The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16
The Situation in Germany and the Communist Party

IL arose from Cue IelaJlOHS OF
power in the working class exist
ing at the given moment. 1t can
finally be traced back to the fact
that a great portion of the work
ing class, under the paralyzing in
fiuence of the Right and Left Social
Democracy, was no longer prepared
to defend the November democracy
against Fascism, that it is not yet
prepared to fight for the proletarian
dictatorship. Social Democracy,
long since dead as an active force
IN the cause Of the working class,
has shown itself to be still an
enormous hindering force, in other
words, Communism has not yet sue
ceeded in drawing the majority of
the working class away from the
influence of Social Democracy. If
any fault was committed by the
Communist Party it was in under
estimating Social Democracy as
hindering force.
The central task of the Commun-
list Party is therefore the complete
political and organizatory liquida-
ton of Social Democracy, and the
seizure of the Trade Unions out Of
the hands of the Social Democratic
leaders. Upon these tasks the Com
munist Party will concentrate its en-
tire force. And only when this task
has been solved will the conditions
be ripe for enforcing a decision.
In this connection, it is quite clear
that the chief attack must be dl-
rected against the so-called Left
Social Democrats. With their rad
zeal phraseology, with their oppo-
sition to Fascism in words, and
submission to it in deeds, with their
strenuous clinging to the illusions OF
bourgeois democracy and Parliament
arianism they are helpers of the Fas-
cist Dictatorship.
The struggle against Social De-
mocracy and against Fascism will
be conducted by the propaganda OF
proletarian dictatorship and of So
cialism as opposed to the Fascist
Dictatorship. The Party will con-
tinue to propagate with the greatest
tenacity the idea of the armed up
rising among the masses and to pre-
pare for it by organization and tech
MICS. The Party now, after the vic
tory of Fascism over the No
vember Republic, has eliminated
from its program the propaganda Of
those demands which are connected
with the democratic institutions and
which should lead to the proletari-
an dictatorship, such as the slogan
of the Workers and Peasants Gov
the control of production. These de-
eminent. the seizure of mines and
the control of production. These de-
mands have become irrelevant. for
the democratic institutions no longer
exist with which they were asso-
ciated. The actions of the Party
must, of course, be connected with
the daily needs of the working
class. With the present wholesale
unemployment and short-time, strikes
come little into consideration; so
much the greater role therefore will
mass demonstrations, party peace
full and party armed, play.
Under the existing strike illegal
itv it is necessary for the Party to
base its chief organization work in
the workshops. In addition to this
it must set up the closest connec-
ton between the workers still en-
ployed and the unemployed. I'm
der the blows of the white coun-
ter-revolution the Party will become
the iron cOhort of the revolution,
which it could not become during the
time when it was legal.
The pro.etarian revolution in Ger
many has not taken the rapid course
which many had expected. Instead
of rising out of the ruins of the
bourgeois democracy, like the Rus
sian October Revolution, it finds
itself in a position when it must
organize its victory under the let
tiers of Fascist dictatorship. Its
victory, if it comes more slowly
will, therefore, be all the more COM
plete. The great capitalist dictator
ship is. so to speak, the last at
tempt to maintain the capitalist
power. In Russia the October vic
tory was, so to speak, the result
of a surprise attack. The Russian
bourgeoisie only modified its re-
serves after its October defeat. The