Leon Trotsky
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LEON TROTSKY: 1936- 3RD International After Lenin—table of contents Leon Trotsky's The Third International After Lenin The Draft Program of the Communist International: A Criticism of Fundamentals Leon Trotsky wrote the two documents that comprise The Third International After Lenin in 1928, while involuntarily exiled in Alma Ata. The documents were meant to be used for discussion at the Sixth World Congress of the Communist International. Trotsky's work—a sharp criticism against the opposing program supporting "socialism in one country"—was never distributed to or discussed by the main body at the Congress. The parts of it made available to a committee, but then recalled, were smuggled out of the country by James Cannon, a delegate of the American Communist Party. Cannon—subsequently expelled from the CP—and his supporters formed a Trotskyist organization and first published his smuggled sections in their newspaper, The Militant. Shortly thereafter, it was published in book form. In the introduction to the first edition, (1929) Cannon wrote, "The publication of this masterpiece of Bolshevik literature, written by the foremost living leader of world communism at the height of his powers, is a revolutionary event of great importance....". The on-line version of The Third International After Lenin -- "The Draft Program of the Communist International: A Criticism of Fundamentals" and Trotsky's letter "What Now"—has been divided into fourteen sections of approximately equal lengths. Transcribed and HTML markup for the Trotsky Internet Archive, now a subarchive of the Marxist writers' Internet Archive, by Sally Ryan in 1997. Table of Contents The Program of the International Revolution or a Program of Socialism in One Country? Part 1 Preface 1. The General Structure of the Program 2. The United States and Europe 3. The Slogan of the Soviet United States of Europe 4. The Criterion of Internationalism http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1928-3rd/index.htm (1 of 3) [06/06/2002 15:10:14] LEON TROTSKY: 1936- 3RD International After Lenin—table of contents Part 2 5. The Theoretical Tradition of the Party 6. Where is the "Social Democratic Deviation"? 7. The Dependence of the U.S.S.R. on World Economy Part 3 8. The Contradiction Between the Productive Forces and the National Boundaries as the Cause of the Reactionary Utopian Theory of "Socialism in One Country" 9. The Question Can Be Solved Only on the Arena of World Revolution 10. The Theory of Socialism in One Country as a Series of Social Patriotic Blunders 2. Strategy and Tactics in the Imperialist Epoch Part 1 1. The Complete Bankruptcy of the Central Chapter of the Draft Program 2. The Fundamental Peculiarities Inherent in the Strategy of the Revolutionary Epoch and the Role of the Party 3. The Third Congress and the Question of the Permanence of the Revolutionary Process According to Lenin and According to Bukharin 4. The German Events of 1923 and the Lessons of October Part 2 5. The Basic Strategical Mistake of the Fifth Congress 6. The "Democratic-Pacifist Era" and Fascism 7. The Right Leaven of Ultra-Left Policy Part 3 8. The Period of Right-Centrist Down-Sliding 9. The Maneuverist Character of Revolutionary Strategy 10. The Strategy of Civil War Part 4 11.The Question of the Internal Party Regime 12. The Causes of the Defeat of the Opposition and its Perspectives 3. Summary and Perspectives of the Chinese Revolution: Its Lessons for the Countries of the Orient and for the Whole of the Comintern Part 1 1. On the Nature of the Colonial Bourgeoise 2. The Stages of the Chinese Revolution Part 2 3. Democratic Dictatorship or a Dictatorship of the Proletariat? 4. Adventurism as the Product of Opportunism http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1928-3rd/index.htm (2 of 3) [06/06/2002 15:10:14] LEON TROTSKY: 1936- 3RD International After Lenin—table of contents 5. Soviets and Revolution Part 3 6. The Question of the Character of the Coming Chines Revolution 7. On the Reactionary Idea of "Two-Class Workers' and Peasants' Parties" for the Orient 8. The Advantages Secured From the Peasants' International Must Be Probed Conclusion 4. What Now? Part 1 1. The Aim of This Letter 2. Why Has No Congress of the Comintern Been Convoked For More Than Four Years? Part 2 3. The Policy of 1923-1927 4. Radicalization of the Masses and Questions of Leadership Part 3 5. How the Current Swing Toward the Left in the C.P.S.U. Was Prepared 6. One Step Forward, Half a Step Backward Part 4 7. A Maneuver or a New Course? 