Fascism, Stalinism and the United Front

by L. Trotskii

Η «Μαρξιστική Φωνή» συνεχίζει την εκδοτική της προσπάθεια παρουσιάζοντας κείμενα του μεγάλου επαναστάτη Λέον Τρότσκι, ανέκδοτα μέχρι σήμερα στην Ελλάδα. Είναι 13 κείμενα που έχουν γραφτεί από το 1927 έως το 1940, στην προσπάθεια που κατέβαλε ο Τρότσκι να υπερασπιστεί τις γνήσιες ιδέες του μαρξισμού και τον τίμιο αγώνα του διεθνούς ρεύματος στο οποίο ηγούταν. Εξηγούν με έναν εμπεριστατωμένο και εύστοχο τρόπο το φαινόμενο του σταλινισμού και ταυτόχρονα, παραθέτουν ακλόνητα επιχειρήματα και στοιχεία στην πάλη ενάντια στους ποικιλώνυμους απολογητές του.

Πάνω απ' όλα όμως, μας βοηθούν να καταλάβουμε τι πραγματικά συνέβη με την υπόθεση του σοσιαλισμού στον 20ό αιώνα. Σε τελική ανάλυση μόνο μέσα από αυτή την κατανόηση, μπορούμε να αντιληφθούμε με σαφήνεια και καθαρότητα τα σημερινά πολιτικά καθήκοντα της Αριστεράς. Να γιατί ο Λεόν Τρότσκι είναι εξαιρετικά επίκαιρος.

Ποιος ήταν ο Λέον Τρότσκι
Εισαγωγικό σημείωμα των εκδοτών
Ο γραφειοκρατικός εκφυλισμός της ΕΣΣΔ και ο αγώνας του Τρότσκι - Ρομπ Σιούελ
Δύο τιμητικοί χαιρετισμοί της έκδοσης

ΚΕΙΜΕΝΑ
Έκκληση στα μέλη του κόμματος
Η Ρώσικη Αντιπολίτευση: ερωτήσεις και απαντήσεις
Ενάντια στον εθνικό Κομμουνισμό! Μαθήματα από το «Κόκκινο Δημοψήφισμα»
Γράμμα από την Πρίγκηπο
Για το έβδομο συνέδριο της «Κομιντέρν»
Είκοσι χιλιάδες Αντιπολιτευόμενοι διαγράφτηκαν από το Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Σοβιετικής Ένωσης
Πείτε στους εργάτες την αλήθεια για το κυνήγι των επαναστατών από τον Στάλιν μέσα στην Σοβιετική Ένωση!
Η συνέντευξη του Στάλιν στον Χάουαρντ
Το Νέο Σύνταγμα της ΕΣΣΔ
Θερμιδώρ και Αντισημιτισμός
Το βάθος του σταλινικού εκφυλισμού και το μέλλον της ΕΣΣΔ
Η Βοναπαρτιστική φιλοσοφία του Κράτους
Ο Στάλιν επιδιώκει το θάνατό μου

Genres: History, Politics

287 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1989

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand how Nazism came to power in Germany in 1933, the social class composition of the movement, the aims of the movement and its relationship to German big business, then this short book has it all. Also, along with the social aspect of what Nazism did and its future imperialist aims, this book also contains a very prescient analysis into how the, what is seen as, inexorable rise of Hitler could well have been stopped in the early stages of the NSDAP growth. Trotsky, arch-enemy of Stalin (or rather the obverse), exiled from the Soviet Union after disagreeing with the direction 'socialism in one country' was taking as well as the increasing bureaucratisation of the Communist Party and Comintern (Communist International), saw what could become of Germany years before 1933, but most importantly what could be done to counteract Nazism.

And this is it. Trotsky, every time I read him, in my opinion becomes closer and closer to a prophet. His insights saw what would become of the dictatorship Stalin had created after Lenin had died. In what is known as 'The Third Period' of the Comintern, all the linked international Communist organisations had to follow a particularly 'ultra-left' line dictated from above that saw Social Democracy as being 'social-fascist', hence making any alliances with them wrong and counter-productive. Trotsky was arguing however for a 'united front' with the Social Democracy, whereby in allying with some of the largest working-class organisations, in Germany both Catholic workers and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Communist Party of Germany (KPD - which was not of inconsiderable size), in a 'united front' could solidify the left-wing against the growth of fascism. It was not inevitable that Hitler would seize power, but the ruling-class of Germany feared any form of Communist or Socialist take-over more than they feared Hitler and the Nazis. Trotsky argues that this could have been stopped with unity between the proletarian organisations, and he was writing this during the late 1920's and very early 1930's (before 1933).

The book is prophetical and also quite depressing to read now, mainly regarding how Hitler could have been stopped, even in 1933 when he took power, by a show of force coming from a united-front of all left-wing groups. They all became suppressed and their leaders ended up in concentration camps with barely a whimper of protest after 1933 (including the SDP). A lesson to be learned, and even if you are not of necessarily of socialist persuasions, it is worth a read so something as horrendous as Nazism never happens again.

[Brian Napoletano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trotsky's analysis of the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy offers a great deal of insight into the class conflicts under capitalism responsible for the genesis of fascism and its rise to power in Western Europe. According to Trotsky's analysis, fascism arose among the petite bourgeoisie in response to what they perceived as the crushing economic oppression of the big bourgeoisie and the apparent impotence of the proletariat. The former was a result of the natural progression of capitalism, albeit compounded by the post-war conditions in Germany at the time, while the latter was the result of the Social Democracy's suppression of struggle by the proletariat on the one hand, and the ultra-leftism emanating from the bureaucratized leadership of the Communist Party on the other. In both cases, the opportunism of the leadership of the proletariat undermined their credibility as a credible force for revolutionary change, causing the petite bourgeoisie to first dismiss the workers organizations and eventually turn on them and obliterate them.

Both the betrayal of the workers by the Social Democracy and the ultra-left policies of the Communist Party, which depicted the former as "social fascists" no better than the National Socialists themselves, were carefully analyzed and critiqued by Trotsky. The former he attributed to the rise of the "labor aristocracy" and its betrayal of the proletarian revolution in 1918. The latter he attributed to the Stalinist bureaucracy and its German counterpart under Thälmann, which had opportunistically veered sharply left then right in virtually exact contradiction to the objective conditions that should have guided its orientation.

To overcome the lethargy of the Social Democracy's leadership and win the majority of the proletariat over to the revolutionary principles of the Communist Party, Trotsky proposed a 'United Front' between the two parties. This front would comprise a strategic agreement between the parties to work together to combat National Socialism with the understanding that the Communist Party would not compromise its revolutionary position, nor would it relinquish the right to criticize the Social Democracy. Trotsky contended that this approach would force the leaders of the Social Democrats to mobilize against the fascists or risk revealing their weakness and complacency to the workers that supported them. Unfortunately for Germany and the rest of the world, Trotsky's strategy was ignored by the German Communist Party and the Nazis succeeded in seizing power and crushing the workers' movements. As capitalism continues through yet another major crisis today, both the strategies Trotsky proposed and the dangers he foresaw have much to say to contemporary revolutionaries.

[Sky Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dry as hell most of the time, but like badly chopping up chillies and throwing it into a meal...sometimes it's bland other times is fire

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go back and forth on a lot of Trotsky's writings. His opposition to the theory of social fascism seems to contradict itself a few times in the book, however it's difficult to fully understand the political climate of early 1930s Germany without being there, so it is difficult to fully oppose Trotsky. He also makes very good points about how and when to launch strikes, how to build the communist party, and overall his writing is powerful and comes from a man who truly believed in the revolution of the proletariat.