Leninism Or Trotskyism
BY G. E. ZINOVIEV I. STALIN L. KAMENEV
Nothing Is Bigger Than the Party of Lenin
A PREFACE
The controversy between Trotskyism and Leninism is not a new thing in the Russian Communist movement. It is nearly as old as the struggle be tween Bolshevism and Menshevism, and forms an important part in the history .'of the revolutionary move ment of Russia. For over two decades Lenin and the Bolshevik Party waged a determined struggle against the po litical outlook and conceptions of Comrade Trotsky and his followers. And it was only by def eating ideolog ically Trotskyism as well as Menshe vism that the party of Lenin suc ceeded in finally establishing itself as the only party of the workers and poor peasants of Russia.
Comrade Trotsky joined the Bol shevik Party on the eve of the November revolution. In doing so he tacitly acknowledged the fact that in the struggle between Trotskyism and Leninism the latter was proven correct. This was how the Russian party and later on the entire Com munist International interpreted and understood Trotsky's joining the party. Unfortunately, however, Com rade Trotsky himself did not so under stand his coming into the party. As was proven by later events, and par ticularly by his recently published book "1917" and the pref ace to it, the position that Comrade Trotsky takes is the very opposite of what one would expect. Very guardedly, very cau tiously, in a sort of a roundabout way, Comrade Trotsky attempts to convey the impression that it was not Trot skyism that was proven wrong by his tory but Leninism.
Now, this is a very serious proposi tion. If the events of the Russian revolution have confirmed the correct ness of Trotsky's position as against the Leninist position, which is the po sition of the Russian Communist (Bol shevik ) Party, then why doesn't Trot sky say so openly and frankly ? Why doesn't he demand in so many words a fundamental revision of the princi· pies of the Communist International which are based upon Leninism and not Trotskyism ?
Since 1903 Lenin and the whole Bolshevist fraction of the social-demo cratic labor party of Russia have been fighting Trotsky on every important problem that arose in the revolution ary struggle of Russia.· Trotsky's po sition between 1903-1905 was a sort of a middle of the road position be tween the Mensheviks and Bolshe viks. This center position, according to Lenin, was always helpf ul to the Mensheviks and detrimental to the Bolsheviks.
In 1905 Lenin developed the historic slogan of the revolutionary dictator ship of the workers and peasants. As against this slogan Trotsky devel oped the theory of "permanent revo lution" with the slogan : Without a czar but a workers' government. These were two diametrically opposed conceptions of the nature of the Rus sian revolution and the tactics to be pursued by the revolutionary party of the working class. Lenin never made peace with Trotsky's theory of "permanent" revolution nor with his slogan of a purely workers' govern ment. One of the basic principles of Lenin was that the revolution in Rus sia could succeed only thru an alli ance between the workers and peas ants, led by the working class thru its revolutionary party (the Commun· ist Party) , and expressed in the slo gan : The revolutionary dictatorship of the workers and peasants, Lenin ism and Trotskyism never fought each other in a battle more bitter and more fruitf ul than on this issue. Since the revolution of 1917, this con ception of a revolutionary alliance be tween the workers and poor peasants became a fundamental principle of the Communist International-a principle which is applicable to every country with a large peasant or farming popu lation. On the other hand, Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution, which he still believes to be correct, is a complete negation of the above Len inist principle. The conflict between Leninism and Trotskyism on this point is irreconcilable.
From the recent discussion in the Russian Communist Party, the follow ing facts become outstanding :
Comrade Trotsky bas never relinquished his old position.
He still believes in the correctness of his theories as against the teachings of Leninsm.
He will not make peace with the f act that the Russian Communist Party and the entire Communist In ternational are led by the old Bolshevist guard ·along the road of Lenin ism as against Trotskyism.
Comrade Trotsky's struggles in the Russian party are a constant danger to the integrity of the Communist movement.
The discussion in the Russian party has proven that the whole party is solidly opposed to Comrade Trotsky's attem pt to revise the Leninist basis of our movement. The same is the position taken by most of the parties of the Communist International.
Naturally, the enemies of the Rus sian revolution and of the working class generally are attempting to ex ploit thi::.i controversy (which, by the way, is now closed and settled ), to undermine the Soviet government and the prestige of the Communist Inter national. To this we say : Let them go to it. If they can derive any com fort from the way in which this con troversy had been settled, the pleas ure is all theirs.
Really, what are the most outstand ing facts in the outcome of this con troversy as far as the non-Communist worker is concerned ? They are these. First, that the International Communist movement will not be separated from the proven revolution ary path of Leninism. Second, that no man in the Communist movement is big enough to override the will of the movement.
The three articles by the Comrades Zinoviev, Stalin and Kamenev, pub lished in this pamphlet, present an exhaustive treatment of the issues in volved in the struggle between Lenin ism and Trotskyism. The study of these issues will give the reader a deep insight into the fundamentals of Leninism and of the Communist In ternational. It will enable the Ameri can workers to understand and thus come closer to the greatest move ments in human history-the Russian revolution and the Communist Inter national.
ALEX ANDER BITTELMAN. Chicago, Feb. 8, 1925.
Where the Line of Trotskyism is Leading
By G. Zinoviev
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