The German-Dutch Communist Left - Libcom

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Nasha Duma, Sofia, Oct. – Dec. 1919. (Left communist tendencies) Spartak, Sofia, Dec. 1919 – Jan. 1920, organ of left communists within the BKP. Sotsialistitcheski pregled [Socialist Review], 1919-21, radical paper, between left communism and syndicalism. Iskra, weekly organ of the left communist groups in Sofia in 1920, after the split in the Bulgarian CP (BKP). 60 nos.: 4.9.1920 – 29.12.1921. [The No. 11 from 13 th Nov. 1920 published the Bordiga’s Theses against parliamentarism.] Replaced by: Rabotnitcheska Iskra, Varna, which became the BRKP’s organ after the founding conference in January 1922 in Sliven. [Contact for the publication: Zh. Dikidzhiev, who was the secretary of the Executive Committee.] There were two organs, related to the two tendencies of Sofia and Varna after 1923: Rabotnitcheska Iskra, organ of the BRKP, Varna tendency, Varna – Dec. 1921-June 1923; as mentioned above; led by Ivan Kolinkoev, Zh. Dikidzhiev, et alii. Proletarii, ‘polumecechno spisanie za rabotnitsi’ (bi-monthly review for workers), organ of the KAI in Bulgaria, Sofia Nov. 1924-April 1925. DENMARK Mod Strømen (Against the Current), ’udgivet af Gruppe Internationale Kommunister (Denmark)’, København 1930, linked to the Dutch GIC ant to the German KAU. Published by Harald Andersen-Harild, who had represented the ideas of the German left since the beginning of the twenties in Denmark. Marxistisk Arbejder Politik (Marxist Workers’ Politicy), ’organ for Raads-Kommunismen, udgivet af Gruppe Internationale Kommunister (Denmark)’, København, 1931-32. Published by Harald Andersen-Harild. UNITED STATES a) In German: Chicagoer Arbeiter-Zeitung, published by the IWW of Chicago, 1931. The leading spirit was Paul Mattick. Kampfsignal, New York, 1934, gewidmetes Organ der deutschen revolutionären Arbeiter New Yorks. Linked to Mattick’s group. (Followed after 1935, in English, by Proletarian Outlook, New York, roneo-ed.) b) In English: Council Correspondence, for theory and discussion. Published by the ‘United Workers’ Party’, Oct.1934- Oct.1935, Chicago. Mattick’s group. International Council Correspondence, 1935-37, Chicago. Subtitled: ‘all power to the workers’ councils! The means of production in the hands of the workers!’. Living Marxism, February 1938-Autumn 1941, Chicago. New Essays, 1942-43, Chicago. All these reviews have been re-issued in facsimile since 1970 by the Greenwood Reprint Corporation, with a foreword by Paul Mattick. The summary in French con be found in La contre-révolution bureaucratique (Paris: 10/18, 1973), pp. 297-307. (Re-issuings supervised in English.) FRANCE 342
A few rare publications defended council communist ideas, especially in the 1930s. As in the USA, ‘councilism’ found an echo amongst immigrants. L’Ouvrier communiste, Paris, 1929-31. Succeeded Réveil communiste which was still marked by ‘bordigism’. This group of Italian immigrants, under the influence of the KAPD, the AAU and the GIC, adopted the positions of council communism. Spartacus, Paris, 1931. Subsidised by André Prudhommeaux and Jean Dautry, this paper regrouped a circle of immigrant German workers (A. Heinrich and H. Schieschke group). [Hans Schieschke, friend of André and Dori Prudhommeaux, was member of the KAU in 1931 and lived some months in Paris. He worked illegally for the KAU after 1933. He had contact with the Weiland group after 1945, and worked as journalist for the Leipziger Volkszeitung until 1949, when he was finally sacked.] Correspondance internationale ouvrière, Nîmes, Sept. 1932-June 1933, published by André Prudhommeaux and Jean Dautry. In contact with Dutch and German ‘councilism’. Later however it moved towards antifascism and anarchism. The review of the Union Communiste L’Internationale, through its semi-trotskyist positions on the Spanish war, cannot formerly be considered as a council communist review. From 1937 on, it had close contacts with the Dutch council communist left. Only after the Second World War did the positions of the German and Dutch left become better known in France, especially through the medium of Internationalisme, whose origins lay in the Italian communist left, and the RKD-CR, the council communist circle of Maximilien Rubel (Cahiers de discussion pour le Socialisme de conseils) and Socialisme ou Barbarie. GREAT-BRITAIN The IWW, the Shop Stewards movement and the German left all influenced the council communist movement in Britain, as did libertarian ideas. We shall list the main organs of the council communist movement: The Commune, Glasgow, 1923-28, published by Guy Aldred, anarchist and council communist. Organ of the Anti-parliamentary Communist Federation. The Council, Glasgow 1931-33, published by Aldred. Organ of the Anti-parliamentary Communist Federation. In favour of the regroupment of anti-parliamentary Marxists and anarchists. Recommended ‘councils of action’. The New Spur, ‘because the workers need a spur more than ever, if they are to conquer bread, freedom and roses’ (sic), Dec. 1933-April 1934. Published monthly in Nîmes, thanks to the help of André Prudhommeaux, in contact with the Dutch L.A.O. (see below). Influenced by Guy Aldred’s ideas. Solidarity, ‘advocate of workers’ revolutionary unity’, London, 1938-45. Published by the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation, after Alred’s group seceded in 1933 to form the Workers Open Forum. Strongly influenced by the positions of the German-Dutch communist left. Contributions by Jimmy Kennedy, an exminer, of the ‘Glasgow Marxian Study Group’, and Ernst Schneider, member of the IKD of Wilhelmshafen in 1918. The group became ‘Workers Revolutionary League’ in 1941, eventually joining a new Workers Open Forum which was formed in 1942. The Spur, June 1914-April 1921, Glasgow, published by the ‘Bakunin Press’, continuation of Aldred’s The Herald of Revolt. Anarchist at the beginning then influenced by council communist ideas. Workers’ Dreadnought, London, July 1917-June 1924. Replaced the Women’s Dreadnought (March 1914-July 1917). Published by the ex-feminist Sylvia Pankhurst, in the name of the Workers’ Socialist Federation. Became in June 1920 the Communist Party (British Section of the Third International). After leaving the CPGB in 1921, the Dreadnought defended the positions of the German communist left. From 1922 to 1924 it was the organ of Gorter’s KAI in Britain. Disappeared in 1924. Out of work, organ of the Pankhurst’s CWP for the unemployed, 1922-23. 343
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PHILIPPE BOURRINET The Dutch and Ge
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The Dutch and German Communist Left
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General studies ...................
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INTRODUCTION Despite the theoretica
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In fact, it was not the GIC, but th
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history of the Dutch communist curr
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Chapter 1: Origins and Formation of
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1862-1866, 1871-1872); these conser
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Dutch and German workers’ movemen
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However, this ‘radicalism’ of D
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emained an internationalist. It is
