Letter to the Editors, Osvobozhdenie, October 17, 1931

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Tasks of the Left Opposition in Bulgaria

To the Editors, Osvobozhdenie

Dear Comrades:

I have received your letter of October 9, and I am very pleased that the oppositional press, that is to say, real Marxist thought, has not died in Bulgaria. We could not and cannot expect very rapid development, for although our tendency is the direct continuation of Bolshevism, the thread of continuity has been broken for a number of years, ravages have taken place in the consciousness of the world proletarian vanguard, and terrible prejudices have been sown, while all this work is formally connected with the bureaucratic apparatus of the Soviet Union, with the authority of the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Party, etc. What we have to do is open a way through a heap of ruins and rubbish. For that we need firmness and tenacity, and consequently and above all — unshakable faith in the correctness of the ideas for which we are fighting.

The present epoch of unprecedented world crisis and deep convulsions will not unfold without leaving its mark on the bureaucratic and centrist Comintern. Whether the proletariat will emerge victorious or whether it will suffer a series of heavy defeats in the immediate future, the centrist leadership of the bureaucracy will disclose its full bankruptcy. That is why it is important for the Marxist wing of the Comintern, the Bolshevik-Leninist faction, to stand vigilantly at its post and critically analyze the course of events and the policy of the official party.

It is essential for the Left Opposition in Bulgaria to approach the official party as closely as possible, and to penetrate it as deeply as possible. The growth of the official party presents the Opposition with great tasks. But only on the basis of great tasks will the Bolshevik-Leninists be able, step by step, to prove the correctness of their principled position to the best elements of the party. And with this aim all forces must strive to approach the party masses, without of course sacrificing their principled position.

Osvobozhdenie produces a very lively impression. Unfortunately, lately I have been overloaded with work and cannot give any more detailed comments.

I have not given anyone permission for the Bulgarian edition of my History of the Russian Revolution. Evidently this is open pirate publishing, if in this case we have to do with a bourgeois publishing house. I do not know whether Bulgaria is covered by the international literary convention. If it is, I have the full right to demand from the publisher not only the cessation of the sale of the unauthorized translation, but also compensation for damages and losses. I would of course gladly assign both the sum for the latter and the translation rights to your group. It goes without saying that I shall not hand over any of my books or articles to anyone in Bulgaria without previously securing your agreement.

Comradely greetings,

L. Trotsky