of the #overn"ent and to the ele"ental

feelin# of the "asses$ And instead of ar"in# these"asses with the weapons of criticis" and distr!st, if only passive criticis" and distr!st, it itself by its wholeattit!de hastened the people alon# the road to thispre'political condition$ It reno!nced its traditions andpolitical pled#es of fifty years with a conspic!o!sreadiness that was least of all calc!lated to inspire ther!lers with respect$

%eth"ann';ollwe# anno!nced that the 2er"an

#overn"ent was in absol!te a#ree"ent with the2er"an people, and after the avowal of the #or$aert , in view of the position taken by the7ocial De"ocracy, he has a perfect ri#ht to say so$ %!the had still another ri#ht$ If conditions had notind!ced hi" to postpone pole"ics to a "orefavo!rable "o"ent, he "i#ht have said at the8eichsta# session of A!#!st -th, addressin# therepresentatives of the 7ocialist proletariatJ

@Today yo! a#ree with !s in reco#ni0in# the dan#erthreatenin# o!r fatherland, and yo! &oin !s in tryin# toavert the dan#er by ar"s$ %!t this dan#er has not #rown!p since yesterday$ 4o! "!st previo!sly have known of the existence and the tendencies of 60aris", and yo!knew that we had other ene"ies besides$ 7o by what ri#htdid yo! attack !s when we b!ilt !p o!r ar"y and o!rnavyF %y what ri#ht did yo! ref!se to vote for "ilitary appropriations year after yearF Was it by the ri#ht of treason or the ri#ht of blindnessF If in spite of yo! we hadnot b!ilt !p o!r ar"y, we sho!ld now be hel less in theface of this 8!ssian "enace that has bro!#hi yo! to yo!rsenses, too$ =o appropriations #ranted now co!ld enable!s to "ake !p for what we wo!ld have lost$ We sho!ldnow be witho!t ar"s, witho!t cannons, witho!tfortifications$ 4o!r votin# today in favo!r of the warcredit of five billions is an ad"ission that yo!r ann!alref!sal of the b!d#et was only an e"pty de"onstration,and, worse than that, was political de"a#o#y$ 5or as soonas yo! ca"e !p for serio!s historical exa"ination, yo!denied yo!r entire past

That is what the 2er"an 6hancellor co!ld have said,

and this ti"e his speech wo!ld have carriedconviction$ And what co!ld ;aase have repliedF





@We never took a stand for 2er"any’s disar"a"ent inthe face of dan#ers fro" witho!t$ 7!ch peace r!bbish wasnever in o!r tho!#hts$ As lon# as internationalcontradictions create o!t of he"selves the dan#er of war, we want 2er"any to be safi a#ainst forei#n invasion andservit!de$ What we are tryin# for is a "ilitary or#anisation which cannot : as can an artificially trainedor#ani0ation be "ade to serve for class exploitation atho"e and for i"perialistic advent!res abroad, b!t will beinvincible in national defence$ We want a "ilitia$ Wecannot tr!st yo! with the work of national defence$ 4o!have "ade the ar"y a school of reactionary trainin#$ 4o!have drilled yo!r corps of officers in the hatred of the"ost i"portant class of "odern society, the proletariat$ 4o! are capable of riskin# "illions of lives, not for thereal interests of the people, b!t for the selfish interests of the r!lin# "inority, which yo! vei with the na"es of

national ideals and state presti#e$ We do not tr!st yo!,and that is why we have declared year after year, =ot asin#le "an or a sin#le penny for this class #overn"ent ’

@%!t five billions voices fro" both the ri#ht and theleft "i#ht interr!pt$

@Bnfort!nately we are now left no choice$ We have noar"y except the one created by the present "asters of 2er"any, and the ene"y stands witho!t o!r #ates$ Wecannot on the instant replace Wilhel" II’s ar"y by a

people’s "ilitia, and once this is so, we cannot ref!sefood, clothin# and "aterials of war to the ar"y that isdefendin# !s, no "atter how it "ay be constit!ted$ Weare neither rep!diatin# o!r past nor reno!ncin# o!rf!t!re$ We are forced to vote for the war credits$

That wo!ld have been abo!t the "ost convincin# thin#that ;aase co!ld have said$

4et, even tho!#h s!ch considerations "i#ht #ive anexplanation of why the 7ocialist workers as citi0ensdid not obstr!ct the "ilitary or#ani0ation, b!t si"ply f!lfilled the d!ty of citi0enship forced !pon the" by circ!"stances, we sho!ld still be waitin# in vain for ananswer to the principal <!estionJ Why did the 7ocialDe"ocracy, as the political or#ani0ation of a class thathas been denied a share in the #overn"ent, as thei"placable ene"y of bo!r#eois society, as therep!blican party, as a branch of the International why did it take !pon itself the responsibility for acts!ndertaken by its irreconcilable class ene"iesF



If it is i"possible for !s i""ediately to replace the;ohen0ollern ar"y with a "ilitia, that does not "eanthat we "!st now take !pon o!rselves theresponsibility for the doin#s of that ar"y$ If in ti"es of

peacef!l nor"al state'ho!sekeepin# we wa#e wara#ainst the "onarchy, the bo!r#eoisie and "ilitaris",and are !nder obli#ations to the "asses to carry onthat war with the whole wei#ht of o!r a!thority, then we co""it the #reatest cri"e a#ainst o!r f!t!re when we p!t this a!thority at the disposal of the "onarchy,the bo!r#eoisie and "ilitaris" at the very "o"ent when these break o!t into the terrible, anti'social and barbaric "ethods of war$ =either the nation nor thestate can escape the obli#ation of defence$ %!t when

we ref!se the r!lers o!r confidence we by no "eansrob the bo!r#eois state of its weapons or its "eans of defence and even of attack as lon# as we are not stron#eno!#h to wrest its powers fro" its hands$ In war as inpeace, we are a party of opposition, not a party of power$ In that way we can also "ost s!rely serve thatpart of o!r task which war o!tlines so sharply, the work of national independence$ The 7ocial De"ocracy cannot let the fate of any nation, whether its own oranother nation, depend on "ilitary s!ccesses$ Inthrowin# !pon the capitalist state the responsibility for the "ethod by which it protects its independence,that is, the violation of the independence of otherstates, the 7ocia De"ocracy lays the cornerstone of tr!e national independence in th conscio!sness of the"asses of all nations$ %y preservin# and developin#the international solidarity of the workers, we sec!rethe independence of the nation : and "ake itindependent of the calibre of cannons$

If 60aris" is a dan#er to 2er"any’s independence,there is only one way that pro"ises s!ccess in wardin#off this dan#er, and that way lies with !s : thesolidarity of the workin# "asses of 2er"any and8!ssia$ %!t s!ch solidarity wo!ld !nder"ine thepolicy that Wilhel" II explained in sayin# that theentire 2er"an people stood behind hi"$ What sho!ld we 8!ssian 7ocialists say to the 8!ssian workin#"enin face of the fact that the b!llets the 2er"an workers

are shootin# at the" bear the political and "oral sealof the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracyF @We cannot "ake











independently of which of the national bayonets iscrowned with victory$

The experience of old is confir"ed once a#ain$ If the7ocial De"ocracy sets national d!ties above its classd!ties, it co""its the #reatest cri"e not only a#ainst7ocialis", b!t also a#ainst the interest’ of the nationas ri#htly and broadly !nderstood$

CHAPTER #II

THE COLLAPSE OF THEINTERNATIONAL

AT their 6onvention in 3aris two weeks before theo!tbreak of the catastrophe, the 5rench 7ocialistsinsisted on pled#in# all branches of the Internationalto revol!tionary action in case of a "obili0ation$ They were ihinkin# chiefly of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$The radicalis" of the 5rench 7ocialists in "atters of forei#n policy was rooted not so "!ch in internationalas national interests$ The events of the War have now definitely confir"ed what was clear o "any then$ What the 5rench 7ocialist 3arty desired fro" the sisterparty in 2er"any was a certain #!arantee for theinviolability of 5rance$ They believed that only by th!sins!rin# the"selves with the 2er"an proletanat co!ldthey finally free their own hands for a decisive conilict with national "ilitaris"$

The 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy, for their part, flatly ref!sed to "ake any s!ch pled#e$ %ebel showed that if the 7ocialist parties si#ned the 5rench resol!tion, that wo!ld not necessarily enable the" to keep their pled#e when the decisive "o"ent ca"e$ =ow there is littleroo" for do!bt that %ebel was ri#ht$ As events haverepeatedly proved, a period of "obili0ation al"ostco"pletely cripples the 7ocialist 3arty, or at leastprecl!des the possibility of decisive "oves$ /nce"obili0ation is declared, the 7ocial De"ocracy findsitself face to face with the concentrated power of the#overn"ent, which is s!pported by a powerf!l "ilitary






apparat!s that is ready to cr!sh all obstacles in itspath and has the !n<!alified cooperation of all bo!r#eois parties and instit!tions$

And of no less i"portance is the fact that"obili0ation wakes !p and brin#s to their feet thoseele"ents of the people whose social si#nificance issli#ht and who play little or no political part in tirnesof peace$ ;!ndreds of tho!sands, nay "illions of petty hand'workers, of hobo'proletarians the riff'raff of the workersN, of s"all far"ers and a#ric!lt!ral labo!rersare drawn into the ranks of the ar"y and p!t into a!nifor", in which each one of these "en stands for &!st as "!ch as the class'conscio!s workin#"an$ They

and their fa"ilies are forcibly torn fro" their d!ll!nthinkin# indifference and #iven an interest in thefate of their co!ntry$ Mobili0ation and the declarationof war awaken fresh expectations in these circles who" o!r a#itation practically does not reach and who", !nder ordinary circ!"stances, it will neverenlist$ 6onf!sed hopes of a chan#e in presentconditions, of a chan#e for the better, fill the hearts of these "asses dra##ed o!t of the apathy of "isery andservit!de$ The sa"e thin# happens as at the be#innin#of a revol!tion, b!t with one all'i"portant difference$ A revol!tion links these newly aro!sed ele"ents withthe revol!tionary class, b!t war links the" : with the#overn"ent and the ar"y In the one case all the!nsatisfied needs, all the acc!"!lated s!fferin#, allthe hopes and lon#in#s find their expression inrevol!tionary enth!sias" in the other case thesesa"e social e"otions te"porarily take the for" of patriotic intoxication$ Wide circles of the workin#class, even a"on# those to!ched with 7ocialis", arecarried alon# in the sa"e c!rrent$

The advance #!ard of the 7ocial De"ocracy feels itis in the "inority its or#ani0ations, in order toco"plete the or#ani0ation of the ar"y, are wrecked$Bnder s!ch conditions there can be no tho!#ht of arevol!tionary "ove on the part of the 3arty$ And allthis is <!ite independent of whether the people look !pon a partic!larly war with favo!r or disfavo!r$ In

spite of the colonial character of the 8!sso' apanese war and its !npop!larity in 8!ssia, the first half year



of it nearly s"othered the revol!tionary "ove"ent$6onse<!ently it is <!ite clear that, with the bestintentions in the world, the 7ocialist parties cannotpled#e the"selves to obstr!ctionist action at the ti"e

of "obili0ation, at a ti"e, that is, when 7ocialis" is"ore than ever politically isolated$

And therefore there is nothin# partic!larly !nexpected or disco!ra#in# in the fact that the workin#'class parties did not oppose "ilitary "obili0ation with their own revol!tionary "obili0ation$ ;ad the 7ocialists li"ited the"selves toexpressin# conde"nation of the present War, had they declined all responsibility for it and ref!sed the vote of

confidence in their #overn"ents as well as the vote forthe war credits, they wo!ld have done their d!ty at theti"e$ They wo!ld have taken !p a position of waitin#,the oppositional character of which wo!ld have beenperfectly clear to the #overn"ent as well as to thepeople$ 5!rther action wo!ld have been deter"ined by the "arch of events and by those chan#es which theevents of a war "!st prod!ce on the people’sconscio!sness$ The ties bindin# the Internationalto#ether wo!ld have been preserved, the banner of 7ocialis" wo!ld have been !nstained$ Altho!#h weakened for the "o"ent, the 7ocial De"ocracy wo!ld have preserved a free hand for a decisiveinterference in affairs as soon as the chan#e in thefeelin#s of the workin# "asses ca"e abo!t$ And it issafe to assert that whatever infl!ence the 7ocialDe"ocracy "i#ht have lost by s!ch an attit!de at the be#ninin# of the War, it wo!ld have re#ained severalti"es over once the inevitable t!rn in p!blic senti"enthad co"e abo!t$

%!t if this did not happen, if the si#nal for war"obili0ation was also the si#nal for the fall of theInternational, if the national labo!r parties fell in line with their #overn"ents and the ar"ies witho!t asin#le protest, then there "!st be deep ca!ses for itco""on to the entire International$ It wo!ld be f!tileto seek these ca!ses in the "istakes of individ!als, inthe narrowness of leaders and party co""ittees$ They

