Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

80V. I. LENINwar is a necessary product of capitalism, and that the proletariatcannot renounce participation in revolutionarywars, for such wars are possible, and have indeed occurredin capitalist societies. He did not understand, on the otherhand, that the possibility of “answering” a war dependson the nature of the crisis created by that war. The choiceof the means of struggle depends on these conditions; moreover,the struggle must consist (and here we have the thirdmisconception, or shallow thinking of Hervéism) not simplyin replacing war by peace, but in replacing capitalism bysocialism. The essential thing is not merely to preventwar, but to utilise the crisis created by war in order to hastenthe overthrow of the bourgeoisie. However, underlyingall these semi-anarchist absurdities of Hervéism there wasone sound and practical purpose: to spur the socialist movementso that it will not be restricted to parliamentarymethods of struggle alone, so that the masses will realisethe need for revolutionary action in connection with thecrises which war inevitably involves, so that, lastly, amore lively understanding of international labour solidarityand of the falsity of bourgeois patriotism will be spreadamong the masses.Bebel’s resolution (moved by the Germans and coincidingin all essentials with Guesde’s resolution) had oneshortcoming—it failed to indicate the active tasks of theproletariat. This made it possible to read Bebel’s orthodoxpropositions through opportunist spectacles, and Vollmarwas quick to turn this possibility into a reality.That is why Rosa Luxemburg and the Russian Social-Democratic delegates moved their amendments to Bebel’sresolution. These amendments (1) stated that militarismis the chief weapon of class oppression; (2) pointed out theneed for propaganda among the youth; (3) stressed thatSocial-Democrats should not only try to prevent war frombreaking out or to secure the speediest termination of warsthat have already begun, but should utilise the crisis createdby the war to hasten the overthrow of the bourgeoisie.The subcommission (elected by the Anti-MilitarismCommission) incorporated all these amendments in Bebel’sresolution. In addition, Jaurès made this happy suggestion:instead of enumerating the methods of struggle