Leninism or Trotskyism

79 Pages·1925·66.121 MB·English

by  Grigory Zinoviev, Joseph Stalin, Lev Kamenev

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1
A P R E F A C E
•
The controversy between Trotskyism position that Comrade Trotsky takes
and Leninism is not a new thing is the very opposite of what one would
in the Russian Communist movement. expect. Very guardedly, very cau
It is nearly as old as the struggle be tiously, in a so1. . t of a roundabout way,
tween Bolshevism and Menshevism, Comrade Trotsky attempts to convey
and forms an important part in the the impression that it was not Trot
history !of the revolutionary move skyism that was proven wrong by his
ment of Russia. For over two decades tory b11t Leninism.
Lenin and the Bolshevik Party waged Now, this is a very serious proposi. ..
a determined struggle against the po tion. If the events of the Russian
litical outlook and conceptions of revolution have confirmed the correct
Comrade Trotsky his followers. ness Trotsky's position against
and of as
And it was only by defeating ideolog the Leninist position, which is the po
ically Trotskyism as well as Menshe sition of the Russian Communist (Bol
vism that the party of Lenin suc shevik) Party, then doesn't Trot
w-hy
ceeded in finally establishing itself as sky say so openly and frankly? Why
the only party of the workers and doesn't he demand in so many words
poor peasants of Russia. a fundamental revision of the princi·
•
Comrade Trotsky joined the Bol pies of the Communist International
shevik Party on the eve of the Nov 'vhich are based upon Leninism and
emb er revolution. In doing so he not Trotskyi·sm?
tacitly acknowledged the fact that in Since 1903 Lenin and the whole
the struggle between Trotskyism and Bolshevist fraction of the social-demo·
Leninism the latter proven cor cratic labor party of Rt1ssia have been
was
rect. This was how the Russian fighting Trotsky on every important
party and later on the entire Com problem that arose in the revolution
munist International interpreted and ary struggle of Russia.· Trotsky's po
understood Trotsky's · joining the sition between 1903-1905 was a sort
party. Unfortunately, however, Com of a middle of the road position be
rade Trotsky himself did not so under tween the Mensheviks and Bolshe
stand his coming into the party. As viks. This center position, according
was proven by later events, and par to Lenin, was always helpful to the
.
ticularly by his recently published Mensheviks and detrimental to the·
book ''1917'' and the preface to it, the Bolsheviks.
1
In 1905 Lenin developed the historic vist guard -along the road of Lenin
slogan of the revolutionary dictator. . ism as against Trotskyism.
ship of the workers and peasants. Comrade Trotsky's struggles in the .
aga.inst this slogan Trotsky devel Russian party are a constant dange.r
As
oped the theory of ''permanent revo ·to the integrity of the Communis-t
lution'' with the slogan: Without a movement.
czar but a workers' government. The discussion in the Russian party
These were two diametrically opposed has proven that the whole party is
conceptions of the nature of the Rus solidly opposed to Comrade Trotsky's
sian revolution and the tactics to be attempt to revise the Leninist basis
pursued by the revolutionary party of of our movement. The same is the
the working class. Lenin never made position taken by most of the parties
peace with Trotsky's theory of of the Con1munist International.
''permanent'' revolution nor with his Naturally, the enemies of the Rus·
slogan of purely workers' govern sian revolution and of the working
a
ment. One of the basic principles of class generally are attempting to ex
Lenin was that the revolution in Rus ploit controversy (which, by the
thi~
.
sia could succeed only thru an alli way, is now closed and settled), to
ance between the workers and peas· undermine the Soviet · government and
ants, led by the working class thru the of the Communist Inter·
pre~stige
its revolutionary party (the Commun· national. To this we say: Let them
ist Party), and expressed in the slo go to it. If they can derive any com
gan: The revolutionary dictatorship fort from the way in which this con
of the workers and peasants, Lenin troversy had been settled, the pleas
ism and Trotskyism never fought ure is all theirs.
each other in a battle more bitter and Really, what are the most outstand
more fruitful than on this issue. ing facts in the outcome of this con
Since the revolution of 1917, this con troversy as far as the non-Communist
ception of a revolutionary alliance be worke1,, is concerned? They are
tween the workers and poor peasants these. Fir·st, that the International
,. .
