Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

THE LENINIST GENERATION
warnings, insisting that Bolshevik methods were the only "correct" models for a revolutionary
organization. 77 Draper described Bolshevization in terms of exporting distinct
Russian tactics and forms of organization:
The Russian form of organization differed markedly. At the base of the Russian Communist
party structure were local units or "cells," the great majority of them industrial
rather than territorial in make-up. These industrial cells brought party members together
where they worked instead of where they lived and voted. The type of economic rather
than political organization antedated the Bolshevik revolution and constituted a traditional
difference between Russian and Western practice. 78
The Comintern Executive used this transition to consolidate its power over national
movements. The Soviet Party was by far the largest delegation in the Comintern's
Executive Committee. Soviet leaders utilized Bolshevization to strengthen their ability to
interpret "correct" directives and ideological positions for national parties.
This Bolshevization brought new challenges for communists. Bolshevization transformed
the role of youth within the international movement, creating a number of paradoxes
for young communists. 79 Firstly, in willingly submitting to the Comintern's
centralization, communist youth gained extensive political leverage to direct the development
of the adult movement. Secondly, while Bolshevization intended to create mass
leagues of revolutionary youth, it more often resulted in the further isolation of communist
youth in the West. In the end, Bolshevization fermented a number of trends that
defined the role of communist youth until the advent of the Popular Front.
Compliancy with the will of the Comintern was propagated as the most virtuous characteristic
of the Young Communist Leagues:
The Young Communist Leagues have proved to be everywhere the pioneers and vanguard
of the policy of the Communist International.... In all these Party problems and in
their settlement the YCI and the Young Communist Leagues have actively participated.
It is characteristic that they have everywhere stood for the Communist International and
have proved to be its most faithful support.... Leninism must become flesh and bone in
all Communist Parties and Young Communist Leagues. It must penetrate and determine
all their activities, and we must strive to build up truly Leninist and Bolshevist organizations.
The Young Communist International must become a Young Leninist International!
80
Communist youth were directed to act as an ideological "vanguard of Bolshevism,"
pressuring the adult movements into strict adherence to Comintern directions. Communist
youth could "decide who was a "true" communist and who a deviant "opportunist""
based on the subject's concurrence with Bolshevik principles as interpreted by the
Comintern. 81
Communist youth perceived themselves as ideological leaders to their national adult
parties. 82 All YCL branches were encouraged "to struggle for the policy of the Comintern
against the erroneous policy of their own Party." 83 The YCI stated, "The League must be
an example to the Party and our local organizations must proceed with transformation
whether the Party is moving in that direction or not and thus act as an urge on any
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