Dimitrov Diaries; 12 May 1941 - on the dissolution of Comintern - 1

12 May 1941

- Gottwald and I edited the editorial for Kommunisticheskii Internatsional (Communist International)

- D.Z . (Manuilsky) and I discussed  the grounds for the resolution to discontinue the activities of the ECCI. A great many unclear and difficult issues connected with the restructuring.

- In the CC (to see Zhdanov)

- We discussed the question of Comintern

1. The resolution must be grounded in principle, fro we we will have some serious explaining to do abroad as well as among our own Soviet Communists as regards why such step is being taken. There used to be a Comintern with its own considerable history; then suddenly it ceased to exist and function as a united international center.

In the resolution, all possible blows by the enemy ought to be anticipated, for instance that this is supposedly a mere maneuver, or that the Communists are rejecting internationalism and international proletarian revolution.

- Our argumentation should evoke enthusiasm in the Com(munist) parties rather than create a funeral mood and dismay.

- It should be pointed out that the essential thing at this stage is not to direct the movement in various countries from a single international center, but rather to put the primary emphasis on the movement and its leadership in each individual country, to develop fully independence of Com(munist) parties that are themselves capable of leading the workers movement in their respective countries, themselves capable of devising their own strategy, tactics, and organization and bearing full responsibility for the worker's movement in their own countries, of relying utterly and completely on their own strength and capabilities.

- We still have to develop the idea of combining a healthy , properly understood nationalism with proletarian internationalism. Proletarian internationalis should be grounded in such a nationalism  in the individual countries. Com (rade) St(alin) made it clear that between nationalism properly understood and internat(ionalism) there can be no contradictions. Rootless cosmopolitanism that denies national feelings and the notion of homeland has nothing in common with prolet(arian) internat(ionalism). Such cosmopolitanism paves the way for the recruitment of spies,enemy agents.

-The ideas of the communist International have penetrated deeply into the progressive strata of the working class in the capit(alist) countries. At the present stage it is necessary for the communist parties to develop as indep(endent) national parties. It is on the basis of a flourishing national Communist movement in the the individual countries that an international Communist organization will be reborn at the following stage on an even stronger and broader base.

- It must be clearly demonstrated that the discontinuing the activities of the ECCI is not tantamount to rejecting internat(ional) prolet(arian) solidarity. On the contrary, it is only forms and methods of manifesting itself that are changing - (to) forms and methods more appropriate to the current stage of the international worker's movement.

2. This step is to be entirely serious and consistent. It should not be taken in such a way that only the trappings, one could say, are being changed, but everything else remains the same - that is , the ECCI is disbanded, but in fact an international directing center continue to exist in a different disguise.

3.It matters a great deal on whose initiative this is to be done: on the leadership's own initiative or on the proposal of a number Com(munist) parties. It seems the latter would be better.

4. The matter is not so urgent: there is no need to rush; instead, discuss the matter seriously and prepare.

Three questions ought to be discussed:

a) How to ground (the resolution) in principle

b) On whose initiative the resolution to be adopted

c) The legacy of CI -- what next?

5. In any case, the Communist movement can reap great benefits from this step:

a) All anti-Comintern pacts immediately lose all grounds

b) The bourgeoisie's highest trump card, that the Communists are subjects of foreign center, hence "traitors," will be taken away

c) The Com(munist) party in each country will strengthen its independence and turn into an authentic nat(ional) party of its own country.

d) Joining Com(munist) parties will become easier for the worker activities who currently choose not to join, out of the belief that, by doing so, they alienate themselves from their own peoples.

Source 

The Diary of Dimitrov 1933- 1949

* words are completed within the parenthesis, EA