The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16

VI SOAAAea0C A4AAfON1GN > WVIhs
From the History Of Bolshevism."
a PART from the history of Boil
\ shevism in its earliest stages
the oldest of Lenin's works (The Task
of Russian Social Democracy some
of Plechanov's works, the old "Iskra,"
and especially the struggle carried
on by these against economism-it
may be said that Bolshevism as
broad political current was born al
most on the eve Of the Revolution Of
1905.
The End Party Congress- held in
the summer of 1903, merged in
mighty storm of revolutionary strike
movements, which spread with ever
increasing violence over the whole of
Russia. BoIshevism received its first
baptism Of blood during the first revo-
luton in the year 1905.
But an ever more decisive trial
followed. The Revolution of 1905
was suppressed, the working class
thrown back. The tempo of political
life slowed down. A stiffness as Of
the graveyard reigned. Faint-heart-
edness and apostasy became every
day occurrences. Even the ranks of
the workers were infected with the
canker of bourgeois ideology.
The question as to whether Boil
shes ism would stand this trial, if it
would withstand the fire of counter
revolution, was approximately decided
during the five years between 1906
and 1912.
What new contribution was made
by Bolshevism in the sphere of politi-
cal ideo.ogy? What fresh paths
were opened up by Bolshevism for
international Socialism? OF what
does Comrade Lenin's discovery con-
sist?
If we had to furnish an answer
to these questions in few words, we
should reply as follows:
/. Bolshevism, for the first time
in the history Of international class
warfare, has taken the idea of the
kegemony of the proletariat seri-
ously, and has done this by leading
into practice paths that which Marx
and Engels had merely established
theoretically.
2. 1t is precisely because Bolshe-
vism has opened up the question Of
the proletarian dictatorship as
practical question of the day, that,
for the first time in the history of
International Socialism, it has sought
an ally for the proletariat.
s. And here lies the highest merit
of Bolshevism-i found this ally in
the farmers.
4. In This sense it may be said,
that Bolshevism discovered" the role
of the farmers, for it recognized that
the farmers represent that power. the
winning Of which alone renders it
possible for the proletariat to play
it's great part of emancipation in the
world revolution.
Anyone who has followed the
most important moments in the his
tory of Bolshevism-zfrom the first
important actual political platform
of Bolshevism in the year 1904-5
(Comrade Lenin's pamphlet on 1.-TWO
Kinds of Tactics" dealing lucidly with
the question of the Revolutionary
democratic dictatorship of the pro-
letariat and the peasantry"), to the
idea of the "Smytschka," the alliance
between workers and farmers, an
idea which plays such a leading role
at the present time-anyone who has
followed all this will have arrived at
the conviction that Bolshevism has
spoken it's decisive word precisely in
This sphere.
With regard to the question of the
reciprocal relations between the pro-
letariat and the farmers, the contri-
buttons of Marx and Engels have only
been Of the most general nature, and
they were not in position to give
more. It has been the tux of Pill
sheviszn TO impart living flesh and
blood to these general formulas fur
nished by Marx and Engels. The
development Of the political tactics
of the proletariat in such a way as
to create the possibility-along with
the highest possible formal measures
of equal rights" between proletariat
and farmers-of rendering the farm
ers in actuality the followers of the
proletariat, and at the same time "in-
ducing" the farmers TO play the part
If 1raeorva1 for the n,solQtariat on