"!st be so!#ht in the conditions of the epoch in whichthe 7ocialist International first ca"e into bein# and



developed$ =ot that the !nreliability of the leaders orthe bewildered inco"petence of the xec!tive6o""ittee sho!ld ever be &!stified$ %y no "eans$ %!tthese are not f!nda"ental factors$ These "!st be

so!#ht in the historical conditions of an entire epoch$5or it is not a <!estion and we "!st be very strai#htforward with o!rselves abo!t this : of any partic!lar "istake, not of any opport!nist steps, not of any awkward state"ents in the vario!s parlia"ents,not of the vote for the b!d#et cast by the 7ocialDe"ocrats of the 2rand D!chy of %aden (G)*, not of individ!al experi"ents of 5rench "inisterialis", notof the "akin# or !n"akin# of this or that 7ocialistcareer$ It is nothin# less than the co"plete fail!re of

the International in the "ost responsible historicalepoch, for which all the previo!s achieve"ents of 7ocialis" can be considered "erely as a preparation$

A review of historical events will reveal a n!"ber of facts and sy"pto"s that sho!ld have aro!sed dis<!ietas to the depth and solidarity of Internationalis" inthe labo!r "ove"ent$

I a" not referrin# to the A!strian 7ocial De"ocracy$In vain did the 8!ssian and 7erbian 7ocialists look forclippin#s fro" articles on world politics inthe Wiener Ar-eiter&.eit/n0 that they co!ld !sefor 8!ssian and 7erbian workin#"en witho!t havin#to bl!sh for the International$ /ne of the "ost strikin#tendencies of this &o!rnal always was the defence of A!stro'2er"an i"perialis" not only a#ainst theo!tside ene"y b!t also a#ainst the internal ene"y :and the #or$aert was one of the internal ene"ies$There is no irony in sayin# that in the present crisis of the International the Wiener Arbeiter'Keit!n#re"ained tr!est to its past$

5rench 7ocialis" reveals two extre"es : an ardentpatriotis", on the one hand, not free fro" en"ity of 2er"any on the other hand, the "ost vivid anti'patriotis" of the ;ervV type, which, as experienceteaches, readily t!rns into the very opposite$





As for n#land, ;ynd"an’s Tory'tin#ed patriotis",s!pple"entin# his sectarian radicalis", has oftenca!sed the International political diffic!lties$

It was in far less de#ree that nationalistic sy"pto"sco!ld be detected in the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$ To be s!re, the opport!nis" of the 7o!th 2er"ans #rew !p o!t of the soil of partic!laris", which was 2er"annationalis" in octavo for"$ %!t the 7o!th 2er"ans were ri#htly considered the politically !ni"portantrear'#!ard of the party$ %ebel’s pro"ise to sho!lderhis #!n in case of dan#er did not "eet with a sin#le'hearted reception$ And when =oske repeated %ebel’sexpression, he was sharply attacked in the party press$

/n the whole the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy adhered"ore stricly to the line of internationalis" than any other of the old 7ocialist 3arties$ %!t for that very reason it "ade the sharpest break with its past$ To &!d#e by the for"al anno!nce"nets of the party andthe articles in the 7ocialist press, there is noconnection between the 4esterday and Today of 2er"an 7ocialis"$

%!t it is clear that s!ch a catastrophe co!ld not haveocc!rred had not the conditions for it been preparedin previo!s ti"es$ The fact that two yo!n# parties, the8!ssian and ther 7ervbian, re"ained tr!e to theirinternational d!ties is by no "eans a confir"ation of the 3hilistine philosophy, accordin# to which loyalty to principle is a nat!ral expression of i""at!rity$ 4etthis fact leads !s to seek the ca!ses of the collapse of the 7econd International in the very conditions of itsdevelop"ent that least infl!enced its yo!n#er"e"bers$

Part III

To- of -a"e

Note For Part II

H9$ .a-ern1 7averneN A "inin# town in Alsace which had

not been co"pletely 2er"ani0ed since annexation 1 +.N, was the scene of friction between the ar"y and the people in

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191G$ ?t$ %aron von 5orstner had ins!lted the 5rench 5la# while drillin# recr!its$ The story leaked o!t and the recr!its were arrested on a char#e of betrayin# "ilitary secrets$ /n=ove"ber 1., 191G, crowds were fired !pon by 2er"antroops and 5orstner called !pon the" to #ive "iners a hotti"e$

/n =ove"ber H , 5orstner said he was ins!lted in the streetsand ar"ed troops were sent o!t a#ainst a crowd of wo"en,children and cripples$ Martial law was proclai"ed, ho!sessearched and the town &!d#e and p!blic prosec!tor locked!p for the ni#ht with H others$ /n Dece"ber G the "atter was taken !p by the 8eichsta#, WarMinister 5alkenheyn ref!sed to disclose the p!nish"ent"eted o!t to 5orstner$ The 8eichsta# passed a vote of no'confidence on the 6hancellor, %eth"ann';ollwe# , H9G to )-$/n Dece"ber 19, the Alsatian recr!its were sentenced to

three weeks for co"plainin#$ /n an!ary -, 8e!ter, the6o""andin# /fficer, and 5orstner were ac<!itted by 6o!rtMartial$ The 6rown 3rince con#rat!lated 5orstner and !r#edhi" @to keep it !p $$$ 8e!ter was also awarded the /rder of the 8ed a#le$

G.$ Te/to-/r0er$ald1 In the ti"e of A!#!st!s, 9 AD, a8o"an le#ion led by Ear!s was co"pletely cr!shed by ;er"an’s Te!tons in the Te!tob!r#er 5orest$

G1$ Bi :ar;,’ ;le"er :anoe/"re 1 7ee note )$

GH$ Anti&So;iali t La$ 1 3repared by %is"arck since1 H, were p!t into operation even before they were passed by the 8eichsta# in /ctober 1 + $ All extra'parlia"entary activity of the 7ocialists was banned$ The laws were repealedin 1 9., the year %is"arck was dropped$

GG$ The E en Con"ention o+ the 'er:an So;ial)e:o;rat took place in 19.+$ p$-HN

G-$ /n the H9th !ly 191-, after a "eetin# of theInternational 7ocialist %!rea! at %r!ssels a lar#ely attendedp!blic "eetin# was addressed by a!rSs, the reco#ni0edleader of the 5rench 7ocialists, and;aase , 6hair"an of the2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy and head of its 8eichsta# fraction$

a!rSs de"onstratively p!t his ar" ro!nd ;aase, to theappla!se of the a!dience$

G)$ In 19.-, in the 7o!th 2er"anN %aden ?andta#, acoalition between the 7ocial De"ocrats and the ?iberalsdrafted and voted for a b!d#et$ This was the first ti"e thatany 7ocialists had voted for a capitalist b!d#et$

To- of -a"e

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'lo ar? Be-el = A/0/ t 2479&252 1 Marxist of worker ori#in, 6o'fo!nder with Wilhel" ?iebknecht of the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy 1 9$ In 8eichsta# fro" 1 +$ 7entenced with?iebknecht to two years’ i"prison"ent for @treasonopposition to 5ranco'2er"an WarN in 1 +H$ ?eader of the2er"an 7D and the Hnd International in pre'war years$

Beth:ann& Holl$e0 = Theo-ald "on 2468&25D2 1 6hancellor of the 2er"an "pire 19.9'191+$7!cceeded von %Olow $ 8e"oved on the de"and of the 6rown 3rince, ;indenb!r# and ?!dendorff anddis"issed by the Caiser 11th !ly 191+$ 8eplaced by 2eor# Michaelis$

Bi :ar;, = Otto "on 2426&2454 1 Do"inated the2er"an and !ropean political scene 1 H'1 9. as6hancellor$ Bnified 2er"any !nder the do"ination of 3r!ssia and the ;ohen0ollern s$ A!thor of the anti'7ocialistlaws$ Dropped by "peror Wilhel" II in March 1 9.$

Bonaparte= Lo/i Napoleon III 2494&243 1 =ephew of =apoleon I, "peror of 5rance 1 )H'1 +.$

Briand = Ari tide 248D&25 D 1 /nce a "ilitant "e"berof the 5rench 7ocialist 3arty fo!#ht Millerand and his

@Ministerialis" b!t later beca"e Minister of d!cation19. '19.9$ xpelled fro" 73, he fo!nded the 8ep!blican7ocialist 3arty with Millerand 1911N$ 3re"ier several ti"es,especially /ctober 191)'March 191+$ Dele#ate to the ?ea#!eof =ations$

B lo$ = Bernhard "on= Prin;e 2475&25D5 1 2er"andiplo"at$ 2er"an chancellor and 3ri"e Minister of 3r!ssia19..'19.9$

)el-r ;, = Han 2474&25D5 1 2er"an "ilitary historian$Me"ber of 8eichsta# 1 -'1 9.$

)el;a e = Theophile 246D&25D 1 5rench 5orei#nMinister 1 9 '19.), 191-'191 $ 3ro"oted !ntenteCordiale with %ritish$

)i = Arth/r 2436&25 6 1 2er"an &o!rnalist, writer andeditor$

)riant = :ile 2466&2528 1 5rench soldier, politician andnovelist$ 7on'in'law of 2eneral %o!lan#er$ 5irst hi#h'rankin# 5rench cas!alty of %attle of Eerd!n, 191 $




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Fal,enha?n = Eri;h "on 2482&25DD 1 2er"an officer$6hief of 7taff 191-'191 $

Fran, = L/d$i0= )r< 2437&2527 1 7D 8eichsta# "e"ber$8evisionist, leader of %aden 7ocialists$ Eoted for war creditsand vol!nteered for service as private after A!#!st -th$Cilled at %accarat in 5rance soon after, was first M3 to die inaction$ In Dece"ber 191- his 8eichsta# seat was occ!pied by a wreath$

're? = Sir Ed$ard late #i ;o/nt 248D&25 1 ?iberalM3 fro" 1 )$ 5orei#n 7ecretary Dece"ber 19.)'May 191 $ A!thor of the oft'<!oted re"ark at the be#innin# of the warJ@The la"ps are #oin# o!t all over !rope we shall not seethe" lit a#ain in o!r lifeti"e$

'/e de = >/le Ba ile 2476&25DD 1 6o""!nard$

5o!nder "e"ber of 5rench Workers 3arty 1 +9$ ?eft'win#socialist$ Dep!ty 1 9G'19H1$ 5o!#ht refor"is" and"inisterialis"$ D!rin# the War advocated @7acred Bnion with the bo!r#eoisie$ Minister witho!t 3ortfolio A!#!st 191-to /ctober 191)$

Haa e = H/0o 248 &2525 1 ?awyer of ewish ori#in$2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat$ Me"ber International 7ocialist%!rea! and 8eichsta# Dep!ty 1 9+'191 $ 7!cceeded %ebel asleader of 7D 3arlia"entary fraction 191G$ /pposed votin# for war credits within the 3arty b!t s!cc!"bed to Ma&ority decision$ 5o!nder and leader of Independent 7ocialDe"ocratic 3arty B73DN 191 $ Minister of 5orei#n Affairsand 6olonies in bert’s @7ocialist 6oalition =ove"ber 191 $8esi#ned Dece"ber H9, 191 $ 7hot on the steps of the8eichsta# by a Monarchist officer$

Hinden-/r0 = Pa/l "on Benee,endori+ /nd "on2473&25 7 1 3r!ssian "ilitarist$ 5o!#ht in war a#ainst

5rance 1 +.'+1$ 2eneral in 19.G$ 8etired 1911$ 8ecalled at be#innin# of War$ Eictor at Tannenb!r# 191- and theMas!rian ?akes 191) a#ainst 8!ssia$ ?ater 5ield Marshal$7!cceeded bert as 3resident 19H)$ 6o'existed with ;itlerfro" 19GH till his death$

Hohen!ollern )?na t?1 5rederick of ;ohen0ollern,%!r#rave of =!re"b!r# was "ade elector of %randenb!r# in1-1)$ Bp to 1 .9 %randenb!r# was a barren re#ion betweenthe Middle /der and the Middle lbe$ In 1 1 , the D!kedo"of 3r!ssia, a 3olish fief since 1- , devolved on 5rederick Willia" of %randenb!r#, @the 2reat lector $ The Dynasty rose after the 3eace of Westphalia 1 - with the help of 5rance and n#land who backed the 3rotestant r!lersa#ainst the 8o"an 6atholic r!lers of A!stria$ Bnder%is"arck’s leadership, the dynasty e"er#ed as the principal

power in the =orth 2er"an 5ederation$ After the victory a#ainst 5rance 1 +., the Cin# of 3r!ssia beca"e "peror of

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2er"any$ The Dynasty ended with the abdication of Caiser Wilhel" II on =ove"ber 9th 191 $

Ir:er = 'eor0 246 &25 2 1 2er"an i"perialist$ Me"berof colonial service and later &o!rnalist$ 2overnor of theMarshall Islands 1 9-'1 9+$ 2er"an 6ons!l'2eneral in A!stralia 19.+'1911$

>a/rJ = >ean A/0/ te 2465&2527 1 5rench 7ocialistleader$ 5o!nder and editorL’H/:anit 19.-'191-$ 8i#ht Win#er, ?eadin# fi#!re in the Hnd International$ Anti'"ilitarist$ Assassinated by 5rench officers on G1st !ly 191-,the eve of the War$

Ka/t ,? = Karl 2467&25 4 1 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat$Theoretician of 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$ ?eader of the HndInternational$ A!thor of theEr+/rt Pro0ra::e $ A

pacifist'centrist in World War I$ ?ater 8i#ht'Win#er in theIndependent 7ocialist 3arty B73DN$ 8e&oined 7ocialDe"ocracy$ Died in exile$

Kl/;, = Ale ander "on= 'eneral 2478&25 7 1 6o""ander 2er"an 5irst Ar"y in World War I$Invaded %el#i!" and responsible for n!"ero!s atrocities$

