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

274V. I. LENINMarino, Liechtenstein and Andorra, with a combined populationof only 310,000. Doubtlessly, it would be much morecorrect not to include them among the states under examination.Of the remaining 12 states, seven are absolutely homogeneousin national composition: in Italy, Holland, Portugal,Sweden, and Norway, 99 per cent of the population areof one and the same nationality; in Spain and Denmark theproportion is 96 per cent. Then come three states with anearly homogeneous national composition: France, Englandand Germany. In France, the Italians make up only 1.3 percent, in areas annexed by Napoleon III by violating and falsifyingthe will of their people. England’s annexed territory,Ireland, has a population of 4.4 million, which is less thanone-tenth of the total (46.8 million). In Germany, out ofa population of 64.9 million, the non-German element,which in practically all cases is just as nationally oppressedas the Irish in England, is represented by the Poles (5.47per cent), Danes (0.25 per cent) and the population of Alsace-Lorrain (1.87 million). However, part of the latter (the exactproportion is not known) undoubtedly incline towards Germany,due not only to language, but also to economic interestsand sympathies. All in all, about 5 million of Germany’spopulation belong to alien, unequal and even oppressednations.Only two small states in Western Europe are of mixednational composition: Switzerland, whose population ofsomewhat less than four million consists of Germans (69 percent), French (21 per cent) and Italians (8 per cent)—andBelgium (population less than 8 million; probably about 53per cent Flemings and about 47 per cent French). It shouldbe observed, however, that in spite of the high nationalheterogeneity in these countries, there can be no questionof national oppression. In both countries all nationalitiesare equal under the constitution; in Switzerland this equalityis fully implemented in practice; in Belgium there isinequality in relation to the Flemish population, thoughthey make up the majority, but this inequality is insignificantcompared, for instance, with what the Poles have toput up with in Germany, or the Irish in England, not tomention what has become customary in countries outsidethis group. That is why, incidentally, the term “state of