The Stalin school of falsification - Marxists Internet Archive

Stalin School of Falsification -- Chapter 10
land? We do so and, indeed, to the highest possible degree.
In his recent article in Pravda, Stalin poses the following question: "Is the Opposition really opposed to
the victory of the U.S.S.R. in the coming battles with imperialism?" Allow me to repeat this: "Is the
Opposition really opposed to the victory of the U.S.S.R. in the coming battles with imperialism?" We
leave aside the brazen impudence of the question. We do not intend to dwell now on Lenin's carefully
weighed characterization of Stalinist methods-of Stalin's rudeness and disloyalty. We will take the
question as it has been posed, and give an answer to it. Only White Guards can be "opposed to the
victory of the U.S.S.R. in the impending battles with imperialism." The Opposition is for the victory of
the U.S.S.R.; it has proved this and will continue to prove this in action, in a manner inferior to none. But
Stalin is not concerned with that. Stalin has essentially a different question in mind, which he does not
dare express, namely, "Does the Opposition really think that the leadership of Stalin is incapable of
assuring victory to the U.S.S.R.?" Yes, we think so.
ZINOVIEV: Correct!
TROTSKY: The Opposition thinks that the leadership of Stalin makes victory more difficult.
MOLOTOV:And what about the party?
TORTSKY: The party has been strangled by you. The Opposition thinks that the leadership of Stalin
makes the victory more difficult. The Opposition insisted on that with regard to the Chinese Revolution.
Its warnings have been con- firmed by events, to a frightful extent. It is necessary to effect a change in
policy without waiting for a similar catastrophic test from within. Every Oppositionist, if he is a genuine
Oppositionist and not a fraud, will assume in the event of war whatever post, at the front or behind the
lines, that the party will intrust to him, and carry out his duty to the end. But not a single Oppositionist
will renounce his right and his duty, on the eve of war, or during the war, to fight for the correction of the
party's course-as has always been the case in our party -- because therein lies the most impor tant
condition for victory. To sum up. For the socialist fatherland? Yes! For the Stalinist course? No!
NOTES:
60. The Minority Movement was the Left wing of the British trade union movement, inspired and
initiated by the communists, but enjoying the growing support of hundreds of thousands of
non-communist trade union members. By the time the British trade union leaders were prepared to
withdraw from the Anglo-Russian Trade Union Unity Committee, the backbone of the Minority
Movement was broken and it continued to decline to the point of complete dissolution. [BACK TO TEXT]
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