La alle= Ferdinand 24D6&l487 1 2er"an socialist$5o!nder of the 2eneral Association of 2er"an Workers

1 GN$ As the only leadin# 2er"an 7ocialist of his#eneration not forced into exile, he was able despite hisshortco"in#s, to exert a #reat infl!ence on the 2er"an workin# class "ove"ent$ ;is followers later helped for" the2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$

Lie-,ne;ht = Karl 2432&2525 1 ?eft Win# 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocrat$ Me"ber 2er"an 8eichsta# and 3r!ssian?andta#$ Anti'"ilitarist$ ;e was the first, and at first only,Dep!ty to oppose war credits in the 8eichsta# in 191-$Drafted d!rin# the war, he was i"prisoned for anti'waractivity, May 191 to =ove"ber 191 $ ?eader International2ro!p and later, 7partac!s ?ea#!e$ /ne of the leaders of the%erlin !prisin# 1919$ Assassinated by co!nter'revol!tionary soldiers, an!ary 1)th 1919, with 8osa?!xe"b!r# $

Lie-,ne;ht = Wilhel: 24D8&2599 1 5riend of Marx,fo!nder and leader of the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy$8eichsta# Dep!ty$ ailed 1 +H for /pposition to the 5ranco'3r!ssian War$

Li !t= Fran! "on 2462&2525 1 2er"an acade"ic, &!ristand politician$ Me"ber of 3ro#ressive 3eople’s 3arty$Me"ber of 8eichsta# fro" 191H$

L/dendor++ = Eri;h 2486&25 3 1 2er"an officer$ 7ervedon both Western and astern 5ronts$ %eca"e ;indenb!r# ’s

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Dep!ty chief of 7taff in 191 $ 8epresented 2er"any d!rin#ne#otiations with %olsheviks leadin# to Treaty of %rest'?itovsk$ %eca"e 6o""ander in 6hief on Western 5ront191 , or#anised !ns!ccessf!l final 2er"an offensive$ 5led to7weden 7epte"ber 191 $ In exile laid basis forDolchstossle#ende, the theory that #er"any wo!ld have wonteh war except for the fact that the ar"y was betrayed fro" within by left'win# a#itators$ 8et!rned to 2er"any 19H.$

arly s!pporter of =a0is, participated in %eer ;all 3!tsch19HG$ ?ater fell o!t with ;itler$

L/ e:-/r0 = Ro a 2439&2525 1 3olish 7ocialist$ oined2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy 1 9+$ WithCarl ?iebknecht led?eft Win#$ %rilliant theoretician ?enin called her @anea#le N$ I"prisoned "any ti"es for anti'war activity$ ?eaderof the @7partacists and fo!nder of the 2er"an 6o""!nist3arty$ Assassinated by reactionary officers an!ary 1)th,

1919$*i;haeli = 'eor0 2463&25 8 1 2er"an civil servant$2er"an 6hancellor !ly'=ove"ber 191+$

*olt,e= Hel:/th "on= 'eneral The (o/n0er 2474&2528 1 =ephew of the lder Moltke$ 2er"an 6hief of 7taff inthe early years of World War I$

No ,e= '/ ta" 2484&2578 1 8i#ht'win# 7ocialDe"ocratic "e"ber of 8eichsta# d!rin# World War I$%eca"e Minister of Defence after the 2er"an 8evol!tion in=ove"ber 191 $ /r#anised 5reikorps and s!ppression of theso'called 7partacist !prisin# in an!ary 1919, d!rin# which8osa ?!xe"b!r# and Carl ?iebknecht were "!rdered by ri#ht'win# officers$ 5orced to resi#n after Capp 3!tsch in19H.$

Poin;ar = Ra?:ond Ni;hola Landr? 2489&25 7 1 3re"ier of 5rance 191H, 19HH'H-, 19H 'H9$ 3resident191G'19H.$ Militarist$

Q/e el = L/d$i0 243D&25 1 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat of the extre"e 8i#ht I"perialistN Win#$ 8evisionist$ 8eichsta#191H'1 and 19H.'G.$ Me"ber Wei"ar =ational Asse"bly 1919'H.$

Sa!ono" = Ser0ei )< 2482&25D3 1 8!ssian diplo"at$5orei#n Minister 191.'191 $ A"bassador to ?ondon 191+$ After the 8evol!tion represented co!nter'revol!tionaries

Colchak, then DenikinN in 3aris$

S;hie:ann = Theodor 2473&25D2 1 2er"an historian of %altic 2er"an ori#in$ 3!blisher$ ?ect!rer at the 3r!ssian Acade"y of War$ 5riend of the Caiser$




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S;h$eit!er = >ohann Bapti t "on 24 &2436 1 3resident, 2eneral Association of 2er"an Workers

1 +'+1N$ Intri#!ed with %is"arck$ When exposed, 1 +H,expelled$

Se:-at = *ar;el 248D&25DD 1 5rench 7ocialist$ Dep!ty fro" 1 9G$ 6ha!vinist d!rin# War$ oined 6abinet of =ational Defence as Minister of 3!blic Works A!#!st 191-'7epte"ber 191+$

S/de,/: = Al-ert O ,ar Wilhel: 2432&2577 1 2er"an 8i#ht'Win# 7ocial De"ocrat$ 8evisionistand cha!vinist$ 8eichsta# 19..'191 $ Eisited Italy and8!"ania in atte"pt to win over 7ocialists to 2er"anI"perialis"$ Minister of 5inance of 3r!ssia 191 '19H.$

Wendel = Her:an1 8i#ht Win# 2er"an 7ocial De"ocrat$

Wilhel: II 2465&2572 1 2er"an "peror 1 '191 $?ast ;ohen0ollern r!ler$ /verthrown by the =ove"ber 191revol!tion, retired to ;olland$

Wilhel: 244D&2562 1 7on of Wilhel" II, 6rown 3rince of 2er"any$

Part III

The War and the International Index

Leon Trotsky

The War and the International(The Bolsheviks and World Peace)

Transcribed for theTrotsky Internet Archive,now part of theMarxists’ Internet Archive, by David Walters in 199

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PART III

The War and the International IndexCHAPTER III. (ocialist '--ortunis%

CHAPTER I3. The /ecline of the Re0olutionary(-irit

CHAPTER 3. Workin" Class I%-erialis%

CHAPTER 3I. The Re0olutionary E-och

APPE&/I3# History of This Book

The 4i%%er1ald ,anifesto

T1o /eclarations on The Zimmerwald Manifesto

An '-en Letter to 5ules )uesde

&'TE(

)L'((AR* '+ &A,E(

CHAPTER #III

SOCIALISTOPPORTUNIS*

The Co::/ni t *ani+e to written in 1 -+, closes with the wordsJ @Workin#"en of all co!ntries, !nite%!t this battle cry ca"e too early to beco"e a livin#act!ality at once$ The historical order of the day &!stthen was the "iddle class revol!tion of 1 - $ And inthis revol!tion the part that fell to the a!thors of theManifesto the"selves was not that of leaders of aninternational proletariat, b!t of fi#hters on theextre"e left of the national De"ocracy$







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%!t these endeavo!rs did not as yet have a s!fficient"aterial fo!ndation$ The activity of the 5irstInternational coincided with that period of wars whichopened the way for capitalist develop"ent in !rope

and =orth A"erica$ In spite of its doctrinal anded!cational i"portance, the atte"pts of theInternational to "in#le in world politics "!st all the"ore clearly have shown the advanced workin#"en of all co!ntries their i"potence as a#ainst the nationalclass state$ The 3aris 6o""!ne, flarin# !p o!t of the war, was the c!l"ination of the 5irstInternational$(G+* !st as the Co::/ni t*ani+e to was the theoretical anticipation of the"odern labo!r "ove"ent, and the 5irst International

was the practical anticipation of the labo!rassociations of the world, so the 3aris 6o""!ne wasthe revol!tionary anticipation of the dictatorship of the proletariat$

%!t only an anticipation, nothin# "ore$ And for that very reason it was clear that it is i"possible for theproletariat to overthrow the "achinery of state andreconstr!ct society by nothin# b!t revol!tionary i"provi0ations$ The national states that e"er#ed fro"the wars created the one real fo!ndation for thishistorical work, the national fo!ndation$ Therefore,the proletariat "!st #o thro!#h the school of self'ed!cation$

The 5irst International f!lfilled its "ission of an!rsery for the =ational 7ocialist 3arties$ After the5ranco'3r!ssian War and the 3aris 6o""!ne, theInternational dra##ed alon# a "orib!nd exist encefora few years "ore and in 1 +H was transplanted to A"erica, to which vario!s reli#io!s, social and otherexperi"ents had often wandered before, to die there$

Then be#an the period of prodi#io!s capitalistdevelop"ent, on the fo!ndation of the national state$5or the labo!r "ove"ent this was the period of the#rad!al #atherin# of stren#th, of the develop"ent of or#ani0ation, and of political possibilis", oropport!nis"$





In n#land the stor"y period of 6hartis" (G *, thatrevol!tionary awakenin# of the n#lish proletariat,had co"pletely exha!sted itself ten years before the birth of the 5irst International$ The repeal of the 6orn

?aws 1 - N and the s!bse<!ent ind!strial prosperity that "ade n#land the workshop of the world, theestablish"ent of the ten'ho!r workin# day 1 -+N, theincrease of e"i#ration fro" Ireland to A"erica, andthe enfranchise"ent of the workers in the cities

1 +N, all these circ!"stances, which considerably i"proved the lot of the !pper strata of the proletariat,led the class "ove"ent in n#land into the peacef!l waters of trade !nionis" and its s!pple"ental liberallabo!r policies$

The period of possibilis", that is, of the conscio!s,syste"atic adaptation to the econo"ic, le#al, and statefor"s of national capitalis", be#an for the n#lishproletariat, the oldest of the brothers, even before the birth of the International, and twenty years earlierthan for the continental proletariat$ If nevertheless the bi# n#lish !nions &oined the International at first, it was only beca!se it afforded the" protection a#ainstthe i"portation of strike breakers in wa#edisp!tes$ (G9*

The 5rench labo!r "ove"ent recovered b!t slowly fro" the loss of blood in the 6o""!ne, on the soil of aretarded ind!strial #rowth, and in a nationalisticat"osphere of the "ost noxio!s #reed for @reven#e $ Waverin# between an anarchistic @denial of the stateand a v!l#ar'de"ocratic capit!lation to it, the 5renchproletarian "ove"ent developed by adaptation to thesocial and political fra"ework of the bo!r#eoisrep!blic$

As Marx had already foreseen in 1 +., the center of #ravity of the 7ocialist "ove"ent shifted to 2er"any$

After the 5ranco'3r!ssian War, !nified 2er"any entered !pon an era si"ilar to the one n#land hadpassed thro!#h in the twenty years previo!sJ an era of capitalist prospenty, of de"ocratic franchise, of ahi#her standard of livin# for the !pper strata of theproletariat$








Theoretically the 2er"an labo!r "ove"ent"arched !nder the banner of Marxis"$ 7till in itsdependence on the conditions of the period, Marxis" beca"e for the 2er"an proletariat not the al#ebraic

for"!la of the revol!tion that it was at the be#innin#, b!t the theoretic "ethod for adaptation to a national'capitalist state crowned with the @3r!ssian hel"et $6apitalis", which had achieved a te"porary e<!ilibri!", contin!ally revol!tioni0ed the econo"icfo!ndation of national life$ To preserve the power thathad res!lted fro" the 5ranco'3r!ssian War, it wasnecessary to increase the standin# ar"y$ The "iddleclass had ceded all its political positions to the fe!dal"onarchy, b!t had intrenched itself all the "ore

ener#etically in its econo"ic positions !nder theprotection of the "ilitaristic police state$ The "ainc!rrents of the last period, coverin# forty'five years,areJ victorio!s capitalis", "ilitaris" erected on acapitalist fo!ndation, a political reaction res!ltin#fro" the inter#rowth of fe!dal and capitalist classes :a revol!tioni0in# of the econo"ic life, and a co"pleteabandon"ent of revol!tionary "ethods and traditionsin political life$ The entire activity of the 2er"an7ocial De"ocracy was directed towards the awakenin#of the backward workers, thro!#h a syste"atic fi#htfor their "ost i""ediate needs : the #atherin# of stren#th, the increase of "e"bership, the fillin# of thetreas!ry, the develop"ent of the press, the con<!est of all the positions that presented the"selves, their!tili0ation and expansion$ This was the #reat historical work of the awakenin# and ed!catin# of the@!nhistorical class$

The #reat centrali0ed trade !nions of 2er"any developed in direct dependence !pon the develop"entof national ind!stry, adaptin# the"selves to itss!ccesses in the ho"e and the forei#n "arkets, andcontrollin# the prices of raw "aterials and"an!fact!red prod!cts$ ?ocali0ed in political districtsto adapt itself to the election laws and stretchin#feelers in all cities and r!ral co""!nities, the 7ocialDe"ocracy b!ilt !p the !ni<!e str!ct!re of thepolitical or#ani0ation of the 2er"an proletariat with

its "any'branched b!rea!cratic hierarchy, its one"illion d!es'payin# "e"bers, its fo!r "illion voters,



ninety'one daily papers and sixty'five party printin#presses$ This whole "any'sided activity, of i""eas!rable historical i"portance, was per"eatedthro!#h and thro!#h with the spirit of possibilis"$

