Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

THIRD ALL-RUSSIA CONGRESS OF SOVIETS471mations and conferences; this is what inspires the workingpeople in all countries.The October strike in 1905—the first steps of the victoriousrevolution—immediately spread to Western Europe andthen, in 1905, called forth the movement of the Austrianworkers; already at that time we had a practical illustrationof the value of the example of revolution, of the action bythe workers in one country, and today we see that the socialistrevolution is maturing by the hour in all countries ofthe world.If we make mistakes and blunders and meet with obstacleson our way, that is not what is important to them; whatis important to them is our example, that is what unitesthem. They say: we shall go together and conquer, comewhat may. (Applause.)The great founders of socialism, Marx and Engels,having watched the development of the labour movement andthe growth of the world socialist revolution for a number ofdecades saw clearly that the transition from capitalism tosocialism would require prolonged birth-pangs, a long periodof the dictatorship of the proletariat, the break-up of allthat belonged to the past, the ruthless destruction of allforms of capitalism, the co-operation of the workers ofall countries, who would have to combine their efforts toensure complete victory. And they said that at the end ofthe nineteenth century “the Frenchman will begin it, andthe German will finish it” 164 —the Frenchman would beginit because in the course of decades of revolution he hadacquired that intrepid initiative in revolutionary actionthat made him the vanguard of the socialist revolution.Today we see a different combination of internationalsocialist forces. We say that it is easier for the movementto start in the countries that are not among those exploitingcountries which have opportunities for easy plunder andare able to bribe the upper section of their workers. Thepseudo-socialist, nearly all ministerial, Chernov-Tsereteliparties of Western Europe do not accomplish anything, andthey lack firm foundations. We have seen the example ofItaly; during the past few days we witnessed the heroicstruggle of the Austrian workers against the predatory imperialists.165 Though the pirates may succeed in holding up