Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 16 - From Marx to Mao

FACTION OF SUPPORTERS OF OTZOVISM AND GOD-BUILDERS57ers of Rabocheye Dyelo until finally they surrendered Potresov(and only Potresov?) to Prokopovich. The Bolsheviksran the “old” Proletary (1906-09) in a spirit of resoluteopposition to “boycottism”, etc., and emerged as an integraltrend for the struggle against those who are now thinking up“otzovism”, “ultimatumism”, “god-building”, etc. TheMensheviks wanted to reform the old Iskra in the spirit ofMartynov and the Economists, and they broke their necksin the attempt. You want to reform the old Proletary inthe spirit of “Er”, the otzovists and the god-builders—andyou will break your necks too.But what about the “turn towards Plekhanov”, says Maximovtriumphantly? What about the formation of a “newCentrist faction”? And our “also-Bolshevik” describes as“diplomacy” a “denial” that “the realisation of the idea ofa ‘centrist group’ is being contemplated!”These cries which Maximov is uttering against “diplomacy”and “uniting with Plekhanov” are simply laughable.Here, too, the caricature Bolsheviks are true to themselves:they have firmly learned by heart that Plekhanov pursued anultra-opportunist policy in 1906-07. And they think thatif they repeat it rather frequently, without bothering toanalyse the changes that are taking place, this will denotethe maximum degree of “revolutionary spirit”.The fact of the matter is that starting from the LondonCongress the “diplomats” of Proletary always openly pursuedand succeeded in carrying out a pro-Party policy againstthe grotesque exaggerations of factionalism, a policy ofdefending Marxism against anti-Marxist criticism. Thereare two reasons for Maximov’s present outcries: on the onehand, ever since the London Congress there have always beenindividual Bolsheviks (Alexinsky is an example) allegingthat a policy of “conciliation”, a “Polish-Lettish” policy,etc., has been substituted for a policy of Bolshevism. Thesestupid allegations, which were merely evidence of bigotedthinking, were seldom taken seriously by the Bolsheviks.On the other hand, the literary clique to which Maximovbelongs and which has never at any time had more than onefoot in the Social-Democratic movement, has for a long timeregarded Plekhanov as the chief enemy of their god-buildingand suchlike tendencies. In the eyes of this clique nothing