In forty'five years history did not offer the 2er"anproletariat a sin#le opport!nity to re"ove an obstacle by a stor"y attack, or to capt!re any hostile positionin a revol!tionary advance$ As a res!lt of the "!t!alrelation of social forces, it was constrained to avoidobstacles or adapt itself to the"$ In this, Marxis" as atheory was a val!able tool for political #!idance, b!t itco!ld not chan#e the opport!nist character of the class"ove"ent, which in essence was at that ti"e alike in

n#land, 5rance and 2er"any$ 5or all the !ndisp!teds!periority of the 2er"an or#ani0ation, the tactics of the !nions were very "!ch the sa"e in %erlin and?ondon$ Their chief achieve"ent was the syste" of tariff treaties$ In the political field the difference was"!ch #reater and deeper$ While the n#lishproletariat were "archin# !nder the banner of ?iberalis", the 2er"an workers for"ed anindependent party with a 7ocialist platfor"$ 4et thisdifference does not #o nearly as deep in politics as itdoes in ideolo#ic for"s and the for"s of or#ani0ation$

Thro!#h the press!re that n#lish labo!r exerted onthe ?iberal 3arty it achieved certain li"ited political victories, the extension of s!ffra#e, freedo" to!nioni0e, and social le#islation$ The sa"e waspreserved or i"proved by the 2er"an proletariatthro!#h its independent party, which it was obli#ed tofor" beca!se of the speedy capit!lation of 2er"anliberalis"$ And yet this party, while in principlefi#htin# the battle for political power, was co"pelledin act!al practice to adapt itself to the r!lin# power, toprotect the labo!r "ove"ent a#ainst the blows of thispower, and to achieve a few refor"s$ In other wordsJon acco!nt of the difference in historical traditionsand political conditions, the n#lish proletariatadapted itself to the capitalist state thro!#h the"edi!" of the ?iberal 3arty while the 2er"anproletariat was forced to for" a party of its own to

achieve the very sa"e political ends$ And the politicalstr!##le of the 2er"an proletariat in this entire period



had the sa"e opport!nist character li"ited by historical conditions as did that of the n#lishproletariat$

The si"ilarity of these two pheno"ena so differentin their for"s co"es o!t "ost clearly in the finalres!lts at the close of the period$ The n#lishproletariat in the str!##le to "eet its daily iss!es wasforced to for" an independent party of its own, witho!t, however, breakin# with its liberal traditionsand the party of the 2er"an proletariat, when the Warforced !pon it the necessity of a decisive choice, #avean answer in the spirit of the national'liberaltraditions of the n#lish labo!r party$

Marxis", of co!rse, was not "erely so"ethin#accidental or insi#nificant in the 2er"an labo!r"ove"ent 4et there wo!ld be no basis for ded!cin#the social'revol!tionary character of the party fro" itsofficial Marxist ideolo#y$

Ideolo#y is an i"portant, b!t not a decisive factor inpolitics$ Its role is that of waitin# on politics$ Thatdeep'seated contradiction, which was inherent in the

awakenin# revol!tionary class on acco!nt of itsrelation to the fe!dal'reactionary state, de"anded anirreconcilable ideolo#y which wo!ld brin# the whole"ove"ent !nder the banner of social revol!tionary ai"s$ 7ince historical conditions forced opport!nisttactics, the irreconcilability of the proletarian classfo!nd expression in the revol!tionary for"!las of Marxis"$ Theoretically, Marxis" reconciled withperfect s!ccess the contradiction between refor" andrevol!tion$ 4et the process of historical develop"ent isso"ethin# far "ore involved than theori0in# in thereal" of p!re tho!#ht$ The fact that the class which was revol!tionary in its tendencies was forced forseveral decades to adapt itself to the "onarchicalpolice state, based on the tre"endo!s capitalistdevelop"ent of the co!ntry, in the co!rse of whichadaptation an or#ani0ation of a "illion "e"bers was b!ilt !p and a labo!r b!rea!cracy which led the entire"ove"ent was ed!cated : this fact does not cease to

exist and does not lose its wei#hty si#nificance beca!seMarxis" anticipated the revol!tionary character of the



f!t!re "ove"ent$ /nly the "ost naive ideolo#y co!ld#ive the sa"e place to this forecast that it does to thepolitical act!alities of the 2er"an labo!r "ove"ent$

The 2er"an 8evisionists were infl!enced in theircond!ct by the contradiction between the refor"practice of the party and its revol!tionary theories$They did not !nderstand that this contradiction isconditioned by te"porary, even if lon#'lastin#circ!"stances and that it can only be overco"e by f!rther social develop"ent$ To the" it was a lo#icalcontradiction$ The "istake of the 8evisionists was notthat they confir"ed the refor"ist character of theparty’s tactics in the past, b!t that they wanted to

perpet!ate refor"is" theoretically and "ake it theonly "ethod of the proletarian class str!##le$ Th!s,the 8evisionists failed to take into acco!nt theob&ective tendencies of capitalist develop"ent, which by deepenin# class distinctions "!st lead to the 7ocial8evol!tion a the one way to the e"ancipation of theproletariat$ Marxis" e"er#ed fro" this theoreticaldisp!te as the victor all alon# the line$ %!t8evisionis", altho!#h defeated on the field of theory,contin!ed to live, drawin# s!stenance fro" the act!alcond!ct and the psycholo#y of the whole "ove"ent$The critical ref!tation of 8evisionis" as a theory by no"eans si#nified its defeat tactically andpsycholo#ically$ The parlia"entarians, the !nionists,the co"rades contin!ed to live and to work in theat"osphere of #eneral opport!nis", of practicalspeciali0in# and of nationalistic narrowness$8efor"is" "ade its i"press even !pon the "ind of A!#!st %ebel, the #reatest representative of thisperiod$

The spirit of opport!nis" "!st have taken apartic!larly stron# hold on the #eneration that ca"einto the party in the ei#hties, in the ti"e of %is"arck ’santi'7ocialist laws and of oppressive reaction all over

!rope$ ?ackin# the apostolic 0eal of the #enerationthat was connected with the 5irst International,hindered in its first steps by the power of victorio!si"perialis", forced to adapt itself to the traps and

snares of the anti'7ocialist laws, this #eneration #rew !p in the spirit of "oderation and constit!tional








distr!st of revol!tion$ They are now "en of fifty tosixty years old, and they are the very ones who are now at the head of the !nions and the politicalor#ani0ations$ 8efor"is" is their political psycholo#y,

if not also their doctrine$ The #rad!al #rowin# into7ocialis" : that is the basis of 8evisionisin : provedto be the "ost "iserable Btopian drea" in face of thefacts of capitalist develop"ent$ %!t the #rad!alpolitical #rowth of the 7ocial De"ocracy into the"echanis" of the national state has t!rned o!t to be atra#ic act!ality : for the entire race$

The 8!ssian 8evol!tion was the first #reat event to brin# a fresh whiff into the stale at"osphere of !rope

in the thirty five years since the 3aris 6o""!ne$ Therapid develop"ent of the 8!ssian workin# class andthe !nexpected stren#th of their concentratedrevol!tionary activity "ade a #reat i"pression on theentire civili0ed world and #ave an i"pet!s everywhereto the sharpenin# of political differences$ In n#landthe 8!ssian 8evol!tion hastened the for"ation of anindependent labo!r party$ In A!stria, thanks to specialcirc!"stances, it led to !niversal "anhood s!ffra#e$In 5rance the echo of the 8!ssian 8evol!tion took thefor" of 7yndicalis", which #ave expression, ininade<!ate practical and theoretical for", to theawakened revol!tionary tendencies of the 5renchproletariat$ And in 2er"any the infl!ence of the8!ssian 8evol!tion showed itself in the stren#thenin#of the yo!n# ?eft win# of the party, in therapproche"ent of the leadin# 6entre to it, and in theisolation of 8evisionis"$ The <!estion of the 3r!ssianfranchise, this key to the political position of

!nkerdo", took on a keener ed#e$ And the party adopted in principle the revol!tionary "ethod of the#eneral strike$ %!t all this external shakin# !p provedinade<!ate to shove the party on to the road of thepolitical offensive$ In accordance with the party tradition, the t!rn toward radicalis" fo!nd expressionin disc!ssions and the adoption of resol!tions$ That was as far as it ever went$

CHAPTER IM







whether the 7ocial De"ocrats sho!ld leave the hall of the 8eichsta# when the "e"bers rose to cheer the

"peror’s na"e, or whether they sho!ld "erely keeptheir seats$ @The creation of a rep!blic in the 2er"an

"pire is now and for so"e ti"e to co"e o!t of theran#e of all possibility, so that it is not really a "atterfor o!r present policy$ The practical res!lts still not yet achieved "ay be reached, b!t only thro!#hcooperation with the liberal bo!r#eoisie$ @5or thatreason, not beca!se I a" a stickler for for", I havecalled attention to the fact that parlia"entary cooperation will be rendered diffic!lt by de"onstrations that needlessly h!rt the feelin#s of the"a&ority of the ;o!se$

%!t if a si"ple infrin#e"ent of "onarchicaleti<!ette was eno!#h to destroy the hope of refor"istcooperation with the liberal "iddle class, thencertainly the break with the bo!r#eois @nation in the"o"ent of national @dan#er wo!ld have hindered, for years to co"e, not only all desired refor"s, b!t also allrefor"ist desires$ That attit!de that was dictated tothe ro!tinists of the party centre by sheer anxiety overthe preservation of the or#ani0ation wass!pple"ented a"on# the 8evisionists by politicalconsiderations$ Their standpoint proved in every respect to be "ore co"prehensive and won the victory all over$ The entire party press is now ind!strio!sly acclai"in# what it once heaped scorn !pon, that thepresent patriotic attit!de of the workin# class will winfor the", after the War, the #ood will of the possessin#classes for brin#in# abo!t refor"s$

Therefore, the 2er"an 7ocial De"ocracy did notfeel itself, !nder the stress of these #reat events, arevol!tionary power with tasks far exceedin# the<!estion of widenin# the state’s bo!ndaries, a powerthat does not lose itself for an instant in thenationalistic whirl b!t cal"ly awaits the favo!rable"o"ent for &oinin# with the other branches of theInternational in a p!rposef!l interference in theco!rse of events$ =o, instead of that the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy felt itself to be a sort of c!"berso"e train

threatened by hostile cavalry$ 5or that reason its!bordinated the entire f!t!re of the International to





The proletariat is deeply interested in thedevelop"ent of the forces of prod!ction$ The nationalstate created in !rope by the revol!tions and wars of the years 1+ 9 to 1 +. was the basic type of the

econo"ic evol!tion of the past period$ The proletariatcontrib!ted by its entire conscio!s policy to thedevelop"ent of the forces of prod!ction on a nationalfo!ndation$ It s!pported the bo!r#eoisie in itsconflicts with alien ene"ies for national liberationalso in its conflicts with the "onarchy, with fe!dalis"and the ch!rch for political de"ocracy$ And in the"eas!re in which the bo!r#eois t!rned to @law andorder , that is, beca"e reactionary, the proletariatass!"ed the historical task the bo!r#eoisie had left

!nco"pleted$ In cha"pionin# a policy of peace,c!lt!re and de"ocracy, as a#ainst the bo!r#eoisie, itcontrib!ted to the enlar#e"ent of the national "arket,and so #ave an i"pet!s to the develop"ent of theforces of prod!ction$

The proletariat had an e<!al econ"ic interest in thede"ocrati0in# and the c!lt!ral pro#ress of all otherco!ntries in their relation of b!yer or seller to its ownco!ntry$ In this resided the "ost i"portant #!aranteefor the international solidarity of the proletanat bothin so far as final ai"s and daily policies are concerned$The str!##le a#ainst the re"nants of fe!dal barbaris", a#ainst the bo!ndless de"ands of "ilitaris", a#ainst a#rarian d!ties and indirect taxes was the "ain ob&ect of workin#'class politics andserved, directly and indirectly, to help develop theforces of prod!ction$ That s the very reason why the#reat "a&ority of or#ani0ed labo!r *oined politicalforces with the 7ocial de"ocracy$ very hindrance tothe develo "ent of the forces of prod!ction to!chesthe trade !nions "ot closely$

As capitalis" passed fro" a national to aninternational'i"perialistic #ro!nd, nationalprod!ction, and with it the econo"ic str!##le of theproletariat, ca"e into direct dependence on thoseconditions of the world "arket which are sec!red by dreadna!#hts and cannon$ In other words, in

contradiction of the f!ndarrental interests of theproletariat taken in their wide historic extent, the





ti"e, b!t its tr!e si#nificance co"es o!t "ore clearly in the li#ht of present events$ !st now the trade !nionpress is linkin# the ca!se of the 2er"an workin# classto the work of the ar"y with "ore conscio!sness and

"atter'of'factness than do the political or#ans$ As lon# as capitalis" re"ained on a national basis,

the proletanat co!ld not refrain fro" cooperation inde"ocrati0in# the political relations and in developin#the forces of prod!ction thro!#h its parlia"entary,co""!nal and other activities$ The atte"pts of theanarchists to set !p a for"al revol!tionary a#itation inopposition to the political fi#hts of the 7ocialDe"ocracy conde"ned the" to isolation and #rad!al

extinction$ %!t when the capitalist states oversteptheir national for" to beco"e i"perialistic worldpowers, the proletariat cannot oppose this new i"perialis"$ And the reason is the so'called "ini"alpro#ra" which fashioned its policy !pon thefra"ework of the national state$ When its "ainconcern is for tariff treaties and social le#islation, theproletariat is incapable of expendin# the sa"e ener#y in fi#htin# i"perialis" that it did in fi#htin#fe!dalis"$ %y applyin# its old "ethods of the classstr!##le : the constant adaptation to the "ove"entsof the "arkets : to the chan#ed conditions prod!ced by i"perialis", it itself falls into "aterial andideolo#ical dependence on i"perialis"$

