[MIM comments: March, 1999 is the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the COMINTERN, and an appropriate date to mark the formation of Marxist-Leninist parties not just in Russia but worldwide. On this occasion, we have re-typed a document from Mao's Communist Party of China for distribution on the Internet. The document marked the 40th anniversary of the COMINTERN.]
The People's Republic of China Red Flag No 6, 1959
"Forty Years Since the Establishment of the Communist International"
Since the Communist International (The Third International) was established in March 1919, forty years have come to pass. In these forty years, the movement of international communism has had extensive development throughout the whole world and has achieved great victories. Today, the communist movement has already become a gigantic force in determining the history of mankind.
The great communist movement, from its very beginning, was a movement international in character. In the 'sixties of the 19th century, the First International founded under the leadership of Marx and Engels laid the basic tenets for the struggle toward socialism by the proletariat in every country, and established the foundation of an international organization of the proletariat. Under the conditions of a flourishing and rising labor movement in every country in the 'eighties, Engels and other revolutionaries of the international proletariat formed the Second International. The establishment of the Second International promoted the the spread of Marxism, strengthened the ties amongst workers' parties in every country, thereby advancing the development of the revolutionary movement of the proletariat in every country.
Soon after the establishment of the Second International, Engels died. Prior to the First World War, capitalism had already developed into the stage of imperialism and the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in every country had grown in intensity. Just when the revolutionary task of the proletariat needed strengthened leadership, the power to lead the Second International fell into the hands of opportunists. These opportunists sided with the labor aristocrats and the bourgeoisie, twisted the revolutionary principles of Marxism, poisoned the revolutionary mind of the working class, intending to channel the labor movement into the paths of surrender in order to preserve the rule of the bourgeoisie. Following the outbreak of the First World War, the rightist leaders of the socialist parties among countries of the Second International went further in that they openly rebelled against Marxism, sold the working class short, turned their back on the anti-imperialist war resolutions of Stuttgart and declarations of Basle, cast their votes in assemblies in support of the imperialist war, completely degraded themselves to the role of lackeys of the bourgeoisie and imperialists. The Second International that they controlled became thoroughly bankrupt. At this juncture, the Bolsheviks of Russia, under the leadership of Lenin, launched a determined struggle against the opportunists of the Second International, effected a complete break, stood firm against imperialist wars, and initiated the heroic struggle of "transforming imperialist wars into civil wars." Such a determined Marxist stand of the Bolsheviks created a wide influence on the leftist wing of socialist parties in every country. Hence, when the Second International went bankrupt, the forces of true communism in the international proletarian movement, under the banner of Lenin, became united.
The victory of the October Revolution created new and favorable conditions for the growth and expansion of the movement of international communism. However, at this time, except for the Bolsheviks in Russia, the forces of communism in other countries had not yet established wide-spread ties among the masses, nor could they effectively resist and attack the rebellion of the Second International in order to provide independent leadership for the revolutionary movement of the proletariat; in some countries, the forces of communism and the forces of opportunism co-existed within one single political party. Under the circumstances, if the forces of international communism had not effected an open and complete break with opportunism in politics, in ideology and in organization, it would not have been possible to defend and develop revolutionary Marxism, nor to restore unity of the international proletariat in the various countries, nor to lead the masses in launching the revolutionary struggle of the international proletariat. It was for the purpose of shouldering this great historical mission that the Communist International was established.
The Communist International, in point of defending the purity of Marxism, of helping organize the progressive workers of various countries into true political parties of the working class, of restoring and strengthening the unity of the international proletariat all over the world, had had its effects of great historical importance.
To establish a true political party of the working class ideologically guided by Marxism and Leninism -- that is, the communist party -- was a mission of utmost urgency insofar as the revolutionary movement of the proletariat in every country was then concerned. The great victory of the October Socialist Revolution initially led to the establishment by the Russian proletariat under Lenin's leadership of a new type of revolutionary political party -- the Bolshevik Party. Encouraged and kindled by the October Revolution, the movement of international communism quickly gained momentum, stirring up tides of revolution and struggle in Europe and the world over. However, the revolutionary uprisings of the proletariat in Germany, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia met with setbacks and defeats. One main reason was the absence of a mature Marxist political party capable of providing the necessary leadership. The great achievements of the Communist International were seen first in the help it gave to the progressive workers of various countries in launching a true political party of the working class and then in the help it gave to the gradual growth of such parties in the course of the struggle.
