The rise and fall of the Communist International¶
Core Argument¶
The Third International, born from the collapse of capitalism in the First World War and the inspiration of the Russian Revolution, was officially dissolved in an undignified manner under pressure from American imperialism, without any democratic consultation. Its original purpose had been to overthrow world capitalism and build a chain of soviet republics linked to the USSR, conceived as the base for world revolution. The Second International had betrayed Marxism by supporting ruling classes, while Social Democracy saved capitalism by diverting revolutionary upsurges into harmless channels, as in Germany where soviets handed power back to capitalists. Communist parties grew rapidly in the early years, but the failure of world revolution—particularly in Germany in 1923 due to Stalin’s vacillation—led to the isolation of the USSR and internal reaction.
Stalin introduced the anti-Leninist theory of “socialism in one country” in 1924, turning away from revolutionary internationalism. The Comintern’s history became bound up with the fluctuating policies of the Soviet bureaucracy. Stalin’s rightward turn in China and Britain led to defeats. After the 1929-33 slump, the Comintern adopted the suicidal “Third Period” theory, denouncing social democracy as “social fascism” and refusing a united front against Hitler. This enabled Hitler to take power in 1933 without organised working-class resistance. From 1934, Stalin converted the Comintern from an instrument of world revolution into a tool of Soviet foreign policy. The 1935 Popular Front policy, a coalition with liberal capitalists, marked a new stage of degeneration and contradicted Lenin’s principles. Stalinism became actively opposed to workers’ revolution abroad, completing the counter-revolution inside the USSR through the Moscow trials and purges. In France and Spain, the Comintern destroyed revolutionary opportunities, acting as the vanguard of counter-revolution.
The Stalin-Hitler pact ushered in World War II, followed by a fake peace campaign. Trotsky’s 1933 prediction is quoted: Stalin trades in working-class movements like commodities, and would cut German Communist subsidies in a deal with Hitler. After the Nazi invasion, the Comintern shifted to support British and US imperialism. American imperialism demanded its dissolution as a guarantee against European revolution. Stalin dissolved the Comintern, openly siding with capitalist counter-revolution. The Comintern had long been dead as a force for world socialism, having departed from its original aims. The text concludes that this cannot prevent future revolutions; a genuine Bolshevik International will be rebuilt on the lessons of past defeats.