Onorato Damen (1893-1979) was among the revolutionary Marxists inspired by the Russian Revolution to split from Social Democracy. He was a member of the Communist Party of Italy at its foundation in 1921 and remained true to its revolutionary principles, even as soviet Russia degenerated into state capitalism and the Communist International became a tool of Russian foreign policy in the run-up to the second imperialist world war. By the summer of 1921 Damen was the target of Fascist hit squads. He was obliged to leave Italy for France where he worked with the young Communist Party (PCF) and edited the Italian version of L'Humanité until his return to Italy in 1924. Elected parliamentary deputy for Florence, he thus enjoyed some immunity from arrest. At the same time Antonio Gramsci also returned to Italy. Since May 1922 Gramsci had been in Russia, where he was persuaded of the need to install a ‘mixed’ leadership on the PCd’I after Bordiga’s arrest in 1923. Damen was critical of this manoeuvre to establish a so- called Centrist leadership (notably Togliatti) on the Italian party and his worst fears were soon realised during the crisis provoked by the murder of the socialist deputy, Matteotti. Gramsci’s bungling united front tactic of an ‘Aventine secession’ of deputies from parliament undermined the development of a more effective political resistance amongst the working class on the ground. Damen and others on the Left of the Party (who were still the majority of the membership) formed the Committee of Intesa in an attempt to combat the capitulation of the party under Gramsci’s and Togliatti’s leadership to ‘Bolshevisation’, or subservience to the Russian party. In 1926 he was arrested, along with Gramsci, Bordiga and hundreds of PCd’I members. Throughout Mussolini’s dictatorship he survived between prison camps and house arrest. In 1929, whilst in prison, he was expelled from Togliatti’s Communist Party for ‘Leftism’. Ten years later, when Mussolini was reduced to a Nazi puppet and Italy became a battleground for both imperialisms, Damen quickly moved to re-establish a revolutionary political organisation – the Internationalist Communist Party (PCInt). It condemned both sides in the war as imperialist fronts and called for the working class to abandon nationalism and pursue its own interests. This made Damen the target of Togliatti’s hit men whose Russian-backed Italian Communist Party accused him of being in the pay of the Gestapo. He survived this period of turbulence and lived to see the transformation of the politically arid time of the Cold War and the post-war boom turn into a new search for a revolutionary solution as capitalism’s inevitable economic crisis came back to haunt it. As ever, he was ready to encourage political discussion amongst internationalists, from the International Correspondence Committee he promoted in 1958 to the series of international conferences of the Communist Left which eventually began shortly before his death in the late 1970s. Onorato Damen (1893-1979) was among the revolutionary Marxists inspired by the Russian Revolution to split from Social Democracy. He was a member of the Communist Party of Italy at its foundation in 1921 and remained true to its Onoratorevolutionary Damen principles, (1893-1979) even wasas soviet among Russia the degeneratedrevolutionary into Marxists state capitalism inspired byand the the Russian Communist Revolution International to split frombecame Social a tool Democracy. of Russian He foreign was a policy member in the of therun-up Communist to the second Party ofimperialist Italy at its world foundation war. By in the 1921 summer and remained of 1921 Damen true to was its revolutionarythe target of Fascistprinciples, hit squads.even as sovietHe was Russia obliged degenerated to leave Italy into for state France capitalism where Gramsci andhe worked the Communist with the Internationalyoung Communist became Party a tool (PCF) of andRussian edited foreign the Italian policy version in the run-upof L'Humanité to the second until his imperialist return to worldItaly in war. 1924. By Electedthe summer parliamentary of 1921 Damen deputy was for theFlorence, target heof thusFascist enjoyed hit squads. some immunityHe was obliged from arrest. to leave At theItaly same for France time Antonio where heGramsci worked also with returned the young to Italy. Communist Since May Party 1922 (PCF) Gramsci and editedhad been the in Italian Russia, version where ofhe L'Humanité was persuaded until hisof the return need to toItaly install in 1924. a ‘mixed’ Elected leadership parliamentary on the deputyPCd’I after for Florence,Bordiga’s he arrest thus in enjoyed 1923. Damensome immunity was critical from of arrest.this manoeuvre At the same to establish time Antonio