The only way the proletariat can pit its revol!tionary force a#ainst i"perialis" is !nder the banner of 7ocialis"$ The workin# class is powerless a#ainsti"perialis" as lon# as its #reat or#ani0ations stand by their old opport!nist tactics$ The workin# class will beall'powerf!l a#ainst i"perialis" when it takes to the battlefield of 7ocial 8evol!tion$

The "ethods of national'parlia"entary oppositionnot only fail to prod!ce practical res!lts, b!t also ceaseto "ake an appeal to the labo!rin# "asses, beca!sethe workers find that, behind the backs of theparlia"entarians, i"perialis", by ar"ed force,red!ces the wa#es and the very lives of the workers to

ever #reater dependence on its s!ccesses in the world"arket$



It was clear to every thinkin# 7ocialist that the only way the proletariat co!ld be "ade to pass fro"opport!nis" to 8evol!tion was not by a#itation, b!t by a historical !pheaval$ %!t no one foresaw that

history wo!ld preface this inevitable chan#e of tactics by s!ch a catastrophal collapse of the International$;istory works with titanic relentlessness$ What is the8hei"s 6athedral (-1* to ;istoryF And what a few h!ndred or tho!sand political rep!tationsF And whatthe life or death of h!ndreds of tho!sands or of "illionsF

The proletariat has re"ained too lon# in thepreparatory school, "!ch lon#er than its #reat pioneer

fi#hters tho!#ht it wo!ld$ ;istory took her broo" inhand, swept the International of the epi#ones apart inall directions and led the slow'"ovin# "illions intothe field where their last ill!sions are bein# washedaway in blood$ A terrible experi"ent /n its res!ltperhaps han#s the fate of !ropean civili0ation$

CHAPTER MI

THE RE#OLUTIONAR( EPOCH

AT T; close of the last cent!ry a heated controversy arose in 2er"any over the <!estion, What effect doesthe ind!striali0ation of a co!ntry prod!ce !pon its"ilitary powerF The reactionary a#rarian politicians

and writers, like 7ehrin#, Carl%allod, 2eor# ;ansenand others, ar#!ed that the rapid increase of the city pop!lations at the expense of the r!ral districtspositively !nder"ined the fo!ndation of the "pire’s"ilitary power, and they of co!rse drew fro" it theirpatriotic inferences in the spirit of a#rarianprotectionis"$ /n the other hand ?!&o %rentano andhis school cha"pioned an exactly opposite point of view$ They pointed o!t that econo"ic ind!strialis"not only opened !p new financial and technicalreso!rces, b!t also developed in the proletariat the vital force capable of "akin# effective !se of all the


http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1914/war/part3.htm#bballod

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1914/war/part3.htm#bbrentano


http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1914/war/part3.htm#bballod

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1914/war/part3.htm#bbrentano





tactics it was obli#ed to adopt, the tactics of waitin#,the strate#y of lettin# yo!r opponent exha!st hi"self$The character of this period was so d!ll andreactionary that it did not allow the 7ocial De"ocracy

the opport!nity to #ive the proletariat tasks that wo!ldhave en#a#ed their whole spirit of sacrifice$

I"perialis" is now #ivin# the" s!ch tasks$ Andi"perialis" attained its ob&ect by p!shin# theproletariat into a position of @national defence , which, to the workers, "eant the defence of all theirhands had created, not only the i""ense wealth of thenation, b!t also their own class or#ani0ations, theirtreas!ries, their press, in short, everythin# they had

!nwearin#ly, painf!lly str!##led for and attained inthe co!rse of several decades$ I"perialis" violently threw society off its balance, destroyed the sl!ice'#ates b!ilt by the 7ocial De"ocracy to re#!late the c!rrentof proletarian revol!tionary ener#y, and #!ided thisc!rrent into its own bed$

%!t this terrific historical experi"ent, which at one blow broke the back of the 7ocialist International,carries a deadly dan#er for bo!r#eois society itself$The ha""er is wrenched o!t of the worker’s hand anda #!n p!t into his hand instead$ And the worker, whohas been tied down by the "achinery of the capitalistsyste", is s!ddenly torn fro" his !s!al settin# andta!#ht to place the ai"s of society above happiness atho"e and even life itself$

With the weapon in his hand that he hi"self hasfor#ed, the worker is p!t in a position where thepolitical destiny of the state is directly dependent !ponhi"$ Those who exploited and scorned hi" in nor"alti"es, now flatter hi" and toady to hi"$ At the sa"eti"e he co"es into init"ate contact with the cannon, which ?assalle calls one of the "ost i"portantin#redients of all constit!tions$(-H* ;e crosses the border, takes part in forcef!l re<!isitions, and helps inthe transfer of cities fro" one party to another$6han#es are takin# place s!ch as the present#eneration has never before seen$





ven tho!#h the van#!ard of the workin# class knew in theory that Mi#ht is the "other of 8i#ht, still theirpolitical thinkin# was co"pletely per"eated by thespirit of opport!nis", of adaptation to bo!r#eois

le#alis"$ =ow they are learnin# fro" the teachin#s of facts to despise this le#alis" and tear it down$ =ow dyna"ic forces are replacin# the static forces in theirpsycholo#y$ The #reat #!ns are ha""erin# into theirheads the idea ihat if it is i"possible to #et aro!nd anobstacle, it is possible to destroy it$ Al"ost the entiread!lt "ale pop!lation is #oin# thro!#h this school of war, so terrible in its realis", a school which isfor"in# a new h!"an type$ Iron necessity is now shakin# its fist at all the r!les of bo!r#eois society, at

its laws, its "orality, its reli#ion$ @=ecessity knows nolaw , said the 2er"an 6hancellor on A!#!st -th$Monarchs walk abo!t in p!blic places callin# eachother liars in the lan#!a#e of "arketwo"en#overn"ents rep!diate their sole"nly acknowled#edobli#ations and the national ch!rch ties its 2od to thenational cannon like a cri"inal conde"ned to hardlabo!r$ Is it not clear that all these circ!"stances "!st brin# abo!t a profo!nd chan#e in the "ental attit!deof the workin# class, c!rin# the" radically of thehypnosis of le#ality in which a period of politicalsta#nation expresses itselfF

The possessin# classes, to their consternation, willsoon have to reco#ni0e this chan#e$ A workin# classthat has been thro!#h the school of war will feel theneed of !sin# the lan#!a#e of force as soon as the firstserio!s obstacle faces the" within their own co!ntry$@=ecessity knows no law , the workers will cry whenthe atte"pt is "ade to hold the" back at theco""and of bo!r#eois law$ And poverty, the terriblepoverty that prevails d!rin# this War and willcontin!e after its close, will be of a sort to force the"asses to violate "any a bo!r#eois law$ The #eneralecono"ic exha!stion in !rope will affect theproletariat "ost i""ediately and "ost severely$ Thestate’s "aterial reso!rces will be depleted by the War,and the possibility of satisfyin# the de"ands of the workin# "asses will be very li"ited$ This "!st lead to

profo!nd political conflicts, which, ever widenin# anddeepenin#, "ay take on the character of a social



revol!tion, the pro#ress and o!tco"e of which no one,of co!rse, can now foresee$

/n the other hand, the War with its ar"ies of "illions, and its hellish weapons of destr!ction canexha!st not only society’s reso!rces b!t also the "oralforces of the proletariat$ If it does not "eet innerresistance, this War "ay last for several years "ore, with chan#in# fort!nes on both sides, !ntil the chief belli#erents are co"pletely exha!sted$ %!t then the whole fi#htin# ener#y of the international proletariat, bro!#ht to the s!rface by the bloody conspiracy of i"perialis", will be co"pletely cons!"ed in thehorrible work of "!t!al annihilation$ The o!tco"e

wo!ld be that o!r entire civili0ation wo!ld be set back by "any decades$ A peace res!ltin# not fro" the willof the awakened peoples b!t fro" the "!t!alexha!stion of the belli#erents, wo!ld be like the peace with which the %alkan War was concl!ded it wo!ld bea %!charest 3eace extended to the whole of !rope$

7!ch a peace wo!ld seek to patch !p anew thecontradictions, anta#onis"s and deficiencies that haveled to the present War$ And with "any other thin#s,the 7ocialist work of two #enerations wo!ld vanish ina sea of blood witho!t leavin# a trace behind$

Which of the two prospects is the "ore probableFThis cannot possibly be theoretically deter"ined inadvance$ The iss!e depends entirely !pon the activity of the vital forces of society : above all !pon therevol!tionary 7ocial De"ocracy$

@I""ediate cessation of the War is the watchword!nder which the 7ocial De"ocracy can reasse"ble itsscattered ranks, both within the national parties, andin the whole International$ The proletariat cannot"ake its will to peace dependent !pon the strate#icconsiderations of the #eneral staffs$ /n the contrary, it"!st oppose its desire for peace to these "ilitary considerations$ What the warrin# #overn"ents call astr!##le for national self'preservation is in reality a"!t!al national annihilation$ 8eal national self'defence now consists in the str!##le for peace$



7!ch a str!##le for peace "eans for !s not only afi#ht to save h!"anity’s "aterial and c!lt!ralpossessions fro" f!rther insane destr!ction$ It is for!s pri"arily a fi#ht to preserve the revol!tionary

ener#y of the proletariat$To asse"ble the ranks of the proletariat in a fi#ht for

peace "eans a#ain to place the forces of revol!tionary 7ocialis" a#ainst ra#in# tearin# i"perialis" on the whole front$

The conditions !pon which peace sho!ld beconcl!ded : the peace of the people the"selves, andnot the reconciliation of the diplo"ats : "!st be the

sa"e for the whole International$NO REPARATIONS

THE RI'HT TO E#ER( NATION TO SELF&)ETER*INATION<

THE UNITE) STATES OF EUROPE WITHOUT*ONARCHIES= WITHOUT STAN)IN' AR*IES= WITHOUT RULIN' FEU)AL CASTES= WITHOUTSECRET )IPLO*AC(<

The peace a#itation, which "!st be cond!ctedsi"!ltaneo!sly with all the "eans now at the disposalof the 7ocial De"ocracy as well as those which, with a#ood will, it co!ld ac<!ire, will not only tear the workers o!t of their nationalistic hypnosis it will alsodo the avin# work of inner p!n ficati on in the presentofficial parties of the proletariat$ The national8evisionists and the 7ocialist patriots in the 7econd

International, who have been exploitin# the infl!encethat 7ocialis" has ac<!ired over the workin# "assesfor national "ilitaristic ai"s, "!st be thr!st back intothe ca"p of the ene"ies of the workin# class by !nco"pro"isin# revol!tionary a#itation for peace$

The revol!tionary 7ocial De"ocracy need not fearthat it will be isolated, now less than ever$ The War is"akin# the "ost terrible a#itation a#ainst itself$ very day that the War lasts will brin# new "asses of people

to o!r banner, if it is an honest banner of peace andde"ocracy$ The s!rest way by which the 7ocial



De"ocracy can isolate the "ilitaristic reaction in!rope and force it to take the offensive is by the

slo#an of 3eace$

We revol!tionary Marxists have no ca!se fordespair$ The epoch into which we are now enterin# will be o!r epoch$ Marxis" is not defeated$ /n thecontraryJ the roar of the cannon in every <!arter of

!rope heralds the theoretical victory of Marxis"$ What is left now of the hopes for a @peacef!ldevelop"ent, for a "iti#ation of capitalist classcontrasts, for a re#!lar syste"atic #rowth into7ocialis"F

The 8efor"ists on principle, who hoped to solve thesocial <!estion by the way of tariff treaties, cons!"ers’lea#!es, and the parlia"entary cooperation of the7ocial De"ocracy with the bo!r#eois parties, are now all restin# their hopes on the victory of the @nationalar"s$ They are expectin# the possessin# classes toshow #reater willin#ness to "eet the needs of theproletariat beca!se it has proved its patriotis"$

This expectation wo!ld be positively foolish if there

were not hidden behind it another, far less @idealistichope : that a "ilitary victory wo!ld create for the bo!r#eoisie a broader i"perialistic field for enrichin#itself at the expense of the bo!r#eoisie of otherco!ntnes, and wo!ld enable it to share so"e of the booty with its own proletariat at the expense of theproletariat of other co!ntries$ 7ocialist refor"is" hasact!ally t!rned into 7ociaitst i"periaits"$

We have witnessed with o!r own eyes the pathetic bankr!ptcy of the hopes of a peacef!l #rowth of proletarian well'bein#$ The 8efor"ists, contrary totheir own doctrine, were forced to resort to violence inorder to find their way o!t of the politicalcul/de/sac :not the violence of the peoples a#ainst the r!lin#classes, b!t the "ilitary violence of the r!lin# classesa#ainst other nations$ 7ince 1 - the 2er"an bo!r#eoisie has reno!nced revol!tionary "ethods forsolvin# its proble"s$ They left it to the fe!dal class tosolve their own bo!r#eois <!estions by the "ethod of war$ 7ocial develop"ent confronted the proletariat



with the proble" of revol!tion$ vadin# revol!tion,the 8efor"ists were forced to #o thro!#h the sa"eprocess of historical decline as the liberal bo!r#eoisie$The 8efor"ists also left it to their r!lin# classes, that

is the sa"e fe!dal caste, to solve the proletarianproble" by the "ethod of war$ %!t this ends theanalo#y$