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a formidable weapon against the lef
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form the Tribunist movement: Mendel
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of the organisation. 31 He only dev
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The support given to the various re
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Using the pretext of the struggle a
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the end of 1903. 57 By contrast, a
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Bolsheviks had deputies in the Duma
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imposed to form an organised fracti
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was obliged to include in the pream
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‘right’ 100 - which was based i
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This was the beginning of an increa
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carried out by the SDP - in the for
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The growth of Dutch imperialism cou
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Wijnkoop’s suggestion, the SDP’
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evolution. 125 Right up until the w
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helped to write the pamphlet addres
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section, supported a counter-resolu
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Chapter 2 Pannekoek and ‘Dutch’
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The philosophical bases of radical
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Wrongly presented by its opponents
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is most necessary. Only knowledge g
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ended in defeat - but whatever help
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The Dutch Left never considered the
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ourgeois revolutions, thinks of not
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eligious faith in the success of th
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organisations they had so patiently
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forces... The most backward country
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mass strikes; the proletariat’s s
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‘Great Night’: “[passive radi
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economic, and whose political domin
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letter to Paul Lafargue (20 th June
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Luxemburg in urging a clear rejecti
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explicit criticism of their leaders
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As in most of the belligerent count
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the main goal was the return to pea
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Gorter’s analyses were remarkable
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political factors which led to this
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During 1915, opposition to the war
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inform its readers about the Confer
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It is noteworthy that Roland Holst
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powerful opposition to this policy
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The workers’ reaction was immedia
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concealed the Wijnkoop leadership
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Lenin was quite right to emphasise
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“Don’t you feel, little by litt
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dissolved itself. There only remain
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Chapter 4 THE DUTCH LEFT IN THE KOM
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Spartakusbund not rejected particip
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However, the circular of the Komint
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Kommunist, publication of the Breme
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Russians - like Trotsky 433 - no lo
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The resolution adopted by the confe
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Led by Wolffheim and Laufenberg, th
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Pannekoek’s great clear-sightedne
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Rühle’s anti-party current. But
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All these accusations fail to stand
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not that of a general staff, in whi
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democrats and bourgeois in the war
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The unions also resemble the state
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eal decision-making centre. In this
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communism extends from the Rhine to
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The NEP (New Economic Policy) in th
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and the workers, who had all been a
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However, all the left communists, G
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was more disastrous for the VKPD th
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At its 3 rd Congress, the Komintern
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when he was in fact in Spain at the
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workers, and that every three month
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committee is also of the opinion th
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large towns passed from capitalism
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KAI would be “infinitely difficul
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private property”. They constitut
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side, of two KAPDs, with two papers
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intention of working for the reunif
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‘old enemy’ Paul Levi. 650 Deth
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district in Amsterdam, condemning a
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THE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIS
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the Dutch theoretical review Radenc
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the CPO decided to dissolve in orde
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political sleep by the crisis of th
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economic, rather than the political
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the nationalist, even anti-Semitic
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parliamentary stipend financed the
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shreds”. 706 But significantly, t
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KAPD. The GIC, followed by Pannekoe