8. The Social Basis of the Present Crisis 9. The Party Crisis Go to Part 1 of The Thrid International After Lenin The Leon Trotsky The Marxist writers' Internet Archive Internet Archive To write to the Director of The Marxist writers' Internet Archive click here To write to the Director of the Trotsky Internet Archive click here http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1928-3rd/index.htm (3 of 3) [06/06/2002 15:10:14] The Trotsky Archive http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/index.htm [06/06/2002 15:10:19] Marxists Internet Archive | | Català | Cesky | | Dansk | Deutsch | Español | Euskara | Français | Ellinika | Bahasa Indonesia | Italiano | Hebrew | | Nederlands | Nihongo | Norsk | Polski | Português | Pycckuú | Român | Srpskohrvatski | Suomi | Svenska | Türkçe | Search | Text Index | Contact Us | Volunteer! | Marxist Archive on CD! Please use a marxists.org server close to where you are: Asia | Europe | U.S. All material within these Archives, unless noted otherwise, is protected by the Free Documentation License http://www.marxists.org/index.htm [06/06/2002 15:10:24] LEON TROTSKY: 1936- 3RD International After Lenin—Section 1, Part 1 Leon Trotsky's The Third International After Lenin The Draft Program of the Communist International: A Criticism of Fundamentals Transcribed and HTML markup for the Trotsky Internet Archive, now a subarchive of the Marxist writers' Internet Archive, by Sally Ryan in 1996. 1. The Program of the International Revolution or a Program of Socialism in One Country? Part 1 Preface 1. The General Structure of the Program 2. The United States and Europe 3. The Slogan of the Soviet United States of Europe 4. The Criterion of Internationalism THE DRAFT PROGRAM, that is, the fundamental document which is to determine the entire activity of the Comintern for many years to come, was published only a few weeks prior to the convocation of the Congress that is being held four years after the Fifth Congress. This tardiness in publication cannot be justified by reference to the fact that the first draft had been published even prior to the Fifth Congress, because several years have since elapsed. The second draft differs from the first in its entire structure and it endeavors to sum up the developments of the last few years. Nothing could be more rash and precipitate than to adopt this draft at the Sixth Congress, a draft which bears obvious traces of hasty, even slipshod work, without any preliminary serious and scientific criticism in the press or an extensive discussion in all parties of the Comintern [Communist International]. During the few days at our disposal between the receipt of the draft and the dispatch of this letter, we could dwell only upon a few of the most vital problems which must be treated in the program. Due to lack of time, we have been compelled to leave entirely without consideration a number of the most important problems touched upon in the draft which are perhaps less burning today but which may become of exceptional importance tomorrow. This does not at all imply that it is less necessary to criticize them than those sections of the draft to which the present work is devoted. http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1928-3rd/ti01.htm (1 of 13) [06/06/2002 15:10:30] LEON TROTSKY: 1936- 3RD International After Lenin—Section 1, Part 1 We must also add that we are compelled to work on the new draft under conditions which make it impossible to obtain indispensable information. Enough to mention the fact that we were unable to procure even the first draft of the program, and in dealing with it, as well as in two or three other cases, we have had to rely upon our memory. It goes without saying that all quotations have been taken from the original sources and checked carefully. 1. The Program of the International Revolution or a Program of Socialism in One Country? THE MOST important question on the agenda of the Sixth Congress is the adoption of a program. The nature of the latter may for a long time determine and fix the physiognomy of the International. The importance of a program does not lie so much in the manner in which it formulates general theoretical conceptions (in the last analysis, this boils down to a question of "codification," i.e., a concise exposition of the truths and generalizations which have been firmly and decisively acquired); it is to a much greater degree a question of drawing up the balance of the world economic and political experiences of the last period, particularly of the revolutionary struggles of the last five years -- so rich in events and mistakes. For the next few years, the fate of the Communist International -- in the literal sense of the word -- depends upon the manner in which these events, mistakes, and controversies are interpreted and judged in the program.[Return to Top of Page] 1. The General Structure of the Program In our epoch, which is the epoch of imperialism, i.e., of world economy and world politics under the hegemony of finance capital, not a single communist party can establish its program by proceeding solely or mainly from conditions and tendencies of developments in its own country.