Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
Indeed, Trotskyist positions on unity reflected an orthodox Bolshevik view against
class collaboration and international collective security. At the founding conference of
the Fourth International the Trotskyists discussed the threat of the fascist powers, but still
contended that the "United States remains the dominant imperialist force" and that its
domination of the world could only be "smashed by the proletarian revolution." 47 The
Trotskyists asserted they represented "true Bolshevism" while the Comintern claimed to
represent the "true spirit" of Leninism under the era of fascist advance. The YCI insisted
its anti-Trotskyist positions were necessary to stave off youth reversion into traditional
Bolshevik tactics that were incompatible with the Popular Front.
Dimitrov's analysis suggested that fascism maintained power by "successfully applying
the well-known crafty motto of divide and rule." Popular anti-fascist unity was the
only method that could "offer determined resistance to fascism, preventing it from
coming to power." 48 Popular Front rhetoric characterized fascism as a common enemy of
all youth, urging the establishment of broad anti-fascist alliances. Regardless of their
class or ideological background, all youth movements, outside of the Trotskyists, were
considered potential allies if they were willing to stand in unity with young communists
against fascism.
The British-American Context
The Popular Front transformed the YCLs in Britain and the United States from small
isolated organizations into mass movements of anti-fascist youth. YCI literature of the
Leninist Generation continually scorned the British and American Leagues for their small
sizes and sectarian practices. These YCLs exhibited an incorrect "vanguard" attitude,"
neglecting "the necessity of embracing the broad masses of the young workers" due to
their "infantile sickness of radicalism." 49 The YCI continued stating, "Their talk about
struggle and militant tactics is the meaningless chatter of phrasemongers who have no
idea that it is necessary to draw the masses into the struggle and to lead them." 50 With the
rise of the Third Reich, the British and American YCLs sought out broad anti-fascist
alliances with other organizations before finally adopting the Popular Front. By legitimizing
such populist activities in 1935, the Comintern facilitated new political opportunities
for the British and American Leagues to become powerful forces in their national
youth political culture.
The Comintern's traditional Leninist program severely retarded the development of
socialist youth unity in Britain. During the inter-war period Britain had a politically
influential socialist movement. Unlike the United States, the British had a well established
tradition of socialist youth activism. Leninism had a divisive impact of the development
of socialist youth, intentionally developing deep splits among working-class
youth. In many of the mining and industrial communities of Britain, the YCL stood in
direct competition with both traditional youth organizations and socialist youth groups. 51
84