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Special pages :
On the Conference of Left Socialist and Communist Organizations
| Author(s) | Leon Trotsky |
|---|---|
| Written | 31 August 1933 |
(held at Paris, August 27-28, 1933)
1. The conference of fourteen parties, organizations and groups of the most heterogeneous character and tendencies is the result of the deepest crisis of the socialist and communist movements, or, more exactly, the fruit of the collapse not only of the Second but — on another historical level and due to other causes — also of the Third International.
2. There can be, it is clear, no thought of the building of a new International by organizations that have profoundly different and even opposite principled bases. The Left Opposition participated in die conference under its own banner with the aim of assisting in the principled separation from reformists and centrists and of drawing together homogeneous revolutionary organizations.
3. The only tangible result of the conference, but an exceptionally important one, was the declaration signed by four organizations (ILO, SAP, two Holland parties: RSP and OSP), which represents the first open step in the direction of the building of a new International on the principled foundations of Marx and Lenin.
4. The plenum clearly realizes that the four named organizations of different political origin cannot attain complete unity on fundamental principles, tactical and organizational methods within a few days. At any rate, the attained result gives sufficient cause to believe that the future work of the organizations on the programmatic manifesto and tactical documents will make it possible not only to assure the necessary unanimity but also to attract under the banner of the new International a number of revolutionary organizations and factions.
5. The plenum considers it necessary immediately to begin the elaboration of the programmatic documents and to create a technical secretariat that could, while yet in the process of editing the manifesto and the resolutions, enter into contact with sympathizing organizations so that their opinion, suggestions and criticism may find a reflection in the text of the programmatic documents.
6. The plenum instructs its representative in the programmatic commission to be guided by the basic ideas expressed in the declaration of the Bolshevik-Leninists and made public at the Paris conference of August 27-28.
7. With regard to the decisions adopted by the heterogeneous majority of the conference and permeated through and through by this heterogeneity, the plenum of the Bolshevik-Leninists does not find it possible to take political responsibility for these decisions.* Insofar as the adopted decisions may lead to this or that practical action (for example, boycott of Hitler Germany), the Left Opposition is ready, according to circumstances, to take an active part in actions that correspond to its general principles.
On the basis of practical activities, the Left Opposition will always aim at a closer drawing together with parties and organizations nearest to it Only under this condition can a broad and courageous policy of the united front for immediate political aims help the work for the building of a new communist International.
The plenum calls upon all sections of the Left Opposition to realize fully the historic importance of the step made. Our immediate task now consists in giving the Declaration of Four the widest possible publicity in communist, socialist, trade-union and, especially, youth ranks. Through newspapers, leaflets, posters, in speeches and discussion, it is necessary to popularize and to explain the meaning of the declaration. Without sparing any effort, it is necessary to rouse the proletarian vanguard to the building of the new International.
The declaration of the Bolshevik-Leninists made public at the conference ends with the words: "Our revolutionary responsibility is immeasurably great Let our creative work rise to the height of this responsibility." Let us fully realize that these words refer first of all to the Bolshevik-Leninists themselves.
* In taking this position, the plenum only makes use of the right that the conference granted to all the participating parties until October 15, namely, to ratify or, on the contrary, to reject the resolutions of the conference.