The creation of national states did really solve the bo!r#eois proble" for a lon# period, and the lon#series of colonial wars co"in# after 1 +1 finished off the period by broadenin# the arena of thedevelop"ent of the capitalist forces$ The period of colonial wars carried on by the national states led to

the present War of the national states : for colonies$ After all the backward portions of the earth had beendivided a"on# the capitalist states, there was nothin#left for these states except to #rab the colonies fro"each other$

@3eople o!#ht not to be talkin#, says 2eor# Ir"er , @astho!#h it were a settled thin# that the 2er"an nation hasco"e too late for rivalry for world econo"y and worlddo"inion that the world has already been divided$ ;asnot the earth been divided over and over a#ain in allepochs of historyF

%!t a redivision of colonies a"on# the capitalistco!ntries does no enlar#e the fo!ndation of capitalistdevelop"ent$ /ne co!ntry’s #ain "eans anotherco!ntry’s loss$ Accordin#ly a te"porary "iti#ation of class'conflicts in 2er"any co!ld only be achieved by an extre"e intensification of the class str!##le in5rance and in n#land, and vice versa $ An additionalfactor of decisive i"portance is the capitalistawakenin# in the colonies the"selves, to which thepresentWar "!st #ive a "i#hty i"pet!s$ Whatever theo!tco"e of this War, the i"perialistic basis for

!ropean capitalis" will not be broadened, b!tnarrowed$ The War, therefore, does not solve thelabo!r <!estion on an i"perialistic basis, b!t, on thecontrary, it intensifies it, p!ttin# this alternative to thecapitalist worldJ 3er"anent War or 3er"anent8evol!tion$








%!t the book, thanks to 8a#a0, ca"e o!t in #ood2er"an$ 5ro" 7wit0erland it fo!nd its way, as early asDece"ber, 191-, to A!stria and 2er"any$ The 7wiss?eft'win#ers 5$ 3latten and others saw to that$

Intended for 2er"an co!ntries, the pa"phlet wasdirected first of all a#ainst the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy, the leadin# party of the 7econdInternational$ I re"e"ber that a &o!rnalist na"ed;eil"ann, who played first'violin in the orchestra of cha!vinis", called "y book "ad, b!t <!ite lo#ical inits "adness$ I co!ld not have wished for #reaterpraise$ There was, of co!rse, no lack of hints that "y book was an artf!l tool of !ntente propa#anda$

?ater on, in 5rance, I ca"e !nexpectedly across areport in the 5rench papers, by way of 7wit0erland,that one of the 2er"an co!rts had sentenced "e in astate of cont!"acy to i"prison"ent for the K!richpa"phlet$ 5ro" this I concl!ded that the pa"phlethad hit the "ark$ The ;ohen0ollern &!d#es did "e a very #ood t!rn by their sentence, a sentence that I wasnot in any h!rry to serve$ 5or the slanderers and spiesof the !ntente , this 2er"an co!rt'sentence was alwaysa st!"blin#'block in their noble efforts to prove that I was nothin# "ore than an a#ent of the 2er"an#eneral staff$

This did not keep the 5rench a!thorities, however,fro" holdin# !p "y book at the frontier on thestren#th of its @2er"an ori#in $ An a"bi#!o!s notedefendin# "y pa"phlet a#ainst the 5rench censorshipappeared in the newspaper p!blished by ;ervY$ I believe that it was written by 6h$8appaport , a "an of so"e note, who was al"ost a Marxist at any rate, he was the a!thor of the #reatest n!"ber of p!ns everinvented by any "an who has devoted a lon# life tothe"$

After the /ctober revol!tion, an enterprisin# =ew 4ork p!blisher bro!#ht o!t "y 2er"an pa"phlet asan i"posin# A"erican book$ Accordin# to his ownstate"ent, 3resident Wilson asked hi", by telephonefro" the White ;o!se, to send the proofs of the book

to hi" at that ti"e, the 3resident was co"posin#his $ourteen oints , and, accordin# to reports fro"


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people who were infor"ed, co!ld not #et over the factthat a %olshevik had forestalled hi" in his bestfor"!lae$ Within two "onths the sales of the book in A"erica reached 1 ,... copies$ Then ca"e the days of

the %rest'?itovsk peace$ The A"erican press raised af!rio!s ca"pai#n a#ainst "e, and the book instantly disappeared fro" the "arket$

In the 7oviet 8ep!blic "y K!rich pa"phlet had by that ti"e #one thro!#h several editions, servin# as atext'book for the st!dy of the Marxist attit!de towardthe war$ It disappeared fro" the @"arket of the6o""!nist International only after 19H-, the year when @Trotskyis" was discovered$ At present, the

pa"phlet is still !nder a ban, as it was before therevol!tion$

Indeed, it wo!ld see" that books have their owndestiny $$$

THE .I**ERWAL)*ANIFESTO 7

Wor,er o+ E/ropeThe war has lasted for "ore than a year$ Millions of corpses lie !pon the battlefields "illions of "en have been crippled for life$ !rope has beco"e a #i#antich!"an sla!#hter'ho!se$ All science, the work of "any #enerations, is devoted to destr!ction$ The "ostsava#e barbarity is celebratin# its tri!"ph overeverythin# that was previo!sly the pride of "ankind$

Whatever "ay be the tr!th abo!t the i""ediateresponsibility for the o!tbreak of the war, one thin# iscertainJ the war that has occasioned this chaos is theo!tco"e of I"perialis", of the endeavo!rs of thecapitalist classes of every nation to satisfy their #reedfor profit by the exploitation of h!"an labo!r and of the treas!res of =at!re$





Those nations which are econo"ically backward orpolitically feeble are threatened with s!b&!#ation by the #reat 3owers, which are atte"ptin# by blood andiron to chan#e the "ap of the world in accordance

with their exploitin# interests$ Whole peoples andco!ntries, s!ch as %el#i!", 3oland, the %alkan states,and Ar"enia, either as !nits or in sections, are"enaced by annexation as booty in the bar#ainin# forco"pensations$

As the war proceeds its real drivin# forces beco"eapparent in all their baseness$ 3iece by piece the veil which has hidden the "eanin# of this worldcatastrophe fro" the !nderstandin# of the peoples is

fallin# down$ In every co!ntry the 6apitalists whofor#e the #old of war profits fro" the blood of thepeople are declarin# that the war is for nationaldefence, de"ocracy, and the liberation of oppressednationalities$THE( LIE<

In reality they are act!ally b!ryin# on the fields of devastation the liberties of their own peoples, to#ether with the independence of other nations$ =ew fetters,new chains, new b!rdens are bein# bro!#ht intoexistence, and the workers of all co!ntries, of the victorio!s as well as of the van<!ished, will have to bear the"$ To raise civili0ation to a hi#her level wasthe ai" anno!nced at the be#innin# of the warJ "isery and privation, !ne"ploy"ent and want, !nderfeedin#and disease are the act!al res!lts$ 5or decades anddecades to co"e the cost of the war will devo!r thestren#th of the peoples, i"peril the work of socialrefor" and ha"per every step on the path of pro#ress$

Intellect!al and "oral desolation, econo"icdisaster, political reaction : s!ch are the blessin#s of this horrible str!##le between the nations$

Th!s does the war !nveil the naked for" of "odern6apitalis", which has beco"e irreconcilable, not only with the interests of the workin# "asses, not only With the circ!"stances of historic develop"ent, b!teven with the first conditions of h!"an co""!nalexistence$



The r!lin# forces of 6apitalist society, in whosehands were the destinies of the nations, the"onarchical and the 8ep!blican 2overn"ents, secretdiplo"acy, the vast e"ployers’ or#ani0ations, the

"iddle'class parties, the 6apitalist 3ress, the 6h!rch :all these forces "!st bear the f!ll wei#ht of responsibility for this war, which has been prod!ced by the social order no!rishin# the" and protectin#the" and which is bein# carried on for the sake of their interests$

Wor,er

xploited, deprived of yo!r ri#hts, despised : yo!

were reco#ni0ed as brothers and co"rades at theo!tbreak of the war before yo! were s!""oned to"arch to the sha"bles, to death$ And now, when"ilitaris" has crippled, lacerated, de#raded, anddestroyed yo!, the r!lers are de"andin# fro" yo! theabandon"ent of yo!r interests, of yo!r ai"s, of yo!rideals : in a word, slavish s!b"ission to the @nationaltr!ce$ 4o! are prevented fro" expressin# yo!r views, yo!r feelin#s, yo!r pain yo! are not allowed to p!tforth yo!r de"ands and to fi#ht for the"$ The press is"!00led, political ri#hts and liberties are tra"pled!pon : th!s is "ilitary dictatorship r!lin# today withthe iron hand$

We cannot, we dare not, any lon#er re"ain inactivein the presence of a state of thin#s that is "enacin#the whole f!t!re of !rope and of "ankind$ 5or "any decades the 7ocialist workin# class has carried on thestr!##le a#ainst "ilitaris"$ With #rowin# anxiety itsrepresentatives at their national and internationalconferences have devoted the"selves to the war peril,the o!tco"e of an I"perialis" which was beco"in#"ore and "ore "enacin#$ At 7t!tt#art, 6openha#en,and %asle the International 7ocialist 6on#ressesindicated the path that the workers sho!ld follow$(--*

%!t we 7ocialist 3arties and workin#'classor#ani0ations which had taken part in deter"inin#this path have since the o!tbreak of war disre#ardedthe obli#ations that followed therefro"$ Theirrepresentatives have invited the workers to s!spend





the workin# class str!##le, the only possible andeffective "eans of workin# class e"ancipation$ They have voted the r!lin# classes the credits for carryin#on the war$ They have p!t the"selves at the disposal

of their 2overn"ents for the "ost varied services$They have tried thro!#h their press and their envoysto win over the ne!trals to the 2overn"ent policies of their respective co!ntries$ They have #iven to their2overn"ent 7ocialist Ministers as hosta#es for theobservance of the national tr!ce, and th!s have takenon the"selves the responsibility for this war, its ai"s,its "ethods$ And &!st as 7ocialist 3arties failedseparately, so did the "ost responsible representativeof the 7ocialists of all co!ntries failJ the International

7ocialist %!rea!$(-)*

These facts constit!te one of the reasons why theinternational workin#'class "ove"ent, even wheresections of it did not fall a victi" to the national panicof the first period of the war, or where it rose above it,has failed, even now, in the second year of the b!tcherin# of nations, to take !p si"!ltaneo!sly in allco!ntries an active str!##le for peace$

In this intolerable sit!ation we have "et to#ether, we representatives of 7ocialist 3arties of TradeBnions, or of "inorities of the", we 2er"ans, 5rench,Italians, 8!ssians, 3oles, ?etts, 8!"anians,%!l#arians, 7wedes, =orwe#ians, D!tch and 7wiss, we who are standin# on the #ro!nd, not of nationalsolidarity with the exploitin# class, b!t of theinternational solidarity of the workers and the workin#'class str!##le$ We have "et to#ether in orderto &oin anew the broken ties of international relationsand to s!""on the workin# class to reor#ani0e and be#in the str!##le for peace$

This str!##le is also the str!##le for liberty, for%rotherhood of nations, for 7ocialis"$ The task is totake !p this fi#ht for peace for a peace witho!tannexations or war inde"nities$ 7!ch a peace is only possible when every tho!#ht of violatin# the ri#hts andliberties of the nations is conde"ned$ There "!st be

no enforced incorporation either of wholly or partly occ!pied co!ntries$ =o annexations, either open or





"asked, no forced econo"ic !nion, "ade still "oreintolerable by the s!ppression of political ri#hts$ Theri#ht of nations to select their own #overn"ent "!st be the i""ovable f!nda"ental principle of

international relations$Or0ani!ed Wor,er

7ince the o!tbreak of the war yo! have p!t yo!rener#ies, yo!r co!ra#e, yo!r steadfastness at theservice of the r!lin# classes$ =ow the task is to enterthe lists for yo!r own ca!se, for the sacred ai"s of 7ocialis", for the salvation of the oppressed nationsand the enslaved classes, by "eans of the

irreconcilable workin#'class str!##le$It is the task and the d!ty of the 7ocialists of the

belli#erent co!ntries to be#in this str!##le with alltheir power$ It is the task and d!ty of the 7ocialists of the ne!tral co!ntries to s!pport their brothers by alleffective "eans in this fi#ht a#ainst bloody barbarity$

=ever in the history of the world has there been a"ore !r#ent, a "ore noble, a "ore s!bli"e task, the

f!lfil"ent of which "!st be o!r co""on work$ =osacrifice is too #reat, no b!rden too heavy, to attainthis endJ the establish"ent of peace between thenations$

Workin# "en and wo"en Mothers and fathers Widows and orphans Wo!nded and crippled To all who are s!fferin# fro" the war or in conse<!ence of the war, we cry o!t over the frontiers, over thes"okin# battlefields, over the devastated cities andha"letsJ

Wor,er o+ all ;o/ntrie /nite

In the na"e of the International 7ocialist 6onferenceJ

5or the 2er"an Dele#ationJ 2eor#e ?edebo!r, Adolph;off"an

5or the 5rench Dele#ationJ A$ Merrhei",%o!rderon

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5or the Italian Dele#ationJ 2$ $ Modi#i&ani,6onsanino ?a00ari

5or the 8!ssian Dele#ationJ =$ ?enin, 3a!l Axeirod,M$ %obrov

5or the 3olish Dele#ationJ 7t$ ?apinski, A$ Warski, 60$acobN ;anecki

5or the Inter'%alkan 7ocialist 5ederationJ

5or the 8!"anian Dele#ationN 2$ 8akovsky

5or the %!l#arian Dele#ationN Easil Colaro$

5or the 7wedish and =orwe#ian Dele#ationJ K$;o#l!nd, T!re =er"an$

5or the D!tch Dele#ationJ ;$ 8oland';olst$

5or the 7wiss Dele#ationJ 8obert 2ri""$

7epte"ber 191)$

TWO )ECLARATIONS ON THE ZIMMERWALD MANIFESTO

I

The !ndersi#ned declare as followsJ

The "anifesto adopted by the 6onference does not#ive !s co"plete satisfaction$ It contains noprono!nce"ent on either open opport!nis", oropport!nis" that is hidin# !nder radical phraseolo#y,the opport!nis" which is not only the chief ca!se of the collapse of the International, b!t which strives toperpet!ate that collapse$ The "anifesto contains noclear prono!nce"ent as to the "ethods of fi#htin#a#ainst the war$

We shall contin!e, as we have done heretofore, toadvocate in the 7ocialist press and at the "eetin#s of the International, a clear'c!t Marxian position in






re#ard to the tasks with which the epoch of i"perialis" has confronted the proletariat$

We vote for the "anifesto beca!se we re#ard it as acall to str!##le and in this str!##le we are anxio!s to"arch side by side with the other sections of theInternational$

We re<!est that o!r present declaration be incl!dedin the official proceedin#s$

Si0ned1 N. Lenin, . Zino!ie!, R"#e$, Ne%&"n, Hogl'n#, Winte%.