became fundamental principle of the Communist movement will not be
a
Communist International a principle separated from the proven revolution
which is applicable to every country a.ry path of Leninism. Second, that no
with large peasant or farming popu. . man in the Communist movement is
a
lation. On the other hand, Trotsky's big enough to override the will of the
theory of permanent revolution, which movement.
he still believes to be correct, is a The three articles by the . Comrades
complete negation of the above Len Zinoviev, Stalin and Kamenev, pub
inist principle. The conflict between lished in this pamphlet, present an
Leninism and Trotskyism on this point exhaustive treatment of the issues in
irreconcilable. volved in the struggle between Lenin
is
From the recent discussion in the ism and Trotskyism. The study of
Russian Communist Party, the follow these issues will give the reader a
ing facts become outstanding: deep insight into the fundamentals of
Comrade Trotsky bas never relin· Leninism and of the Communist In
quished his old position. ternational. It will enable the Ameri
He still believes in the correctness can workers to understand and thus
of his theories as against the teach come closer to the greatest move
ings of Leninsm. ments in human history the Russian
He will not make peace with the revolution and the Communist Inter
fact · that the Russian Communist national.
Party and the entire Communist In·
ALEXANDER BITTELMAN.
ternational are led by the old Bolshe- Chicago, Feb. 8, 1925.
2 ·
•
e v 1 s
•
ere t e Line o Trots yism is Lea ing
B y G . Z i n o v i e v
Some Facts Regarding Brest and the First Party Con erence
a ter October.
The Di erences Opinion in October and My Mistake
o
..
at That Time.
To replace Leninism by Trotskyism, events, some weeks afterwards, at the
that is the task which Com1. . ade Trot commencement of the disputes • over
sky has set out to accomplish. In this the Brest peace, Vladimir llyitch, as
respect he had already in 1922, in his the whole C. C. and a.II the leading
book, ''1905," attempted ''to attain circles of the party are aware, regard
something by allusions." So long as ed these· differences of opinion as com-
Comrade Lenin held the threads in his pletely liquidated. ·
hand, Comrade Trotsky decided not to In his speech on ''Trotskyism or
undertake a direct attack. Comrade Leninism," Comrade Stalin very right
Trotsky has now obviously decided ly remarks that in the September-Oc
that ''the moment has arrived." Ac tober period as a result of a number
cording to all the rules of strategy, of circumstances, the revolution en
before one strikes the decisive blow, deavored to carry out every step un
one must prepare tl1e way by artillery der the form of defense. This was
fire. The attack upon the so-called to be understood after all the shilly
right wing of Bolshevism is intended shallying connected with the Kornilof
as a smoke screen, particularly re period.· I, who at that time was liv
garding the October failures of the ing illegally, fell a victim to my fail
writer of these lines. ure precisely owing to tl1is peculiarity
It is an actual fact that at the be of that phase of October.
ginning of November, 1917, I commit When Comrade Lenin reverted to
ted a great error. This error was ot1r error, three yea.rs after it had been
freely admitted by me and made good committed, he wrote as follows:
in the course .of a few days. As, how· ''lmmedia;tely the
be·fo1'"e Octobe.r
ever, these days were not ordinary I'evolution, and soon afterwards, a
days but very fateful days, as this was number of excellent Communists
in
a time of extremest tension, the error Rl1ssia committed errors, of which
was highly dangerous.
one does not like to be reminded. Why
In any event I will not minimize the not? Because it is not right, except
extent of this error.
on a special occasion, to refe r to such
It was precisely because of the ex errors, which have been completely
traordinary tension of these times
made good. They showed hesitations
that Vladimir llyitch so energetically in the period in question in that
they
opposed our error. All these extreme feared that the Bolsheviki would iso
ly draconic punitive meansures, which late themselves and undertake too
he at that time proposed against us, great a risk in holding aloof too much
all the passionate
chastising which he a certain section of the menshe
f1~om
infilicted, were of course thoroly jus- · viki ·and of the social revolutionaries.
tified. In the shortest time after these The conflict went so far that the com-
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..
