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

THESES FOR AN APPEAL TO THE I. S. C.207influence, etc.), which will merely be formalised by thepeace treaty; (b) the British imperialist coalition hopes toimprove its military position in the spring; but (c) theexhaustion caused by the war and, chiefly, the fact that itis hard for the financial oligarchy to rob the peoples stillmore than it has already done through unparalleled“war profits”, is giving rise, in connection with the fear ofproletarian revolution, to attempts by some bourgeoiscircles to end the war as soon as possible through a dealbetween the two groups of imperialist freebooters; (d) thereis a noticeable shift in world politics from the Anglo-Russiancoalition against Germany towards a coalition (just as imperialistin nature) of Germany and Russia against England.The basis for this is that tsarism has not the strength toseize Constantinople, promised it in the secret treaties withFrance, England, Italy, etc., and is therefore seekingcompensation in a division of Galicia, Armenia and, possibly,Rumania, etc., and also in an alliance with Germany againstEngland for the plunder of Asia; (e) another major changein world politics is the tremendous enrichment, at Europe’sexpense, of United States finance capital, which has latterlyincreased its armaments (just like Japanese imperialism,which is much weaker) to unprecedented proportions, andwhich would be only too glad to divert the attention of“its” workers from these armaments by cheap pacifistphraseology ... relating to Europe!6. Out of fear of proletarian revolution, the bourgeoisiefinds itself compelled in every possible way to concealand embellish this objective political situation, thisimperialist reality. It is trying to dupe the workers, diverttheir attention, and the best means to that end is the customarydiplomatic duplicity of non-committal, hypocriticalphrases about a “democratic” peace, freedom for smallnations “in general”, “armaments restriction”, etc. Thisduping of the people comes all the easier to the imperialistbourgeoisie because, when it speaks of, say, “peace withoutannexations” every bourgeoisie has in view annexations byits adversary, and is “modestly reticent” about annexationsit itself has already made. The Germans “forget” that theyhave factually annexed not only Constantinople, Belgrade,Bucharest, Brussels, but also Alsace-Lorraine, part of