IIThe other declaration, which was si#ned in addition tothe #ro!p that had introd!ced the resol!tion of the?eft, by 8oland ;olst and Trotsky, reads as followsJ

@Inas"!ch as the adoption of o!r a"end"ent to the"anifestoN de"andin# the vote a#ainst warappropriations "i#ht in any way endan#er the s!ccess of the 6onference, we do, !nder protest, withdraw o!ra"end"ent and accept ?edebo!r’s state"ent in the

co""ission to the effect that the "anifesto contains allthat is i"plied in o!r proposition$

It "ay be added that ?edebo!r, as an !lti"at!",de"anded the re&ection of the a"end"ent, ref!sin# tosi#n the "anifesto otherwise$

AN OPEN LETTER TO >ULES'UES)E

PARIS

G., /ctober, 191

To M$ the Minister of 7tate, !les2!esde J

%efore <!ittin# the soil of 5rance, !nder the escort of apolice officer, who personifies the liberties over whosedefence yo! stand #!ard in the =ational 6abinet, Idee" it "y d!ty to express to yo! a few tho!#hts

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which, while they will "ost likely not be of any !se to yo!, will at least be of !se a#ainst yo!$ In expellin# "efro" 5rance, yo!r collea#!e, the Minister for War, didnot think fit to indicate the ca!ses for prohibitin# the

8!ssian =ewspaper Na he Slo"o (- *

, one of whoseeditors I was, and which had for two years, s!ffered allthe tor"ents of a censorship, operatin# !nder theae#is of this sa"e Minister for War$

7till, I shall not conceal fro" yo! the fact that for "ethere is no "ystery abo!t the reasons for "y exp!lsion$ 4o! feel the need for adoptin# repressive"eas!res a#ainst an international socialist, a#ainstone of those who ref!se to accept the part of defender

or ready slave of the i"perialist war$%!t while the reasons for this "eas!re have not

been co""!nicated to "e, who a" the one concernedand at who" it is directed, they have been stated by M$%riand to the dep!ties and to the &o!rnalists$

In Marseilles last A!#!st, a #ro!p of "!tinyin#8!ssian soldiers killed their colonel$ The investi#ationis alle#ed to have disclosed that a n!"ber of these

soldiers were in possession of a n!"ber of copiesof Na he Slo"o $ In any case, this is the explanation#iven by M$ %riand in an interview with Dep!ty and with the 3resident of the 6ha"ber 6o""ittee of 5orei#n Affairs, M$ ?eys<!es, who in t!rn, trans"ittedthis version to the 8!ssian bo!r#eois press$

To be s!re, M$ did not dare to assert thatNa heSlo"o , which was s!b&ect to his own censorship, wasdirectly responsible for the killin# of this officer$ ;istho!#hts "ay be expressed as followsJ In view of thepresence of 8!ssian soldiers in 5rance, it is necessary to sweepNa he Slo"o and its editors off the soil of the 8ep!blic$ 5or a 7ocialist newspaper that ref!ses tospread ill!sions and lies "ay : in the "e"orablephrase of M$ 8ena!del : @p!t bees in the bonnets of the 8!ssian soldiers and lead the" into the dan#ero!spath of reflection$

Bnfort!nately, however, for M$ %riand, hisexplanation is based !pon a scandalo!s anachronis"$


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It is not hard to acknowled#e that the insti#ators of this sche"e did not the"selves believe that the affair wo!ld #o so far or s!ch was their intention$ It isprobable that they hoped to achieve a"pler res!lts by

s"aller sacrifices$ %!t !ndertakin#s of this sortinvolve an ele"ent of professional risk$ In this case,however, the victi" was not the provocateur hi"self b!t 6ol$ Cra!se and those who killed hi"$ ven thepatriotic 8!ssian &o!rnalists, who are hostileto Na he Slo"o , have advanced the theory thatcopies of o!r paper "ay have been #iven to thesoldiers, at the ri#ht "o"ent by the sa"e a'ent provocateur $

Try, M$ Minister, &!st try to instit!te, thro!#h theservices of M$ Malvy an investi#ation alon# this line 4o! do not see that anythin# co!ld be #ained by s!chan investi#ationF =either do I$ %eca!se : let !s spreak frankly : a'ents provocateur are at least as val!ablefor the alle#ed @national defence as 7ocialist"inisters$ And yo!, !les 2!esde , after yo! ass!"edresponsibility for the forei#n policy of the Third8ep!blic, for the 5ranco'8!ssian alliance, and itsconse<!ences, for the territorial a"bitions of the 60ar,and for the ai"s and "ethods of this war : it re"ainsfor yo! to accept, alon# with the sy"bolicdetach"ents of 8!ssian soldiers, the in no way sy"bolic exploits of the provocateurs of ;is Ma&esty the 60ar$ At the be#innin# of the war, when pro"ises were spread with a lavish hand, yo!r closestco"panion, 7e"bat , #ave the 8!ssian &o!rnalists a#li"pse of the hi#hly beneficial infl!ence to be exerted by the allied de"ocracies !pon the internal re#i"e in8!ssia$ Moreover, this was the s!pre"e ar#!"ent!sed persistently b!t witho!t s!ccess by the#overn"ent socialists of 5rance and %el#i!" toreconcile the 8!ssian revol!tionists with the 60ar$

Twenty six "onths of constant collaboration, of co""!nion with #eneralissi"os, diplo"ats andparlia"entarians, the visits of Eiviani and Tho"as toTsarkoe'7elo, in short, twenty six "onths of incessant@infl!ence exerted by the allied de"ocracies !pon

60aris", have only served to stren#then the "ostarro#ant reaction, "oderated only by chaos in the


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ad"inistration and have s!cceeded in transfor"in#the internal re#i"e of n#land and 5rance !ntil they have beco"e very si"ilar to that of 8!ssia$ As "ay beseen the #enero!s pro"ises of M$ 7e"bat are cheaper

than his coal$(-+*

The l!ckless fate of the ri#ht of asyl!" is th!s b!t a strikin# sy"pto" of police and"artinet r!le prevalent on both sides of the 6hannel$

?loyd 2eor#e and M$ Astride %riand, for whosecharacter0ation I be# to refer yo!, !les 2!esde, to yo!r articles of earlier days : these two fi#!res bestexpress the spirit of the present war, its rectit!de, its"orality, with its appetite both class and individ!al$6an there be a worthier partner for Messrs$ ?loyd

2eor#e and %riand than M$ 7t!r"er, this tr!ly 8!ssian'2er"an, who has "ade a career by clin#in#on to the cassocks of the Metropolitans and the skirtsof the co!rt bi#otsF What an inco"parable trioDecidedly, history co!ld have fo!nd no bettercollea#!es and chieftains for 2!esde the Minister$

;ow is it possible for an honest socialist not to fi#ht yo!F 4o! have transfor"ed the 7ocialist 3arty into adocile choir which acco"panies the choir'"asters of capitalist bri#anda#e in an epoch when bo!r#eoissociety : whose deadly ene"y yo!, !les 2!esde, !sedto be : has disclosed its tr!e nat!re to the very core$5ro" all the events which were prepared by a wholeperiod of world'wide depredation and whoseconse<!ences we so often predicted, fro" all the bloodthat has been shed, fro" all the s!fferin# and the"isfort!ne, fro" all the cri"es, fro" all therapacio!sness and felonies of #overn"ents, yo!, !les2!esde, yo! draw b!t one sin#le lesson for the 5renchproletariatJ that Wilhel" II and 5ran0 oseph are twocri"inals, who, contrary to =icholas II andM$3oincarV fail to respect the r!les and re#!lations of international law$

An entire new #eneration of 5rench workin# yo!th,new "illions of workers "orally awakened for the firstti"e by the th!nderbolts of the war, learn abo!t theca!ses of this catastrophe of the /ld World, what

the (ello$ Boo, of MM$Delcasse, 3oincarV, %riand, want to tell the"$ And yo!, old chief of the proletariat,


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yo! sink to yo!r knees before this van#el of thepeoples, and yo! reno!nce all that yo! learnt andtho!#ht in the school of the class str!##le$

5rench 7ocialis", with its inexha!stible past, withits "a#nificent phalanx of fi#hters and "artyrs, has atlast fo!nd : what a fall, what a dis#race :a 8ena!del to translate, d!rin# the "ost tra#ic periodin the world’s history, the lofty tho!#hts of the0ello% &ook into the lan#!a#e of a press of the sa"e colo!r$

The socialis" of %abe!f , of7aint'7i"on ,of %lan<!i,of5o!rier , of the 6o""!ne, of a!rSs, andof !les2!esde : yes, of !les 2!esde too : has at last

fo!nd its Albert Tho"as to cons!lt with 8o"anov concernin# the s!rest ways of capt!rin# 6onstantinople has fo!nd itsMarcel7e"bat to pro"enade his dilettantenonchalance over the corpses and r!ins of 5renchcivili0ation it has fo!nd its !les 2!esde to follow :he too : the chariot of the tri!"phant %riand$

And yo! believed, yo! hoped that the 5renchproletariat, which has been bled white in this senseless

and hopeless war by the cri"es of the r!lin# classes, wo!ld contin!e to tolerate <!ietly, to the end, thissha"ef!l pact between official socialis" and the worstene"ies of the proletariat$ 4o! were "istaken$ Anopposition has co"e forward$ In spite of the "artiallaw and the fren0y of nationalis" : which, whateverits for", be it royalist, radical or socialist, alwayspreserves its capitalistic s!bstance : the revol!tionary opposition is #ainin# #ro!nd every day$

Na he Slo"o , the paper that yo! have stran#led,lived and breathed in the at"osphere of awakenin#5rench socialis"$ Torn fro" the soil of 8!ssia by aco!nter'revol!tion which tri!"phed thanks to the aidof the 5rench bo!r#eoisie : which yo!, !les 2!esde,are now servin# : the #ro!p of Na he Slo"o wasprivile#ed to echo even if in the inco"plete for"i"posed !pon it by the censorship : the voice of the5rench section of the new International which israisin# its head a"idst the horrors of fratncidal war$

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In o!r capacity as @!ndesirable forei#ners wholinked o!r fate with that of the 5rench /pposition, weare pro!d of havin# s!stained the first blows of the5rench 2overn"ent : yo!r #overn"ent, !les

2!esde We have the hono!r to#ether with Monatte,

Merhei", 7o!"onea!, 8os"er , %o!rderon,?oriot, 2!ilbea!x and so "any others, to be acc!sed,all of !s, of bein# pro'2er"an$ The 3aris weekly of yo!r friend 3lekhanov , who shared with yo! yo!r#lory as he shares with yo! yo!r fall, deno!nced !s week after week to the police of M$ Malvy, as a#ents of the 2er"an 2eneral 7taff$ Ti"e was when yo! knew

the val!e of s!ch acc!sations, for yo! yo!rself had thehono!r of bein# their tar#et$ =ow yo! sta"p yo!rapproval !pon M$ Malvy, for the #overn"ent of national defence, the reports of the stool'pi#eons$ 4et"y political files contain a very recent prison sentenceprono!nced !pon "e, in cont!"aci!", d!rin# the war, by a 2er"an co!rt, for "y pa"phlet The Warand the International $

%!t aside fro" this br!tal fact, which o!#ht to "akean i"pression even !pon the police brain of M$ Malvy,I believe I have the ri#ht to assert that werevol!tionary internationalists are far "ore dan#ero!sene"ies of 2er"an reaction than all the #overn"entsof the Allies taken to#ether$

Their hostility to 2er"any is, at the botto", nothin# b!t the si"ple rivalry of the co"petitor whereas o!rrevol!tionary hatred of its r!lin# class isindestr!ctible$

