The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-03
Lenin on Imperlalist War

When the German bourgeoisie refer to de-
Tense of the fatherand, to the struggle against
czarsm, to the fight for the freedom of cul-
tural and national development, they lie, be-
cause Prussian Junkerdom with Wilhelm II at
It's head, and the big bourgeoisie of Germany,
have always pursued policy of defending the
czarist monarchy and, whatever the outcome
of the war, they will not fail to direct their
efforts towards its support; they lie because,
in reality, the Austrian bourgeoise has under
taken predatory campaign against Serbia,
the German bourgeoise Expresses Danes Poles,
and Frenchmen Tin Alsace-Lorraine); it leads
an aggressive against Belgium and France
Tor the sake of looting the richer and freer
countries; 1t organized offensive at mo-
ment which seemed most favorable for utilizing
its latest improvements in military technique
and on the eve of the introduction in Russia
of the so-called great military program. SINH
larly, when the French bourgeoisie refer to the
defense of the fatherland, etc., they lie, be-
cause in reality they defend countries that are
backward in capitalist technique and that de-
velop more slowly and because they hire fol-
their billions the Black Hundred gangs of Rus
sian czarism for an aggressive war whose aim
it is to loot Austrian and German lands Neither
of the belligerent groups of nations is behind
the other as far as cruelty and barbarism in
war methods are concerned.
g. 1t is the task of the cial-democracy of
Russia in the first place and with particular
emphasis to conduct mercless and ruthless
struggle against Great-Russian and czarist-
monarchlst chauvlnism, and against the soph-
ism advanced by the Russian liberals, Consti-
acknowledgements, section of the Narodniks
and other bourgeois parties, for the defense
of that chauvinism.
From the point of view of the working class
and the laboring masses of all the peoples of
Russia, by far the lesser evil would be the
defeat of the czars armies and the cars mon
archy, which Expresses Poland, the Ukraine,
and number of other peoples of Russia and
which inflames national hatred in order to in
crease the pressure of Great Russia over the
other nationalities and in order to strengthen
the reaction of the barbarous government of
the cars monarchy.
7. The slogans of socal-democracy must
now be: First, an all-embracing propaganda of
the socialist revolution to be extended also to
the army and the area of military activities;
emphasis to be placed on the necessity of tur-
ming the weapons, not against the brother wage
slaves of other countries, but against the re-
action of the bourgeois governments and parties
IN each country recognition of the urgent ne
cessity of organizing illegal nuclei and groups
in the armies of all nations to conduct such
propaganda in all languages; a merciess strug-
gle against the chauvinism and patriotism of
the phiistines and bourgeoisie of all countries
without exception Against the leaders of the
present international who have betrayed So
cialism, it is imperative to appeal to the rev.
dictionary consciousness of the working masses
who bear the brunt of the war and are in
most cases hostile to chauvinism and oppor-
tunism. Secondly, las one of the immediate
slogans) propaganda in favor of republics in
Germany, Poland, Russia, and other countries
and in favor of transforming all the separate
states of Europe into united republican states
of Europe Thirdly and particularly, struggle
against the czarist monarchy and the Great
Russian, Pan Slavist chauvinisnl, and advocacy
of revolution in Russia as well as of the
liberation and self-determination of the nation
alities oppressed by Russia, coupled with the
immediate slogans of democratic republic,
the confiscation .of the Ian lownefs' lands and
an eight-hour work-day.
Group of Social Democrats, Members of
the Russian Social-Democratic Labor
Party.
Published for the first time in this volume
from manuscript copied by N. K Krupskaya
Uenin's widow.