As evidenced by the experience of the entire international communist movement over these forty years, it was through the progressive elements of the proletariat in every country that the Communist Party was organized. This party which was ideologically guided by Marxism-Leninism was organized in accordance with the system of democratic centralism, closely associated itself with the masses, and sought to become the nucleus of the laboring mass, thereby formulating the basic conditions of victory for the proletariat in each country.
The Communist International carried on its work on the basis of various fundamental principles laid down personally by Lenin concerning the plans and strategy of the proletarian revolution. It was Lenin who set forth the principles concerning such problems as dictatorship of the proletariat, peasants and the land question, nationalism and colonialism; it was he who interpreted these basic problems of the proletarian revolution in terms of Marxism, not only developing it but also clearly drawing the line between Marxism and opportunism. It was Lenin who once pointed out that "the biggest difference between Marxists and the ordinary bourgeois (also the big capitalists)" was whether or not they recognized the dictatorship of the proletariat. It was Lenin who taught us that the proletariat had to depend on the worker-peasant alliance, on the help given to the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat by the laboring masses of the farms and villages, there being no other way. It was Lenin, too, who repeatedly pointed out that the proletariat in the colonies and among the oppressed peoples and the communists must take part in nationalist movements, that the proletariat in the imperialist countries must give aid to such nationalist movements and that the revolutionary proletariat and national movements must be combined into a united anti-imperialist front. Lenin had clearly spelled out the principles of strategy for struggles by political parties of the working class in parliament, on the labor movement, on deciding when to resort to legal means and when to illegal means. On all these problems, Lenin launched a struggle against the rightist opportunists and the leftist opportunists within the anti-COMINTERN movement; a struggle, particularly in point of ideology between anti-revisionists and sectarians, thereby successfully defending revolutionary Marxism. These fundamental principles of Lenin on the proletarian revolution are the common truths of Marxism and Leninism, the ideological and political basis of the COMINTERN movement. Already they have become powerful ideological weapons in the hands of the proletariat and communists in every country, emitting dazzling rays of glory even to this day.
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, in reviewing the historical achievements of the Communist International, has pointed out that the Communist International has not only successfully defended revolutionary Marxism in capitalist countries, helped unite the progressive workers of various countries into forming true political parties of the working class, supported the socialist USSR, and launched relentlessly struggles against fascism; but the COMINTERN has also rendered aid to the nationalist movements of the oppressed peoples of the Orient and given help to the progressive workers of the oppressed peoples in organizing their own political parties. The Chinese people, especially, cannot forget how the Communist International at various times has always given all it can to help the plague-ridden Chinese people. (Decision of The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on the Proposed Dissolution of the Communist International by the Executive Committee of the Communist International)
The Communist International announced its dissolution on May 15, 1943. This occurred because the objective conditions had already undergone fundamental changes. Situations within the countries and among the countries had become more complicated. Communist parties had been established in most countries. Years of revolutionary struggle had trained and hardened them. The leadership of the cadres of the communist parties had also grown and matured. The original pattern of organization through a union of nations was no longer able to satisfy the constantly changing conditions resulting from the revolutionary struggles within individual nations. This type of organizational pattern became no longer necessary. Its historical mission had come to an end.
Under the conditions then prevailing, the dissolution of the Communist International was more advantageous than its continued existence. Comrade Mao Tse-tung had pointed out at that time that the Communist International was dissolved not to weaken the communist party in various countries, but rather to strengthen the communist party in various countries. History has borne out this point. The imperialist reactionaries had once thought wishfully that dissolution of the Communist International would make the tasks of communism in every country run into difficulties. But, as a matter of fact, the revolutionary task in every country has since then grown and prospered. Following the Second World War, there appeared in the continents of Europe and Asia a group of communist-led people's democratic nations. The Chinese Communist Party has put into practice, in the Chinese Revolution, the common truths of Marxism-Leninism, leading the people in launching a struggle against foreign imperialism and against the domestic reactionaries, achieving the great victory of the people's revolution. Socialism has already become a reality in these liberated countries. They, together with the first socialist nation, the USSR, formed the powerful, Soviet-led socialist camp.
The internationalism of the proletariat is the shining banner of the international communist movement. The communist parties in various countries have taken upon themselves, as a regular and important duty, the task of continuously strengthening the unity of the international communist movement. After the Communist International was dissolved, the communist parties in various countries have maintained a brotherly unity. Between 1947 and 1956, the Soviet Union and the communist parties of several European countries had organized the COMINFORM among the communist parties and workers' parties in many nations.
