The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-30
Lenin on the Coming World War

English miIitarism fans counter
chauvinism." (These lines were
written by Lenin in September,
1870.
Lenin defined the Versailles peace
as "the greatest blow which capital
ism could give itself" But at the
same time, he foresaw that the prattle
about a peaceful revision of the Yer
sailles Treaty is only a comedy
peaceful revision is a comedy Lenir
wrote:
THE victory of the Entente anc
the Versailles peace has thrust back
the great majority Of German ma
tons and put them into position
in which it is impossible to exist. The
Versailles Treaty has created a sit
uation in which Germany cannot
dream for a moment that it will moi
be robbed, that it will not be de-
prived of the means necessary to live
that its population will not be doomed
to starvation and extinction"
The revision, the real revision
which will not substitute one forciblt
peace for another, Lenin expects from
the proletarian revolution:
6. Like the Brest peace for
Germany, the Versailles peace will
end for France and England with a
defeat for the capitalists and vic
tory of the proletariat."
And he expects the real revision
from the strengthening of the Soviet
Union:
"The Soviet Union is a power
which destroys the Versailles Treaty
If Soviet Russia is strengthened the
Versailles Treaty will collapse, as
was nearly the case in July, 1920,
following the first blow by the Red
Army"
1t is but natural that Lenin does
not only indicate the imperialist con-
tradictions, which must lead to g
new world butchery in the camp Of
imperialism, if this is not prevented
by the revolution, but points out al
the same time the new cycle Of in
terventions against the Soviet Union;
1--WE do not only live in one
State, but in a system of States,
and the existence of the Soviet Re-
public side by side with the impe-
riaIist States is inconceivable for
any considerable length of time.
Eventually, one or the other must
win"
Lenin always emphasized the in
evitability Of the attempt on the part
of the imperialist Powers to organize
ever fresh acts of intervention
against the land of Soviets. He
wrote:
'The development Of capitalism
takes place, to the highest degree,
unequaliy in different countries.
1t could not be otherwise, under
conditions of commodity produce
ton. Hence, the irrefutable con-
cIusion: Socialism cannot conquer
simultaneously IN ALL countries.
1t conquers first of all in one or in
group of countries, but the re-
mainder for some time remain
bourgeois or re-bourgeois coun-
tries. This is bound to evoke not
merely a tendency but the direct
endeavOr Of the bourgeoisie of other
countries to crush the victorious
proletariat of the Socialist State.
In such cases, war on our part
would be lawful and just act. 1t
would be war for Socialism, for
the liberation of other peoples from
the bourgeoisie."
The Communist Party of the Sovie
Union and the Communist Interna.
tional, under the leadership of Com.
rade Stain, have worked untiringly
for the realization of this bequest
To win over the workers and peas.
ants of the imperialist Powers, tt
win the confidence of the small op.
pressed countries and the oppressed
nations and countries, to obtain thu
sympathy of the petty bourgeoisit
and the intellectual middle class, t.
utilize the imperialist antagonisms IL
the interest of Socialist construction
and the extension of peace, of thu
breathing space-this has been, anc
still is, the meaning of the policy o.
the Soviet Union. Up to now, sht
has been able to carry out this policy
because she was strong and powerful
because Socialist industrialization anc
the Socialist reorganization of agri.
culture have tremendously increased
the power and force of the Soviet
Union, because the peace policy o.
the Soviet Union was linked up with
the realization of the First Five Veal
Plan, and the beginning of the real
ization and carrying out of the Sec
ond Five-Year Plan.