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It was a party which dared not spea
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a big impact in the unemployed move
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anarchist group like the BAS was ch
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The other factor in the defeat of t
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would ‘awaken’ the German prole
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Spartacus, organ of the LAO, while
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Chapter 7 TOWARDS A NEW WORKERS’
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The evolution of the Dutch GIC towa
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the world, especially since 1968. 7
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Secondly, by trying at all costs to
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In a contradictory way, the GIC rep
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The ‘new workers’ movement’ a
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The function and functioning of the
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een eclipsed and replaced by a “d
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and developed since the birth of th
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GIC recognised the fundamental role
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This view has a certain resemblance
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“At the beginning of the period o
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Bogdanov, the social process was re
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to construct a coherent and ordered
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“As soon as the proletarian class
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the danger of state capitalism. The
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inseparable from the anti-organisat
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growing uncertainty of existence is
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indivisible unity operating like th
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“freedoms” and the introduction
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Steuermann 972 , Rühle showed that
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Russian capitalism. It was only con
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The unemployed workers of Amsterdam
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Unlike the Paul Mattick group in th
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The contribution by this group, whi
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Chapter 9 THE DUTCH INTERNATIONALIS
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workers’ councils”, the KAPN’
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impoverished peasants and, on the o
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The first ‘minority’ was formed
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iting, since the Dutch RSAP and the
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seems to have come from an ex-membe
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esult which appeared positive to th
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Chapter 10 FROM THE “MARX - LENIN
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to the previous history of Germany
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posterity a political, as much as a
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Council communist theory had a revo
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organisations together, including t
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This ‘broad’ policy towards oth
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The MLL Front played a considerable
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workers had been liquidated. A tota
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Chapter 11 The Communistenbond Spar
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political past, marked less by synd
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process, and “the [capitalist] sy
Page 292 and 293: organisation, once theoretical and
Page 294 and 295: organisation: “The Bond is a temp
Page 296 and 297: The implicit rejection of the Russi
Page 298 and 299: the ‘right’ to speak in the Ber
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Page 302 and 303: In 1945-46, the Bond examined sever
Page 304 and 305: Luxemburg’s conception, it was fo
Page 306 and 307: draws in ever greater masses. [...]
Page 308 and 309: The onset of the Cold War left the
Page 310 and 311: - General rejection of all groups t
Page 312 and 313: disappeared in 1948. Canne-Meijer w
Page 314 and 315: Bond arrived at the idea that the R
Page 316 and 317: After World War II council communis
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Page 320 and 321: Like SB, it paraded a strong anti-b
Page 322 and 323: If ‘councilism’ as an organised
Page 324 and 325: The history of the Dutch and German
Page 326 and 327: organisational discipline, both exp
Page 328 and 329: looked to changes in the sociologic
Page 330 and 331: The criticisms put forward by Geyer
Page 332 and 333: BIBLIOGRAPHY A bibliography on the
Page 334 and 335: Stan POPPE (1899-1991) archives: mi
Page 336 and 337: Rote Armee (constituted in April 19
Page 338 and 339: Korrespondenz-Blatt der KAPD, ‚an
Page 340 and 341: ‘Monatsblätter aus der Jugendbew
Page 344 and 345: THE NETHERLANDS The Dutch communist
Page 346 and 347: Uit eigen kring; intern orgaan (the
Page 348 and 349: (These latter two texts have been t
Page 350 and 351: There is a good choice of texts, tr
Page 352 and 353: Zur Psychologie des proletarisches
Page 354 and 355: Marxism: last refuge of the bourgeo
Page 356 and 357: (These texts are in Authier-Barrot,
Page 358 and 359: Der Kampf um die Macht in der Gegen
Page 360 and 361: Pamphlets by the Bulgarian left com
Page 362 and 363: REICHENBACH (Bernard), ‘Moscow 19
Page 364 and 365: ‚Über Karl Korsch’, in Jahrbuc
Page 366 and 367: ROEGHOLT (Richter), Ben Sijes. Een
Page 368 and 369: JANEV (Nikola), Balgarskata komunis
Page 370 and 371: The ‘intellectual current’: lit
Page 372 and 373: MALANDRINO (Corrado), ‘Anton Pann
Page 374 and 375: BERENDSEN (Hans), & WEEDA (Rik), Ui
Page 376 and 377: HARMSEN (Ger), Historisch overzicht
Page 378 and 379: NGO VAN, Vietnam 1920-1945, révolu
Page 380 and 381: WINCKLER (Heinrich August), Arbeite
Page 382 and 383: Protokolle der Vereinigungs-Konfere
Page 384 and 385: Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli,
Page 386 and 387: CWI: Communist Workers’ Internati
Page 388 and 389: NSV: Nederlandsch Syndikalistisch V
Page 390 and 391: VOC: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compa
Page 392 and 393:
Blackwell (Russell) [alias: Negrete
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Fischer (Ruth) [Eisler (Elfriede),
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KAPN, 17, 138, 172, 187, 199, 204-2
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Most (Johann), 29 Mühsam (Erich),
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Rühle (Otto), 13, 17, 21, 62, 120,
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Vonk (group De), 324, 329, 337, 351
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