·
.
rades in question, as a demonstration, in the ''History of the R. C. P.'' and
resigned from all responsible posts, on numerous earlier occasions.
both in the party and in the Soviet, to To consider the writer of these
the greatest joy of the enemies of the lines as belonging to ·the ''right .wing''
so.cial revolution. The matter led to of the Bolsheviki, is simply absurd.
the most bitter polemics in the press The whole of the Bolshevik Party is
on the part of the C. C. of our party aware that I, working hand in hand
against those who had resigned. And ''"ith Comrade Lenin in the course of
after some weeks, at the most after nearly 20 years, never once had even
some months, all these comrades per· a sharp difference of opinion with
ceived their errors and returned to him, except in the one case men
their . responsible posts in the party tioned. The epoch of the years 1914-
and the Soviets." (Lenin, Collected 1917, from the commencement of the
Works, Volume XVII., Page 373.) imperialist war up to the commence
Comrade Lenin makes no reference ment of the proletarian revolution in
whatever to a ''right wing.'' our country, was a not unimportant
For myself, I endeavored more than epoch. Precisely in the.se years there
once, before the party and before the took place the decisive regroupings
whole Comintern, to deal with my er· in the camp of the international labor
ror. I spoke of it, for example at the movement. The books, ''Socialism
opening of the 4th World Congress of and War'' (1915) and ''Against the
October a's follows: Stream,'' are sufficient witness that
''Allow me to say a word regarding during that time I in no way came for
a personal matter. It seems to ·me ward as representative of a right wing
that I, particularly now on the 5th an of Bolshevism.
niversary of the revolution, am called At the April conferences of 1917,
upon to say that which I am about to the importance of which Comrade
.
say. You are aware comrades that Trotsky misrepresents, I h·ad not the
five years ago I, along with some smallest difference of opinion with
other comrades, made a great mis Comrade Lenin. In the dispute be
take, which, as I believe, was the tween Comrade Trotsky on the one
greatest mistake I have ever made in side and Comrades Kamenev, Nogin
my life. At that time I failed to es and Rykov on the other side, I was
timate correctly the whole counter- wholly on the side of Comrade Lenin,
,
revolutionary nature of the menshe- as was to be seen from a number of
viki. Therein lies the nature ·of our my reports and speeches at the April
mistake before October 1917. Altho conference. The whole dispute was
we had fought against the mensheviki naturally confined within the limits
for over ten years, nevertheless, I, of Bolshevism as Comrade Lenin
as well as many otl1er comrades, could and the party regarded it and only
not at the decisive moment get rid of under the pen of Comrade Trotsky
the idea that the mensheviki and does i t assume the form of a strug
S. R., altho they were only the right gle of a ''right wing'' against the
fraction and the right wing, neverthe party.
less formed a portion of the working Not the least differences of opinion
class. As a matter of fact they were occurred between myself and Com
are the ''left," extremely skillful. rade Lenin during and after the July
and
pliable and therefore especially dan days. We had the opportunity to
gerous wing of the international bour test this at our leisure in the course
geoisie. I the refo re believe, comrades, of several weeks as long as I lived
that it is our duty to remind all our together with Vladimir Ilyitch in hid
comrades. . . etc.'' ing. The difference of ·opinion was
I spoke of our error in the most noticed by me at the beginning of
widely circulated book from pen, October, after . the liquidation of the
my
4
Ko1~nilov period, after the article of wl1ich 11a.cl appeared in tl1e press re
Comrade Lenin, ''On Compromises'' garding our differences I wrote a
(in this article Lenin proposed, un short letter to the editor which was
der certain conditions, an agreement. p11blished by the central organ with a
with the mensheviki and the S. R.). co111ment of the editor that the dis
My error consisted in the fact that I pute was ended and that in essentials
endeavored to continue the line of the we were and remained of one mind.
article ''On Compromises'' some days (Pravda, Nov. 21, 1917.)
later. In all only a few days, but the The unsigned leading article which
days at the time counted as months. appeared in our central organ, Rabot
In the famous sitting of the Central shi Putj (The Path of the Workers), ·
Committee of the 10th of October, at which appeared in place of Pravda,
which the revolt was decided on, and on the day of the revolt, Oct. -25, was
.. at which for the first time differences written by me. The second article
of opinion regarding the time to be was likewise written by me and
was·
fixed for the revolt and as to judging signed by me. In this last article we
the prospects in the constitutional as read:
sembly arose between me and Kam ''It is a great task wh• ich confronts
enev on the one side and the rest of, the second Soviet congress. The
the members of the C. C. on the other events of history are following each
side, the first political bureau of the other with breathless
Thel\
speed~
C. C. for the leadership of the revolt final hour is approaching. The least
was created. The seven following further hesitation brings the danger
comrades were elected . to the polit· of immediate collapse. . .''
bureau~ Lenin, Zinoviev, Kamenev, ''The last hopes for a peaceful solu
Trotsky, Stalin, Sokolnikov and Bub tion of the crisis are past. The last
nov. In the no less important joint peaceful l1opes which I must confess
meeting of the Central Committee and -up to the last days were cherished
a
number of Petrograd functionaries by the writer of these lines, ·have been
on October 16, after the debates be dispelled by facts.''
tween Comrade Lenin and ourselves, ''All Power to the Soviets.
