LENINISM TROTSKYISM BY G. E. ZINOVIEV I. STALIN L. KAMENEV PRICE 20 CENTS r PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 1925 FOR THE Workers Party of America BY THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. WASHINGTON BLVD., CHICAGO, ILL. LENINISM OR TROTSKYISM BY G. E. ZINOVIEV I. STALIN L. KAMENEV PRICE 20 CENTS PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 1925 FOR THE Workers Party of America BY THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. WASHINGTON BLVD.. CHICAGO. ILL. pllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllfllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH | READY! I 1 To Fill Every Need of the American 1 1 Working Class for 1 | INFORMATION | | The Daily Worker Publishing Co. | | 1113 W. Washington Blvd., | | Chicago, 111. i S Publishers of: H 1 THE DAILY WORKER, contains the news of the world | = of labor. It is the world's only Communist daily appearing j| j£ in English. It is the only daily in America that fights for the = = interests of the working class. 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All = S the classics of the revolutionary movement are available, = S and also many pamphlets and books of interest to all workers. s S A new and complete catalogue, which will be sent on request 5 S is now available. = ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim^ JUST PUBLISHED! THE WHITE TERRORISTS ASK FOR MERCY A Comparison of the Persecution of Revolutionists by the White Terror and the Treatment of Counter- Revolutionists in Soviet Russia. FEBRUARY, 1925 PRICE 5 CENTS 10 or More 3 Cents PUBLISHED FOR The Workers Party of America BY THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. WASHINGTON BLVD., CHICAGO, ILL. Nothing Is Bigger Than the Party of Lenin A PREFACE The controversy between Trotskyism position that Comrade Trotsky takes and Leninism is not a new thing is the very opposite of what one would in the Russian Communist movement, expect. Very guardedly, very cau- It is nearly as old as the struggle be- tiously, in a sort of a roundabout way, tween Bolshevism and Menshevism, Comrade Trotsky attempts to convey and forms an important part in the the impression that it was not Trot- history of the revolutionary move- skyism that was proven wrong by his- ment of Russia. For over two decades tory but Leninism. Lenin and the Bolshevik Party waged Now, this is a very serious proposi- a determined struggle against the po- tion. If the events of the Russian litical outlook and conceptions of revolution have confirmed the correct- Comrade Trotsky and his followers, ness of Trotsky's position as against And it was only by defeating ideolog- the Leninist position, which is the po- ically Trotskyism as well as Menshe- sition of the Russian Communist (Bol- vism that the party of Lenin sue- shevik) Party, then why doesn't Trot- ceeded in finally establishing itself as sky say so openly and frankly? Why the only party of the workers and doesn't he demand in so many words poor peasants of Russia. a fundamental revision of the princi- Comrade Trotsky joined the Bol- pies of the Communist International shevik Party on the eve of the Nov- which are based upon Leninism and ember revolution. In doing so he not Trotskyism? tacitly acknowledged the fact that in Since 1903 Lenin and the whole the struggle between Trotskyism and Bolshevist fraction of the social-demo- Leninism the latter was proven cor- cratic labor party of Russia have been rect. This was how the Russian fighting Trotsky on every important party and later on the entire Com- problem that arose in the revolution- munist International interpreted and ary struggle of Russia. Trotsky's po- understood Trotsky's joining the sition between 1903-1905 was a sort party. Unfortunately, however, Com- of a middle of the road position be- rade Trotsky himself did not so under- tween the Mensheviks and Bolshe- stand his coming into the party. As viks. This center position, according was proven by later events, and par- to Lenin, was always helpful to the ticularly by his recently published Mensheviks and detrimental to the book "1917" and the preface to it, the Bolsheviks. In 1905 Lenin developed the historic vist guard along the road of Lenin- slogan of the revolutionary dictator- ism as against Trotskyism, ship of the workers and peasants. Comrade Trotsky's struggles in the As against this slogan Trotsky devel- Russian party are a constant danger oped the theory of "permanent revo- to the integrity of the