The German-Dutch Communist Left - Libcom

The – implicit – distinction made here between ‘ruled and rulers’, which was present in Djilas, can be seen as a
forerunner of the future theory of the Socialisme ou Barbarie group. 1220 Unlike the latter, however, the
Communistenbond Spartacus never abandoned the Marxist vision of class antagonism within capitalist society.
Despite some hesitations in its theoretical analyses, the Bond was extremely clear as to their political
consequences. Refusal to defend the capitalist USSR was a class frontier between the bourgeoisie and the
proletariat: “Taking Russia’s side means abandoning the workers’ class front against capitalism”.
Refusal to defend the USSR could only be revolutionary if it were accompanied by a call for the overthrow of
the capitalist state in Russia by class struggle and the formation of workers’ councils:
“Only the Soviets, the workers’ councils – as an autonomous workers’ power can take production in hand with a
view to producing for the needs of the working population. In Russia, too, the workers must form the Third
Front. From this point of view, there is no difference between Russia and other countries.”
• The colonial and national question
It was the beginning of a colonial war in Indonesia, which was to last until independence, and involved some
150,000 Dutch soldiers for re-conquering the Indonesian Archipelago, after the defeat of Japan, which had
granted ‘Independence’ to Sukarno in April 1945. As the United States, of which objective was to control South
Asia, suspended post-war aid to the Netherlands (Marshall Plan money), Dutch government had to transfer
sovereignty to the “Republic of United States of Indonesia” in December 1949.
In 1945, the Bond’s position on the colonial question was barely different from that of the MLL Front. The Bond
declared itself for the “separation” of the Dutch East Indies and Holland. Its position on the colonial question
remained a Leninist one, and it even took part for a few months in an ‘anti-imperialist struggle committee’ (Antiimperialistisch
Strijd Comité). This group brought together the trotskyist CRM, the left pacifist socialist group
‘De Vonk’ and the Communistenbond, until the latter left it in December 1945. The Bond admitted that this
committee was nothing but a “cartel of organisations”. 1221
In fact, the Bond had no theoretical position on the national and colonial question. Implicitly, it adopted the
positions of the Komintern’s 2 nd Congress. It thus stated that “the liberation of Indonesia is subordinate to and
constitutes a component of the world proletariat’s class struggle”. 1222 At the same time, it showed that
Indonesian independence was a dead end for the total proletariat: “There is no possibility at present of a
proletarian revolution [in Indonesia]”.
Little by little, Pannekoek’s conception gained in influence. In The Workers’ Councils, without really taking
position against the nationalist ‘liberation’ movements, Pannekoek considered that they would take place under
American tutelage, and would lead to the industrialisation of the ‘liberated’ countries. This was the Bond’s
official position in September 1945, on the Indonesian question. 1223 He considered that “the only remaining way
forward is a future industrialisation of Indonesia, and a further intensification of labour”. The movement of
decolonisation would be “supported by American capital”. It would be expressed in the creation of a state
apparatus “turned against the poor”.
The Bond still had great difficulty in determining its theoretical position on the ‘national question’. Having
sprung from two different currents, one of which accepted the Baku Theses, while the other had adopted
1220 The ‘Socialisme ou Barbarie’ group was a split from trotskyism. Its first issue was published in 1949. Its leading light
was Cornelius Castoriadis (Chaulieu or Cardan). The theories of ‘rulers/ruled’ and ‘leaders/led’ were taken to their logical
conclusion largely by spin-offs of ‘Socialisme ou Barbarie’ such as ICO. Henri Simon’s after the collapse of ICO published
Liaisons.
1221 The Bond’s conference of 27 th /28 th October 1945. See: UEK, No. 6, Dec. 1945.
1222 Report of a member of the political commission on the Indonesian question, in: UEK, No. 6, Dec. 1945.
1223 ‘Nederland-Indonesië’, in: Maandblad Spartacus, No. 9, Sept. 1945.
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