It is here
19 votes were cast for the motion of that everything is being concentrated
Comrade Lenin in its final form; 2 at the present historical moment.''
were against and 4 neutral; while
my In the number of our central organ,
motion was introduced by Comrade
Rabotshi Putj, which appeared on Oc
Volodarsky as an amendment to the tober 26, a short report was published
motion of Comrade Lenin. My amend
of my first speech after the period
of
ment read that ''in the next five days illegality in the sitting of the Petro
before meeting our comrades and be grad Soviet on Oct. 25, the day of the7
fore discussion we must not arrange
revolt. Here we read as follows:
any revolt.''
My written motion,)
which was submitted to the vote at The Speech of Zinoviev.
this meeting, read: ''Without post ''Comrades, we are now in the period
poning the measures for investigation of revolt. I believe however that no
and preparation, it be decided that no cloubt can exist regarding the out
action be permitted before consult come of the revolt we shall be vic
ation with the Bolshevist section of to1. . ious !
the Soviet Congress.''
''I am convinced that the over
It was at this time that Comrade whelming portion of the peasantry
Lenin wrote his famous article 'vill come over to our side as soon as
against us. I continued to work dil t.l1ey become acquainted with our pro
igently for the Pravda. When the posals regarding the la.nd question.
action was finally decided on, in order ''Long ·1ive the social revolution,
to silence the exaggerated rumors v.rl1ich is now beginning. Long live
5
formally invited them to participate in
tl1e working class Who still
l~etrogard
the government. The refusal of the
achieve the final victory.
left S. R., even tho it was only limited
''Today we have paid our debt to
to a certain time and subject to cer
the international proletariat and de
tain conditions, places on them the
live1·ef1 a terrible blow to the war, a
full responsibility for the agreement
blow at the breast of all imperialists,
not being arrived at." (P1·avda, No.
tlie greatest blow at the breast of
180. Vol. 4, Nov. 17, 1917.)
the hangman, Wilhelm.
''Down with the war; long live inter This paragraph of the resolution,
national peace!'' which was doubtless written by Com
Sharp differences arose in our cir rade Lenin, must be specially noted
cle again in the first days of N ovem the reader in order the better to
by
ber (according to old calendar) at the understand that which follows:
moment when the right S. R. and In the Pravda (the central organ of
mensheviki were already shattered
our party was on October 30 again
and when it was the question whether
named the Pravda) we read in No.
we would not succeed in bringing
180, of Nov. 4, the following extract
over the left S. R. and the best sec
from my speech which I delivered at
tion of the mensheviki to the side of
the session of the Central Executive
tl1e Soviet power. In these days I
Committee of the S. R. and of the so
had to take part with other comrades
cial democrats on Nov. 2,.1917:
in tl1e famous negotia.tions with the
''In the name of the C. C. of the Rus
then existing organization of the rail
sian social democratic labor party (at
wa;,.men. These negotiations led to a
that time our party was not yet a
complete agreement of the C. C. of
Communist Party), I declare that the
our party with the then Central Ex
comrades of the S. R. (it was the
ecutive Committee of the Workers·'
question of the left S. R. whom the
and Peasants' Councils. These differ
C. C. of our party, with Comarde Len
ences lasted actually from two toj
in at the head, tried at that time to
three days, but during this time they
induce to participate in the first So·
\Vere heated. ·
~xceedingly
viet government) should not have
On Nov. 2, 1917, the C. C. of our
started to criticize us Bolsheviki while
in the presence of Comrade
par~y,
events were taking place in the
Lenin, adopted a resolution which,
streets of Moscow regarding which
among other things, stated:
our Moscow delegates have reported
''The C. C. confirms that, without
today. (At this time the struggle for
having excluded anybody from the
the Soviet power was still going on
Second Soviet Congress it is even
in Moscow.) On this occasion we re
now fully prepared to note the return
mind the comrades of the S. R. that
of the Soviet members who have re
before we published the composition
signed (as is known the right S. R.
of our government we called upon
.and the mensheviki withdrew from
them to take part in the government,
the Second Soviet Congress) and to
but they declared tha.t they would
recognize the coalition with those who
take part in the work of the govern-
have withdrawn from the Soviets
'
ment, but for the time being would
that, therefore the assertions that the
not enter the government.''
