Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
recalcitrant branches of the adult movement." 84 A 1928 YCI report evaluated the importance
of the role of the YCLs during the Bolshevization period:
The Communist Youth International and its sections have, during the past period, proved
themselves again to be the best fighters for the ideas and policy of the Comintern. The
fact that the YCI and its sections have always been in the first ranks of the fight for the
revolutionary Leninist line of the Comintern can, in the first place, be explained by the
fact that the youth is not burdened with the old social democratic traditions. In all big
political questions of the working class, in the discussions of the individual Communist
Parties, our Leagues have most actively supported the line and policy of the
Comintern.... We can to-day say with pride that our youth organisations, with the help of
the Executive, almost always supported the correct attitude, the attitude of the
Comintern, and supported it with great force. 85
Bolshevization further subordinated the youth to the Comintern, but enabled young
people to play a greater role in ideological leadership.
Bolshevization necessitated a "correct" ideological education for youth centred on
Leninism. Lenin placed great emphasis on political education to enable youth to unify
revolutionary "theory and practice" within their movement. 86 The Fourth Congress of the
YCI instructed "communist youth of all countries to occupy themselves systematically
and persistently with the work of Comrade Lenin in order to educate a new generation of
true Bolsheviks." 87 Theoretical education was linked with daily struggles within the
factory, unlike socialist education that emphasised youth cultural activities within
neighbourhood branches.
For example, the Comintern directed the YCLs to establish "shop nuclei" groups
within the factories to facilitate Leninist education. 88 The shop nucleus blended militant
economic struggles with ideological education to politicize youth:
[The YCL's] work and activities must thereby win a permanent influence on the mass of
the young workers. This can only be done by being in continual daily touch with the
working class youth, and by continually making them aware of our work. The chief
place for such a connection is in the shop where the member of the League can make the
influence of the Leagues felt.... This organizational unit is the shop nucleus. It forms the
most important support, the corner stone of our organization. Work in the shop for the
establishment of a nucleus and work in the nucleus when established, that is the first task
of a member of the Young Communist League.... Every factory should be our stronghold!
89
The YCI insisted Leninism required a "militant education, i.e. for an education that is
learned in the struggle which assists the struggle so that theory arises out of experience." 90
Such economic struggles were intended to expose the "true nature" of capitalist power
relations to the youth. The YCI hoped that the shop nucleus could "call upon workers for
their support in our general struggle" by making economic and union work "the main
activity of our [YCL] organization." 91
The Comintern directed YCLs to treat shop nuclei recruits "as a prospective soldier in
the future revolutionary army." 92 Communist youth argued such factory groups were
seizing vital positions of power from their "class enemies." Open participation in such
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