The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-31
BY Harry Cannes

The year just closing enters his
tory as one which saw a great and
growing revolutionary upsurge of
the workers throughout the world
against fascisr1. 1t was marked by
the sharpest war dangers, by assas-
sinations which were deliberately
intended to give the spark to the
world imperialist powder-keg. 1t
saw the diseased contortions of the
capitalist powers, writhing in fascist
agony in their endeavors to save
their system from the inevitable on
ward march of the proletarian
world revolution.
Certainly never was the foresight,
the wisdom the revolutionary
science and program of an interna-
tional working class leadership so
fully confirmed as were the deci-
sions and thesis Of the Thirteenth
Plenum of the Communist 1nterna-
tional. which we're made at the
close of 1888.
While the capitalist world plunged
faster into decay, while its prole-
tartan grave diggers again and
again stormed the heavens, in the
Soviet Union, the toilers advanced
from victory to victory.
The thesis Of the Communist In
ternational at the turn of last year
declared that the world was faced
with a new round of wars and rev.
olutions.
The Austrian Struggle
Early in the year, beginning
February II, the Austrian working
class, which had been disarmed in
the struggle by its treacherous So
cial-democratic leaders. undertook
one of the most brilliant and heroic
defensive armed uprisings against
the attempt to institute fascist
regime.
While the Otto Bauers and julius
Deutsches Of the Austrian Socialist
Party were conniving with the Aus
TRAN bourgeoisie to prevent an
armed clash, thereby weakening the
struggles of the workers, the prole-
tariat in Linz and Vienna entered
into the battle. After nearly a
week of fighting. the workers were
defeated. But the aftermath of
the defeat saw a growing destruc-
ton of the illusions that the work
ers still retained in the honeyed
promises of Bauer of a peaceful
democratic development into So
cialisnn.
The anti-Fascist struggles In
Austria were preceded by the Feb
ruary s events in Paris, when the
Fascists, through street attacks,
sought to force a fascist regime into
power. The French workers an
swered by a huge general strike
This was followed by repeated
united front battles formed first
from below, against the fascists.
Out Of these united front strug-
giles, though in some districts it was
carried on together with the leaders
OF the Socialist Party, there grew
the mighty united front of the
Socialist and Communist Party Of
| France.
Unity in Spain
Having learned from the Austrian
events, the Spanish workers or
Oct. 4, joined in a general strike
and revolutionary uprising through.
out the country against the institu.
ton of the Lerroux- Roubles fascist
regime. The fight was carried or
under the leadership of the unitec
front of Socialists, Communists ant
Syndicalists in the Workers ALI
ance, but because of great weak
nesses of the Socialist Party pro
gram, as well as because of anar.
chiSt betrayals, the workers wer,
defeated. More than 5000 worker
were killed. Sixty thousand wer,
imprisoned. In the section of Spail
where the united front had beer
definitely established long befor'
the fighting, Asturias, the worker
gained the victory. They estab
lished workers and peasants re
public, but could not hold OIL
against re combined forces Of tn
capitalists.
Though fascism in Spain was sbl
| to defeat the badly prepared esgnes