Bolsheviki will not share power with
At the session of the Petrograd So
anybody are abs·olutely devoid of
viet of Nov. 3, 1917, the writer stated:
foundation.
''Comrades, there are among us
''The C. C. confirms that on the day
comrades from the Red Army, soldiers.
of the formation of the present gov
and sailors, who in a few . hours will
ernment, a few hours before its form
hasten to the aid of our Moscow
ation, it invited to its session three
comrades and brothers. · (Loud and
representatives of the left S. R. and
6
prolonged applause.) The revolution able to help, that we now have the
ary military committee wished two possibility of throwing our victorious
days ago to send help, bl1t met with troops on the Moscow front.
obstacles precisely from those· quart
''Long live the comrades
pr~oceeding
ers from which one could only have
to Mosco'v all Russia is watching
expected support. I speak here of
tl1em."
some leading circles of the railway
On the evening of Nov. 3, and on
employes, who in these hours so fate the morning of the 4th, our negotia
ful for the revolution have adopted a tions witl1 the left S. R. and with that
'nuetral' attitude. In these terrible conference which had invited the
leaders of the railway wo1'kers' un
hours, however, one cannot be 'neither
hot or cold' I do not wish to speak ion, arrived at the most critical stage.
At this moment we committed the
, too sharply, but you yourselves will
greatest errors. The famous declara
understand comrades, how the future
tion of some comrades, among the1n
will judge the facts.
myself, in the C. C. of the Bolsheviki
''Just recently a transport of troops
and the Council of the People's Com
to Moscow was held up. When the
missaires (regarding the resignation
leaders of the rail'\\ray workers' union
of ot1r responsible posts owing to the
were asked how they act in this man
obstinacy of our C. C.) was signed on
ner, they replied: have also
~We
Nov. 4, 1917, and on Nov. 7, 1917, my
held up tra11sports from the other
''14etter to the Comra.des'' was pub·
side.'
lished in the Pravda (No. 183). In
''We n1ust appeal to the lower sec
this letter we said: (I quote the most
tions of the railwaymen and explain
i111portant part.)
to tl1em what 'neutrality' means un
''Tl1e Central Committee of the All
der present conditions. I do not
Russian Soviet Congress placed in the
doubt that 99 per cent of the lower
foreground a definite plan of agree
sections of the railway employes and
ment (the resolution of Nov. 3), which
workers will side with the fighting
I fully agree with, as it demands the
soldiers and workers. A whole num
immediate recognition of the decrees
ber of centra.l committees are sitting
regarding the land, peace, workers'
on the fence. Unfortunately, among
control, and the recognition of the So
these is the central committee of the
viet power.
railway workers. No one could have
''In reply to the resolution of the
foreseen that tl1e leading orga.n of the
C. E. C. the mensheviki submitted a
railwa.y workers would .preserve 'ne11-
number of preconditions. The C. E. C.,
trality' whilst workers and soldiers
as it did not w.ish to place any diffi
were fighting on the barricades. This
culties in the way, adopted a resolu·
stat.e of affairs must be ended. The
tion proposed by us which removed
railway proletariat must stand like
the hindrances in the way of these
one man on the side of the fighting
negotiations.
workers and soldiers, they must help
tl1em to break the resistance of the ''In spite of this the other side
bo11rgeoisie and of the landowners. . . wot1ld not make any concessions to
''Greetings to the comrades who are the C. E. C. The conditions submitted
hastening to tl1e help of the revolu by the latter were rejected by the
tionaries in Moscow (long and stormy mensheviki and the S. R. The a.t
applause). Now we are giving back tempt to arrive a t an agreement was
to Moscow what it gave the revolu consistently ca1 ried ottt in spite of all
1
tion in 1905. At that time the Mos obstacles; i t led, however, to no re
cow proleta.riat began the revolt, and sult. It is now evident tha.t the men
delivered the first blow against despot sheviki and the S. R. did not want an
ism. We are happy that we are now understanding and only sought for a
7