Debates at world Communism’s 1921 congress reveal Lenin’s International at a moment of crisis. A policy of confrontational initiatives by a resolute minority contends with the perspective of winning majority working-class support on the road to the revolutionary conquest of power. A frank debate among many currents concludes with a classic formulation of Communist strategy and tactics.
This newly translated treasure of 1,000 pages of source material, available for the first time in English, is supplemented by an analytic introduction, detailed footnotes, a glossary with 430 biographical entries, a chronology, a comprehensive index, and thirty-two appendices, many never before published in any language, portray delegates’ behind-the-scenes exchanges.
To the Masses represents the final installment in a decades long project to make available the proceedings of the congresses of the Communist International (comintern) held during Lenin’s time.