MIA > Archive > Heinrich Brandler
From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 3 No. 26, 15 March 1923, pp. 199–200.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2021). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
The English occupation authorities have forbidden the holding of the International Conference in Cologne. Herr Weissmann, the chief of the detective headquarters of the Ebert Republic has issued orders to raid the conference. M. Poincaré not only holds the participators in the Essen conference as prisoners, but he is organizing the suppression of the French revolutionary trade unions of the CGTU and of the Communists, who, in spite of persecution are conducting a splendid campaign in preparation for the conference in Frankfurt. The rulers are all united in their persecution of the revolutionary working class. The violent quarrels over booty, which are taking place among the international bourgeoisie, threaten to plunge the whole world info a fresh war. But French and German, English and Italian, Czechish and Polish are – in spite of all the differences among themselves, so far as the bourgeoisie of these countries is concerned – united for the persecution of the working class, and in particular – its vanguard, the Communists. The French spy centre works hand in and with the German political police. That disturbs neither the patriotism of the French nor of the German bourgeoisie.
A better illustration of the class solidarity of the bourgeoisie when dealing with the working class is impossible. This fact must make it clear to the dullest worker, that the conflicts between the rulers of the various countries, in spite of all patriotic and nationalist phrases, even when the conflict is fought out by military means, are merely concerned with differences arising from capitalist class interests. The French bourgeois has more in common with the German bourgeois than with the French worker, and vice versa.
The end for which the French bourgeoisie is fighting is the domination of Europe. The starting point may be the Ruhr occupation which ostensibly is the result of Germany’s failure to pay reparations In France those voices are increasing which desire the policy of expansion – the permanent union of the Rhenish Westphalian coal mines with the French ore mines under . French suzerainty. It is in accordance with the nature of capitalism that the German bourgeoisie set itself the same aims in the world war, and in the event of its victory it would have exercised precisely the same ruthless brutality as does the heavily armed French Imperialism towards the vanquished Germans.
The defensive struggle against French Imperialism can only be victorious if conducted by revolutionary methods, i.e., by the international proletariat, and before all, by the German and French working class. The victory of the French bourgeoisie, like the victory of the German bourgeoisie is equally a victory over the French and German working class. In any case it confirms the rule of the victorious bourgeoisie over the working class of both countries.
This fact renders clear the necessity for revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie in France and Germany. Only the victory of the revolutionary working class over the bourgeoisie will put an end to the constant danger of war. Only when the French iron ore areas and the Ruhr coal are taken away from the profit hunting bourgeoisie, and the joint restoration of the devastated areas placed under the care of the Franco-German Soviet Republics, will there be an end to the century long quarrel between the French and German ruling class over the hegemony of Europe.
With this end in view the Frankfort Conference will have the practical task of organizing the forces for realizing these aims. Up to the present, the Amsterdamers. and the Second and 2½ Internationals have not responded to the invitation of the Committee of 23 of the German Shop Stewards. The German social-democratic press has kept up a systematic campaign of silence about this Conference. The reformist ADGB (General German Trade Union Federation), and the United Social Democracy are pursuing a policy of coalition with the bourgeoisie, and are putting up a sham opposition to Stinnes’ program. The Cuno government has issued orders not to raise wages – because “prices are falling”. During the month of February, the cost of living (absolute necessities) has risen by more than 100%. In spite of the “dollar depreciation”, prices are rising constantly. Mass unemployment has already begun.
The trade union leaders are satisfied with “protests”; the social-democratic fraction – with Parliamentary decrees. Both of them fear the organization of the masses for the defensive struggle, as does the devil – holy water.
In the meanwhile, the German bourgeoisie is taking advantage of the Ruhr occupation, to kill two birds with one stone. By means of its nationalistic uproar it hopes to get a larger share in the Franco-German or International Iron ana Coal Trust, and within its Vaterland, it hopes to be able to crush the rebelling working class, by a combination of National Guard, Military Police, and Fascist bands.
The social-democratic Minister Severing, also confines himself to “protests” against the activities of the National Guard, and his glorious United Social Democratic Party of Germany maintains a sepulchral silence in face of the most far-reaching preparations to enact another blood-bath against the proletariat, as did Noske before the Kapp-putsch (until he and Ebert, together with the entire social-democratic government, had to flee.)
The German Ebert Republic will meet its death in the Ruhr conflict, if it fails to win over the working-class and to displace the present bourgeois government with a Workers’ Government, capable of shifting the crushing burdens from the proletariat on to the bourgeoisie, of dealing a death blow to the Fascist bands, and of transforming the Bourgeois State of 1918 into a Socialist State.
The sabotage of the social democratic and trade union leaders, retards the process and protracts the misery of the German and the international proletariat. Already we hear the rebellious voice of the social-democratic masses against the policy of their leaders. In Saxony, the social-democratic workers rejected the coalition with the bourgeoisie (which was officially demanded of them), and have pronounced themselves in favor of cooperating with the C.P. In Thuringia and in Berlin, social-democratic workers go hand in hand with the Communists – against the decisions of their own party leaders, and form Defense Units against Fascism.
The French invasion has not yet precipitated the catastrophic collapse. We are still in the midst of a protracted crisis. But the workers are beginning to stir. The intensified activity of the Fascisti is rousing them to a determined defensive struggle.
It will therefore be the task of the International Conference at Frankfort to organize and reinforce the awakened national and international forces. Thanks to the sabotage of the Second and 2½ Internationals, the Frankfort International Conference may not as yet be in a position to flash the signal for the attack, – but it can none the less accomplish a great deal in mobilizing and developing the fighting forces. This work done, the way will be clear to take up the struggle, with, otherwise without, and if necessary against, the helpers of the bourgeoisie from the Second and 2½ Internationals.
Last updated on 9 August 2021