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

A TURN IN WORLD POLITICS267History does not stand still even in times of counterrevolution.History has been advancing even during theimperialist slaughter of 1914-16, which is a continuationof the imperialist policies of preceding decades. World capitalism,which in the sixties and seventies of the last centurywas an advanced and progressive force of free competition,and which at the beginning of the twentieth century grewinto monopoly capitalism, i.e., imperialism, took a big stepforward during the war, not only towards greater concentrationof finance capital, but also towards transformationinto state capitalism. The force of national cohesion, thesignificance of national sympathies, were revealed in thiswar, for example, by the conduct of the Irish in one imperialistcoalition, and of the Czechs in the other. The intelligentleaders of imperialism say to themselves: Of course,we cannot achieve our aims without throttling the smallnations; but there are two ways of doing that. Sometimesthe more reliable and profitable way is to obtain the servicesof sincere and conscientious advocates of “fatherlanddefence” in an imperialist war by creating politically independentstates; “we”, of course, will see to it that they arefinancially dependent! It is more profitable (when imperialistpowers are engaged in a major war) to be an ally of anindependent Bulgaria than the master of a dependent Ireland!To complete what has been left undone in the realmof national reforms may sometimes internally strengthenan imperialist coalition—this is properly taken into accountby, for instance, one of the most servile lackeys of Germanimperialism, Karl Renner, who, of course, is a staunch supporterof “unity” in the Social-Democratic parties in general,and of unity with Scheidemann and Kautsky in particular.The objective course of events is having its effect, and justas the executioners of the 1848 and 1905 revolutions were,in a certain sense, their executors, so the stage managers ofthe imperialist slaughter are compelled to carry out certainstate-capitalist, certain national reforms. Moreover, it isnecessary, by throwing out a few sops, to pacify the masses,angered by the war and the high cost of living: why not promise(and partly carry out, for it does not commit one toanything!) “reduction of armaments”? After all, war is a“branch of industry” similar to forestry: it takes decades