Communist lution" with the slogan: Without a movement. czar but a workers' government. The discussion in the Russian party These were two diametrically opposed has proven that the whole party is conceptions of the nature of the Rus- solidly opposed to Comrade Trotsky's sian revolution and the tactics to be attempt to revise the Leninist basis pursued by the revolutionary party of of our movement. The same is the the working class. Lenin never made position taken by most of the parties peace with Trotsky's theory of of the Communist International, "permanent" revolution nor with his Naturally, the enemies of the Rus- slogan of a purely workers' govern- sian revolution and of the working ment. One of the basic principles of class generally are attempting to ex- Lenin was that the revolution in Rus- ploit this controversy (which, by the sia could succeed only thru an alii- way, is now closed and settled), to ance between the workers and peas- undermine the Soviet government and ants, led by the working class thru the prestige of the Communist Inter- its revolutionary party (the Commun national. To this we say: Let them ist Party), and expressed in the slo- go to it. If they can derive any com- gan: The revolutionary dictatorship fort from the way in which this con- of the workers and peasants, Lenin- troversy had been settled, the pleas- ism and Trotskyism never fought ure is all theirs. each other in a battle more bitter and Really, what are the most outstand- more fruitful than on this issue, ing facts in the outcome of this con- Since the revolution of 1917, this con- troversy as far as the non-Communist ception of a revolutionary alliance be- worker is concerned? They are tween the workers and poor peasants these. First, that the International became a fundamental principle of the Communist movement will not be Communist International—a principle separated from the proven revolution- which is applicable to every country ary path of Leninism. Second, that no with a large peasant or farming popu- man in the Communist movement is lation. On the other hand, Trotsky's big enough to override the will of the theory of permanent revolution, which movement. he still believes to be correct, is a The three articles by the Comrades complete negation of the above Len- Zinoviev, Stalin and Kamenev, pub- inist principle. The conflict between lished in this pamphlet, present an Leninism and Trotskyism on this point exhaustive treatment of the issues in- is irreconcilable. volved in the struggle between Lenin- From the recent discussion in the ism and Trotskyism. The study of Russian Communist Party, the follow- these issues will give the reader a ing facts become outstanding: deep insight into the fundamentals of Comrade Trotsky has never relin- Leninism and of the Communist In- quished his old position. ternational. It will enable the Ameri- He still believes in the correctness can workers to understand and thus of his theories as against the teach- come closer to the greatest move- ings of Leninsm. ments in human history—the Russian He will not make peace with the revolution and the Communist Inter- fact that the Russian Communist national. Party and the entire Communist In- ALEXANDER B ITT EL MAN. ternational are led by the old Bolshe- Chicago, Feb. 8, 1925. Bolshevism or Trotskyism? Where the Line of Trotskyism is Leading By G. Zinoviev Some Facts Regarding Brest and the First Party Conference after October. The Differences of Opinion in October and My Mistake at That Time. To replace Leninism by Trotskyism, events, some weeks afterwards, at the that is the task which Comrade Trot- commencement of the disputes over sky has set out to accomplish. In this the Brest peace, Vladimir Ilyitch, as respect he had already in 1922, in his the whole C. C. and all the leading book, "1905," attempted "to attain circles of the party are aware, regard- something by allusions." So long as ed these differences of opinion as com- Comrade Lenin held the threads in his pletely liquidated. hand, Comrade Trotsky decided not to In his speech on "Trotskyism or undertake a direct attack. Comrade Leninism," Comrade Stalin very right- Trotsky has now obviously decided ly remarks that in the September-Oc- that "the moment has arrived." Ac- tober period as a result of a number cording to all the rules of strategy, of circumstances, the revolution en- before one strikes the decisive blow, deavored to carry out every step un- one must prepare the way by artillery der the form of defense.