Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

UNITY OF YOUTH
countries." 12 The YCI asserted the role of the YCLs was to "abolish" opponent socialist
youth groups and to prevent the working-class youth from "retreat into the arms of the
Second International." 13
With the perceived threat of further imperialist wars looming over their generation, the
ECYCI astutely proclaimed, "Having mapped out our course, scorning with cruel thoroughness
all half measures and compromises, we must follow it to the bitter end." 14 The
YCI asserted that communist tactics were the only "correct" positions under the current
historical period:
Capitalism has guided humanity into a blind alley, from which there is but one outlet –
world revolution… its victory depends on the struggle, the will and the power of the proletariat.
The proletarian world revolution can conquer only if the proletariat completely
frees itself from reformist illusions, leaves the allies of the bourgeoisie in the camp of
the Second International, and enters the struggle under the leadership of the Communist
Parties and of the Communist International.... The working class can gain final victory
only if it manifests the greatest courage, self-sacrifice and discipline, and learns to fight
with its class enemies in all situations. 15
The "world revolution" necessitated "correct leadership" to lead the working class.
Driven by their Leninist faith, the YCI insisted that the Comintern was the only organization
that could provide this correct and difficult leadership.
The YCI constituted themselves as the "true revolutionary leaders" of the workingclass
youth. To win youth over to their "correct leadership," all other youth movements
needed to be opposed and destroyed:
The Young Communist Leagues conduct an energetic struggle… against the numerous
religious societies, the national sports clubs, the militarist, chauvinist, pacifist and other
Youth organizations. They also aim to do away with the Social-Democratic, Syndicalist,
and Anarchist influence on the Youth, and to liquidate the Youth organizations of this
tendency. 16
Coordinated activities with other youth groups were intentionally designed to discredit
and expose their leadership. The ultimate goal of communist "unity" initiatives was to
"liquidate" other organizations, winning its membership over to the YCL. In his unpublished
1929 history of the YCI, Mick Jenkins stated, "United Front tactics operated from
above had the purpose of exposing the leaders and no other purpose." 17
YCI statements disclosed an overt hostility to all other youth organizations. A 1924
YCI pamphlet openly proclaimed, "We will show to our enemies the bourgeoisie and the
social democrats… that there shall be no peace between us until they are definitely
defeated." 18 The Communist Parties reinforced these positions issuing statements like,
"The aim of the YCL is to become the mass organisation and leader of the young workers,
and it, therefore, sees no necessity whatever for any other organisations of the
working-class youth." 19 Traditional YCI policies, instead of rallying mass movements of
working-class youth, often discredited young communists as alien and disruptive elements
among the youth.
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