In November, 1957, there was held in Moscow a meeting of representatives from the communist workers' parties from countries all over the world. It was the largest international conference to be held by the communist and workers' parties of various nations since the Communist International dissolved. This conference reflected the far-reaching extent of unity and the unprecedented height of development of the Soviet-centered movement of international communism. The declarations coming out of this conference, with the unanimous support of the communist and labor parties of the socialist countries represented, have already become the guiding principles for the contemporary international communist movement.
The communist parties and workers' parties of the various countries were united in launching the struggle against the modern revisionists of Yugoslavia. The modern revisionists of Yugoslavia were rebels succeeding such original revisionists as Bernstein and Kautsky of the Second International. In betraying Marxism-Leninism, they engaged themselves in the shameless undertaking of a movement to break up international communism and to destroy the unity of the socialist camp, serving the interests of imperialism--above all, American imperialism. In waging the struggle against these modern revisionists of Yugoslavia, the communist and workers' parties of various countries succeeded in heroically defending the purity of Marxism-Leninism and in expelling the rebels from their own forces, thereby forging an unprecedented unity of the forces of international communism.
The 21st All-Union Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, a meeting of great historical meaning, laid down the great principles and programs of general construction of communism in the Soviet Union, unfolding before the peoples of the world the beautiful and bright prospect of a communist society. The speeches made at the Congress by delegates from fraternal parties of various countries demonstrated in an inspiring way the unity and solidarity of the Soviet-led socialist camp as well as the unity and solidarity of the Soviet-centered movement of international communism. Comrade Khruschev, in his reports and his concluding address at the Congress, forcefully argued against and discredited the untruthful charges made by imperialists and the Yugoslav revisionists to divide and impair the unity of the international communist movement and the unity of the socialist camp. [MIM comments: The Sino-Soviet split was not yet reality as of the 1957 conference. Later the Chinese would make no such positive references to Khruschev.]
The inter-relations of the communist parties in various countries are not only united but also independent; it is a unity of united and yet independent countries. Jointly, the communist parties in various countries must insist on and never betray the ideology of Marxism-Leninism; they must continue and never desert the anti-imperialist struggle; they must develop and never impair the tasks of socialism and communism; they must preserve and never weaken the unity of the international proletariat. Independently, the communist parties in various countries must face different revolutionary problems peculiar to their own countries; they must proceed independently with their own revolutionary struggles; they must represent fully the wishes and interests of their own people; they must independently decide on policies and programs that will meet the peculiarities of their own countries.
The communist parties in various countries, while giving mutual aid to one another in the common struggle, will not interfere with each other in internal affairs. This has been proven by revolutionary experiences in different countries. Because historical conditions and concrete situations differ from country to country and because social, economic, political and cultural development differs from country to country, it becomes incumbent on the communists in various countries to apply wisely the common truths of Marxism-Leninism in accordance with the concrete conditions peculiar to each country in carrying out their own revolutions. Only in this way can there be realized correct leadership capable of leading the people in the attainment of the revolution's victory.
The communist parties in various countries are equal members of the great family of international communism. The revolutionary struggle they led in their own countries form an integral part of the socialist revolution of the proletariat all over the world. The experience of their revolutions is common property of the international communist movement. There is nothing in common between the attempt of the modern revisionists to negate the unity of the international communist movement by exploiting nationalisms of the various countries propagating communism, on the one hand, and the principles of Marxism-Leninism on the other.
Lenin said before the first All-Union Congress of the Communist International: "There are no forces of any kind capable of stopping and resisting the communist revolution." The movement of international communism has now grown from a spark into a big fire igniting far and wide. Today, what exists in this world is no longer a small communist group among a few countries, but a powerful army of communist and workers' parties from 83 countries boasting 33,000,000 members. Today, what exists in this world is no longer a single socialist country represented by the Soviet Union, but a powerful and united socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union consisting of 12 countries in two continents, Europe and Asia. As an ideology, socialism and communism have infused deeper into the minds of men. More and more people the world over have come to recognize the wonderful future of mankind--the bright prospects of communism. The communist and workers' parties in various countries, having inherited the tasks of the Communist International, are continuing relentlessly their struggles for peace, national independence and socialism, marching forward from victories to ever greater victories.
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