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

NOTES381111213of the Zimmerwald movement, it would continue to disseminate itsviews and conduct independent work internationally. It electeda Bureau, which included Lenin, Zinoviev and Radek, and publishedits own organ, Vorbote (see Note No. 8).The Bolsheviks, the only ones to take a correct and consistentlyinternationalist position, were the leading force in the ZimmerwaldLeft. Lenin combated Radek’s opportunist vacillations and criticisedthe mistakes of other members of the group.The Zimmerwald Left became the rallying point for internationalistelements in the world Social-Democratic movement(see also Note No. 36). p. 14This meeting, held in Berne, February 5-9, 1916, was attended by22 representatives of internationalist socialists in Germany, Russia,Italy, Norway, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Rumaniaand several more countries. The composition of the meetingwas indicative of the changed alignment of forces in favour of theLeft, though most of the delegates, as at the original ZimmerwaldConference, were Centrists.The meeting adopted an appeal to all affiliated parties and groups(Rundschreiben an alle angeschlossen Parteien und Gruppen), inwhich were included, as a result of pressure from the Bolsheviksand other Left forces, amendments in line with the ZimmerwaldLeft policy. The appeal condemned socialist participation in bourgeoisgovernments, denounced the slogan of “fatherland defence”in an imperialist war and approval of war credits. It stressed theneed to support the labour movement and prepare for mass revolutionaryactions against the imperialist war. However, the appealwas inconsistent, since it did not call for a break with social-chauvinismand opportunism. Not all of Lenin’s amendments were adopted.The Zimmerwald Lefts declared that though they did not considerthe appeal satisfactory in all its points, they would vote forit as a step forward compared with the decisions of the first ZimmerwaldConference. p. 14Rabochaya Mysl (Workers’ Thought)—a newspaper publishedby a group of Economists in Russia from October 1897 to December1902. A critique of the paper as representative of the Russian varietyof international opportunism will be found in Lenin’s What IsTo Be Done? p. 16Prosveshcheniye (Enlightenment)—a monthly theoretical, legalBolshevik magazine, published in St. Petersburg from December1911 to June 1914. Its circulation reached 5,000 copies. While inParis, and later in Cracow and Poronin, Lenin directed the magazine,edited articles published in it and regularly corresponded withthe members of the editorial board. Among his own articles publishedin Prosveshcheniye are the following: “Fundamental Problemsof the Election Campaign”, “The Three Sources and Three ComponentParts of Marxism”, “Critical Remarks on the National Question”,“The Right of Nations to Self-Determination”, “Disruption