Lenin CW-Vol. 23.pdf - From Marx to Mao

204V. I. LENINthe Russian social-chauvinist leaders. But he has notdefinitely said whether he wants unity or a break with theChkheidze faction. And that is one of the key issues. For,indeed, if peace comes tomorrow, we shall be having Dumaelections the day after tomorrow, and the question willimmediately arise of siding with or opposing Chkheidze. Weoppose such an alliance. Martov favours it. And Trotsky?His attitude is unknown. There has been no definite indicationof it in the 500 issues of the Paris Russian-languagenewspaper Nashe Slovo, of which Trotsky is one of the editors.These are the reasons why we do not agree with Trotsky.We are not the only ones. In Zimmerwald, Trotsky refusedto join the Zimmerwald Left. Together with ComradeHenriette Roland-Holst he represented the “Centre”. Andthis is what Comrade Roland-Holst now writes in the Dutchsocialist paper Tribune 96 (No. 159, August 23, 1916):“Those who, like Trotsky and his group, want to wage arevolutionary struggle against imperialism must overcomethe consequences of émigré differences—largely of a personalnature—which disunite the extreme Left, and join theLeninists. A ‘revolutionary centre’ is impossible.”I must apologise for having dwelt at such length on ourrelations with Trotsky and Martov, but the French socialistpress refers to this quite frequently and the information itgives its readers is often very inaccurate. The French comradesmust be better informed of the facts concerning theSocial-Democratic movement in Russia.LeninWritten in the second halfof December (old style) 1916First published (in abridged form)in La Vérité No. 48,January 27, 1918First published in fullin Russian in the magazineProletarskaya RevolutsiaNo. 7 (90), 1929Published according toLa Vérité page proofsTranslated from the French