I"perialist co"petition "ay !nite a#ain the ene"y brethren of today$ Were the plans for the totaldestr!ction of 2er"any to be reali0ed, n#land and5rance, after a decade, wo!ld a#ain approach the

"pire of the ;ohen0ollern s to defend the"selvesa#ainst the excessive powers of 8!ssia$ A f!t!re3oincarV wo!ld exchan#e tele#ra"s of con#rad!lation with Wilhel" or with his heir ?loyd 2eor#e, in thepec!liar lan#!a#e of the cler#y"an and the boxer, wo!ld c!rse 8!ssia as the b!lwark of barbaris" and

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"ilitaris" Albert Tho"as, as 5rench a"bassador tothe Caiser, wo!ld receive lilies of the valley fro" thehands of the co!rt ladies of 3otsda", as he did dorecently fro" the 2rand D!chesses of Tsarkoe'7elo$

All the banalities of present day speeches and articles wo!ld be war"ed over, and M$ 8ena!del wo!ld haveto chan#e, in his articles, only the proper na"es, a task entirely within his capacities$

As for !s : we shall re"ain what we have been andare, sworn ene"ies of 2er"any’s r!lers, for we hate2er"an reaction with the sa"e revol!tionary hatredthat we have vowed a#ainst 60aris" or a#ainst 5renchpl!tocracy$ And when yo! dare, yo! and yo!r

newspaper lackeys toappla!d ?iebknecht, Mehrin#, ?!xe"b!r# and Ketkin as the intrepid ene"ies of the ;ohen0ollern s, yo!cannot deny that they are of o!r own stripe, o!rco"rades'in'ar"s$ We are allied with the" a#ainst yo! and yo!r "asters by the indissol!ble !nity of therevol!tionary str!##le$

3erhaps yo! will console yo!rself with the tho!#htthat we are few in n!"berF 4et we are #reater inn!"ber than the police of every #rade believe$ In theirprofessional "yopia, they do not see the spirit of revolt that is risin# fro" every hearth of s!fferin# andspreadin# thro!#ho!t 5rance, tho!#h all of !rope inthe work"en’s s!b!rbs and in the co!ntryside, in theshops and in the trenches$

4o! have incarcerated ?o!ise 7a!"onea! in one of yo!r prisons b!t have yo! thereby di"inished thedespair of the wo"en in the landF 4o! can arresth!ndreds of Ki""erwaldists after havin# ordered yo!r press to bes"irch the" a#ain with policecal!"nies$ %!t can yo! ret!rn h!sbands to their wivesF 6an yo! restore sons to their "others, fathersto their children, stren#th and health to the sickF 6an yo! ret!rn to a d!ped and debilitated people the tr!stin those who have deceived the"F

!les 2!esde, #et o!t of yo!r "ilitary a!to"obile,leave the ca#e in which the capitalist state hasi"prisoned yo!$ ?ook abo!t 3erhaps, fate will have


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pity, for the last ti"e !pon yo!r wretched old a#e, andlet yo! hear the "!ted r!"ble of approachin# events$ We expect the", we s!""on the", we prepare forthe" The fate of 5rance wo!ld be too fri#htf!l if the

6alvary of its workin# class did not lead to a #reatreven#e, where there will be no roo" for yo!, !les2!esde, and for yo!rs$

xpelled by yo!, I leave 5rance with a profo!nd faithin o!r tri!"ph$ /ver and above yo!r head, I sendfraternal #reetin#s to the 5rench proletariat, which isawakenin# to its #rand destiny$

Witho!t yo! and a#ainst yo!$

LON' LI#E SOCIALIST FRANCE

Leon T%ots$y

Note For Part IIIG $ The 'eneral A o;iation o+ 'er:an Wor,er wasfo!nded at ?eip0i# on HGrd March 1 G$ 3residentJ5erdinand ?assalle 1 H)'1 -N Eice'3residentJ Dr$ /ttoDa""er 7ecretaryJ Carl !li!s Ealteich, a shoe"aker 1 G9'191)N$

G+$ The Pari Co::/ne1 5ollowin# 5rance’s defeat in the war of 1 +.'+1, the workers of 3aris sei0ed power$ /n MarchH , 1 +1 the 6o""!ne was declared$ It was drowned in blood May H1'H , 1 +1$ 7o"e H.,... to G.,...6o""!nards, incl!din# wo"en and children, were killed,H+. exec!ted after @trial , -.. &ailed, +... transported fro"the co!ntry$ The 6o""!ne "arked the end of "onarchy in

5rance and the be#innin# of the Third 8ep!blic$ TheInternational Workin#"en’s Association the 5irstInternationalN was fo!nded by Marx and n#els in 1 -$ Inits @first phase it served as the rallyin# point of vario!s

!ropean national sct ions$ After the 3aris 6o""!ne, in1 +H, the centre was "oved to =ew 4ork$ It was dissolved in1 + $

G $ Charti :1 An n#lish "ove"ent for parlia"entary refor" !niversal "ale s!ffra#e, ann!al parlia"ents, vote by ballot, pay"ent of M3s, e<!al electoratc, abolition of property <!alification, etc$N be#an in 1 G as a ca"pai#n to

collect si#nat!res to the 3eople’s 6harter$ It had so"e violentepisodes H- killed at Manchester and =ewport on









=ove"ber G, 1 G9N$ had its !ps and downs and flared !pfinally in April 1 - $

G9$ In the S/::er o+ 2488 %ritish 8ailways tried toi"port cheap %el#ian labo!r$ The 5irst Internationalco""itted itself to stop blackle##in#$ 7ee*in/te o+ the'eneral Co/n;il 2488&84 , p$GGGN$

-.$ Altho!#h the St/tt0art Con+eren;e o+ the Se;ondInternational 2593 was able to achieve !nani"ity onthe attit!de to war, on the colonial <!estion it was sharply divided$ An anti'colonial resol!tion was passed 1H+ to 1. , with the 2er"ans tho!#h divided a"on# the"selvesN votin# solidly for the >colonialists’$

-1$ In Septe:-er 2527 , the 6athedral of 8hei"s, whereevery 5rench Cin# fro" 6lovis to ?o!is ZEI had been

crowned, was shelled by 2er"an #!ns$-H$ La alle "ade his fa"o!s analysis of the essence of constit!tions in a speech to a %erlin a!dience on April 1 ,1 H$

73< The .i::er$ald anti&$ar Con+eren;e was heldin 7wit0erland in 7epte"ber 191)$ Tho!#h only -H dele#atesattended, fo!r coaches held the" all, Trotsky relatesN the6onference laid the fo!ndations for a new, the ThirdInternational$

74< The St/tt0art Con+eren;e o+ the Se;ondInternational took place in 19.+, 7ee =ote -.NJ the6openha#en 6onference in 191., and the %asIc 6onferencein =ove"ber 191H$

75< The International So;iali t Berea/ was theexec!tive of the 7econd international established by the3aris 6on#ress of 19.. with ;ead<!arters in %r!s' sels$

69< Na he Slo"o O/r Word p!blished in 3aris by !ne"ployed 8!ssian printers fro" an!ary H9, 191) to

/ctober 1), 191 , s!cceeded 'olo The #oi;e and wass!cceeded byNa;halo The Be0innin0 $ It ran H1Gn!"bers$ Trotsky arrived in 5rance fro" 7wit0erland late in=ove"br 191-$

62< *ar;el Se:-at was 5rench Minister of 3!blic Works191-'191 $

'lo ar? O+ Na:e













Ba-e/+ = Fran oi No l 'ra;;h/ 2389&2353 1 #alitarian, !topian 7ocialist in the 5rench8evol!tion$ 3lanned the @final revol!tion called the@6onspiracy of the <!als for 11th May 1+9 $ Arrested on itseve, was exec!ted a year later$

Ballod = Karl 2487&25 2 1 %o!r#eois econo"ist$3rofessor Bniversity of %erlin fro" 19.)$ @ xpert on8!ssian statistics$

Be-el = A/0/ t 2479&252 1 Marxist of worker ori#in, 6o'fo!nder with Wilhel" ?iebknecht of the 2er"an 7ocialDe"ocracy 1 9$ In 8eichsta# fro" 1 +$ 7entenced with?iebknecht to two years’ i"prison"ent for @treason

opposition to 5ranco'2er"an WarN in 1 +H$ ?eader of the2er"an 7D and the Hnd International in pre'war years$

Bi :ar;, = Otto "on 2426&2454 1 Do"inated the2er"an and !ropean political scene 1 H'1 9. as6hancellor$ Bnified 2er"any !nder the do"ination of 3r!ssia and the ;ohen0ollern s$ A!thor of the anti'7ocialistlaws$ Dropped by "peror Wilhel" II in March 1 9.$

Blan@/i = Lo/i A/0/ te 2496&2442 1 5renchrevol!tionary, a ro"antic and colo!rf!l character, who believed in the dictatorship of the proletariat thro!#h aconspiratorial p!tsch$ ;e was twice conde"ned to death andspent GG of his + years in prison$

Bo/rderon = Al-ert 2464&25 9 1 5rench 7ocialist andtrade !nionist$ oined the Ki""erwald "ove"ent, later"oved to the 6entre and advocated coalition with bo!r#eois#overn"ents$

Brentano = L/Go 2477&25 2 1 2er"an econo"ist, one of the @7tate or @3rofessorial 7ocialists of the 6hair : 1athedersozialisten N, who fo!nded the 7ociety for 7ocial3olitics in 1 +G opposed to the 7ocial De"ocracy$

Briand = Ari tide 248D&25 D 1 /nce a "ilitant "e"ber

of the 5rench 7ocialist 3arty fo!#ht Millerand and his@Ministerialis" b!t later beca"e Minister of d!cation19. '19.9$ xpelled fro" 73, he fo!nded the 8ep!blican7ocialist 3arty with Millerand 1911N$ 3re"ier several ti"es,especially /ctober 191)'March 191+$ Dele#ate to the ?ea#!eof =ations$

)el;a e = Theophile 246D&25D 1 5rench 5orei#nMinister 1 9 '19.), 191-'191 $ 3ro"oted ntente 6ordiale with %ritish$

Fo/rier = Fran oi *arie Charle 233D&24 3 1 2reat5rench Btopian 7ocialist$

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Fran!&>o eph I 24 9&2528 1 ;absb!r# e"peror of A!stria, kin# of ;!n#ary and kin# of %ohe"ia fro" 1 -!ntil his death in 191 $

2eisslerJ

'/e de = >/le Ba ile 2476&25DD 1 6o""!nard$5o!nder "e"ber of 5rench Workers 3arty 1 +9$ ?eft'win#socialist$ Dep!ty 1 9G'19H1$ 5o!#ht refor"is" and"inisterialis"$ D!rin# the War advocated @7acred Bnion with the bo!r#eoisie$ Minister witho!t 3ortfolio A!#!st 191-to /ctober 191)$

'/il-ea/ = Henri 2446&25 4 1 /ri#inally anaracho'syndicalist$ ?ater 5rench 7ocialist$ In War a pacifist, later leftKi""erwaldist$ 7!pported 8!ssian 8evol!tion and attended6o"intern 6on#resses 1st, Hnd and )thN$ 7entenced to death

in absentia 1919, a"nestied 19H-$ ?ater beca"e anti'7ovietand anti'7e"ite$

Heine = Wol+0an0 2482&2577 1 2er"an 7ocial de"ocrat$?awyer$ 3ro"inent revisionist$ 7ocial cha!vinist d!rin# World War I$ 3r!ssian Minister for &!stice =ove"ber 191 '

an!ary 1919$

Her" = '/ ta"e 2432&2577 1 5or"er anarchist$ ?eaderof extre"e left inside the 5rench 7ocialist party andpro"inent anti'"ilitarist in the 7econd International !ntilo!tbreak of World War I$ %eca"e rabid 5rench patriot,"onarchist and all'ro!nd reactionary$

Hohen!ollern 1 5rederick of ;ohen0ollern, %!r#rave of =!re"b!r#, was "ade elector of %randenb!r# in 1-1)$ Bp to1 .9 %randenb!r# was a barren re#ion between the Middle/der and the Middle lbe$ In 1 1 , the D!kedo" of 3r!ssia,a 3olish fief since 1- , devolved on 5rederick Willia" of %randenb!r#, @the 2reat lector $ The Dynasty rose after the3eace of Westphalia 1 - with the help of 5rance and

n#land who backed the 3rotestant r!lers a#ainst the8o"an 6atholic r!lers of A!stria$ Bnder %is"arck’sleadership, the dynasty e"er#ed as the principal power inthe =orth 2er"an 5ederation$ After the victory a#ainst5rance 1 +., the Cin# of 3r!ssia beca"e "peror of 2er"any$ The Dynasty ended with the abdication of Caiser Wilhel" II , on =ove"ber 9th 191 $

Ir:er = 'eor0 246 &25 2 1 2er"an i"perialist$ Me"berof colonial service and later &o!rnalist$ 2overnor of theMarshall Islands 1 9-'1 9+$ 2er"an 6ons!l'2eneral in A!stralia 19.+'1911$

>a/rJ = >ean A/0/ te 2465&2527 1 5rench 7ocialist

leader$ 5o!nder and editorL’H/:anit 19.-'191-$ 8i#ht Win#er, ?eadin# fi#!re in the Hnd International$ Anti'

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Leon Trotsky the war and the indernational.doc