DRESDEN RESOLUTION.
National Convention of German Social Democracy.
Dresden, 1903


Source: Daniel De Leon, Flashlights of the Amsterdam International Socialist Congress, New York: New York Labor News, 1904.


The National Convention of the Party demands that, although its delegation in the Reichstag shall assert their right to fill with one of their own members the offices of first Vice President and of a Secretary in the Reichstag, it nevertheless declines to assume courtly obligations, or to submit to any conditions that are not founded on the constitution of the Empire.

The National Convention of the Party condemns to the fullest extent possible the efforts of the revisionists, which have for their object the modification of our tried and victorious policy based on the class war, and the substitution for the conquest of political power by an unceasing attack on the bourgeois, of a policy of concession to the established order of society.

The consequence of such revisionist tactics would be to turn a party striving for the most speedy transformation possible of bourgeois society into Socialist Society – a party, therefore, revolutionary in the best sense of the word – into a party satisfied with the reform of bourgeois society.

For this reason, the National Convention of the Party, convinced, in opposition to revisionists tendencies, that class antagonisms, so far from diminishing, continually increase in bitterness, declares :

1st. That the Party rejects all responsibility of any sort under the political and economic conditions based on capitalist production, and therefore can in no wise countenance any measure tending to maintain in the power the dominant class.

2d. That Social Democracy can strive for no participation in the Government under bourgeois society, this decision being in accordance with the Kautsky Resolution, passed at the International Congress of Paris in 1900.

The National Convention of the Party further condemns every attempt to blur the ever growing class antagonisms in order to bring about an understanding with bourgeois parties.

The National Convention of the Party relies upon its Reichstag delegation to use its power, increased by the increase in. its own numbers and by the great accession of voters who support it, to persevere in its propaganda towards the final object of the Social Democracy, and, in conformity with our program, to defend most resolutely the interests of the working class, the extension and consolidation of political liberties, in order to obtain equal rights for all; to carry on more vigorously than ever the fight against militarism, against the colonial and imperialist policy, against injustice, oppression and exploitation of every kind; and, finally, to exert itself energetically to perfect social legislation and to bring about the realization of the political and civilizing mission of the working class.

DRESDEN-AMSTERDAM RESOLUTION
(Amsterdam Congress, 1904)

The Congress repudiates to the fullest extent possible the efforts of the revisionists, which have for their object the modification of our tried and victorious policy based on the class war, and the substitution, for the conquest of political power by an unceasing attack on the bourgeoisie, of a policy of concession to the established order of society.

The consequence of such revisionist tactics would be to turn a party striving for the most speedy transformation possible of bourgeois society into Socialist society – a party therefore revolutionary in the best sense of the word – into a party satisfied with the reform of bourgeois society.

For this reason the Congress, convinced, in opposition to revisionist tendencies, that class antagonisms, so far from diminishing, continually increase in bitterness, declares:

1. That the party rejects all responsibility of any sort under the political and economic conditions based on capitalist production, and therefore can in no wise countenance any measure tending to maintain in power the dominant class.

2. The Social Democracy can strive for no participation in the Government under bourgeois society, this decision being in accordance with the Kautsky resolution passed at the International Congress of Paris in 1900.

The Congress further repudiates every attempt to blur the ever growing class antagonisms, in order to bring about an understanding with bourgeois parties.

The Congress relies upon the Socialist Parliamentary Groups to use their power, increased by the number of its members and by the great accession of electors who support them, to persevere in their propaganda towards the final object of Socialism, and. in conformity with our program, to defend most resolutely the interests of the working class, the extension and consolidation of political liberties, in order to obtain equal rights for all; to carry on more vigorously than ever the fight against militarism, against the colonial and imperialist policy, against injustice, oppression and exploitation of every kind; and finally to exert itself energetically to perfect social legislation and to bring about the realization of the political and civilizing mission of the working class.


“When the vote was reached on the Dresden resolution it was carried by twenty-seven votes against three, with Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and one delegate of Poland and of Switzerland each abstaining from voting. The three votes against came, two from Argentina and one (Jaurès’) from France.”