a so- Gramscicalled Centrist also returned leadership to Italy. (notably Since Togliatti)May 1922 onGramsci the Italian had been party in Russia,and his where worst hefears was were persuaded soon realised of the during need tothe install crisis aprovoked ‘mixed’ leadership by the murder on the of thePCd’I socialist after Bordiga’sdeputy, Matteotti. arrest in 1923. Gramsci’s Damen bungling was critical united of front this tactic manoeuvre of an ‘Aventine to establish secession’ a so- calledof deputies Centrist from leadership parliament (notably undermined Togliatti) the on development the Italian party of a moreand his effective worst fearspolitical were resistance soon realised amongst during the the working crisis provokedclass on the by ground. the murder Damen of the and socialist others deputy,on the LeftMatteotti. of the Gramsci’sParty (who bungling were still united the majority front tactic of theof an membership) ‘Aventine secession’ formed ofthe deputies Committee from of parliament Intesa in an undermined attempt to the combat development the capitulation of a more of theeffective party politicalunder Gramsci’s resistance and amongst Togliatti’s the workingleadership class to on ‘Bolshevisation’, the ground. Damen or subservience and others between onto the LeftRussian of the party. Party In (who 1926 were he was still arrested, the majority along of with the membership)Gramsci, Bordiga formed and thehundreds Committee of PCd’I of Intesa members. in an attemptThroughout to combat Mussolini’s the capitulationdictatorship ofhe the survived party Marxism underbetween Gramsci’s prison campsand Togliatti’s and house leadership arrest. In 1929,to ‘Bolshevisation’, whilst in prison, or he subservience was expelled tofrom the Togliatti’s Russian party. Communist In 1926 Party he forwas ‘Leftism’. arrested, Ten along years with later, Gramsci, when Mussolini Bordiga and was and hundredsreduced to of a PCd’INazi puppet members. and ItalyThroughout became aMussolini’s battleground dictatorship for both imperialisms,he survived ISBN: 978-0-9935805-2-9 between prison camps and house arrest. In 1929, whilst in prison, he was expelled Damen quickly moved to re-establish a revolutionary political organisation – the fromInternationalist Togliatti’s Communist Communist Party Party for (PCInt). ‘Leftism’. It condemned Ten years later, both when sides Mussolini in the war was as Idealism reducedimperialist to afronts Nazi puppet and called and forItaly the became working a battleground class to abandon for both nationalism imperialisms, and Damenpursue quicklyits own movedinterests. to re-establishThis made Damen a revolutionary the target political of Togliatti’s organisation hit men whose– the InternationalistRussian-backed Communist Italian Communist Party (PCInt). Party accusedIt condemned him of both being sides in the in thepay war of the as imperialistGestapo. He fronts survived and thiscalled period for theof turbulence working class and livedto abandon to see the nationalism transformation and pursueof the politically its own interests. arid time This of themade Cold Damen War and the the target post-war of Togliatti’s boom hitturn men into whose a new Russian-backedsearch for a revolutionary Italian Communist solution asParty capitalism’s accused inevitablehim of being economic in the paycrisis of came the Gestapo.back to haunt He survived it. As ever, this periodhe was of ready turbulence to encourage and lived political to see discussion the transformation amongst ofinternationalists, the politically arid from time the of International the Cold War Correspondence and the post-war Committee boom turn he into promoted a new searchin 1958 for to a therevolutionary series of international solution as capitalism’s conferences inevitable of the Communist economic crisisLeft whichcame backeventually to haunt began it. As shortly ever, he before was readyhis death to encourage in the late political1970s. discussion amongst internationalists, from the International Correspondence Committee he promoted Onorato Damen in 1958 to the series of international conferences of the Communist Left which eventually began shortly before his death in the late 1970s. ISBN: 978-0-9935805-2-9 ISBN: 978-0-9935805-2-9 £7.50 ISBN: 978-0-9935805-2-9 Prometheus Publications GRAMSCI: BETWEEN MARXISM AND IDEALISM by ONORATO DAMEN An analysis by a revolutionary who was part of the earliest opposition to Stalinism Prometheus Publications Published by Prometheus Publications BM CWO LONDON WC1N 3XX email:[email protected] http://www.leftcom.org ISBN: 978-0-9935805-2-9 CONTENTS Foreword 5 Preface 9 Marxism and Gramscism: Part One 16 Part Two 32 From Imola to Livorno, Building the New Communist Party 66 Gramsci’s Leadership of the Party 73 The