First Published: The Call, Vol. 6, No. 15, April 18, 1977.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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Factors for both war and revolution are on the rise in Western Europe today.
In this way, The Call began its “Report from Europe” series several months ago, stating the main theme of the eight articles that followed. The series has now been concluded, after reports from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, France, Belgium and Luxemburg. The articles were based on discussions with the Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations in these countries, as well as The Call’s own investigation and assessment of objective conditions.
The most important feature of the series was its account of the sharp rise in class struggle and the growth of the communist movement in Western Europe. The report on the May Day events in Norway last year, for example, was particularly inspiring. Nearly 20,000 workers and revolutionary youth rallied behind the banners of the Workers’ Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), which has been leading many strike battles and the anti-imperialist solidarity movement against the two superpowers. The revisionists, social-democrats and trade union hacks, by way of contrast, only drew about 4,000 people to their reactionary rallies.
Similar developments were noted in other countries-the upsurge of women workers and fishermen in Iceland, the anti-repression struggle in France, the general strike and peasant movement in Luxemburg, and the wave of wildcats in Sweden. All these are inspiring working-class battles for socialism and against the capitalist system.
Especially significant was the role of the revolutionary press, reaching hundreds of thousands of workers through-out Europe. Some parties have established, or will soon set up daily Marxist-Leninist newspapers.
Reports from several countries also pointed out a growing trend for the unification of Marxist-Leninists into single parties. This trend is developing through struggle and on the basis of a correct line, with the debate over the international situation playing an important role.
This growth of the international communist movement has been a great victory in the struggle against modern revisionism. Together with the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union; the revisionist takeover of the formerly communist parties of Europe during the 1950s was a tremendous setback to the working class. But now times are changing, and it is a great tribute to the strength and vitality of Marxism-Leninism that communist parties are again being organized, placed on their feet and fulfilling their role as revolutionary leaders.
This has not been an easy task. The revisionist parties, especially as the “fifth columns” of the USSR, have considerable strength and are experts at slander and demagogy. As was shown in the articles on France, they inevitably turn to violent, social-fascist measures to attack the genuine communists.
Important lessons were also drawn in the series concerning the struggle against both right and “left” opportunist trends within the communist movement. Comrades stressed the importance of being clear on the question of friends and enemies of the revolution, on taking class struggle as the key link, and on recognizing the danger of conciliation to revisionism and Soviet social-imperialism.
The factors for war are also on the rise in Europe, along with the factors for revolution.
The party leaders interviewed by The Call all pointed out that the talk of “detente” and the “spirit of Helsinki” is only a smokescreen. It serves as a mask to disguise the feverish superpower arms race and vast war preparations aimed at a redivision of the globe.
Today the vast bulk of the military forces of the two superpowers are facing each other on the European continent. These countries are a strategically vital target holding within their boundaries the rich prizes of highly developed industries, vast markets and resources, and skilled working classes. This is why Europe is the focus of superpower contention.
This striving for hegemony is a basic feature of imperialism. It proceeds from the imperialist system’s law of uneven development, meaning that any “unity” or “equilibrium” among the great powers is only relative and transitory. What is absolute and basic is their rivalry and differences, which inevitably lead to war.
The European Marxist-Leninists have seen the uneven development of the superpowers, which today means that U.S. imperialism is on the decline while Soviet social-imperialism is on the rise. As a result, the Soviet Union is the more aggressive of the two superpowers. Recognizing that its rival has been weakened by the revolutionary victories of the third world, this newcomer is preparing the ground for expansion, and is thus the main source of a new war.
Many Marxist-Leninist leaders explained to The Call why it is necessary to strike the main blow at the USSR, which is not only the more aggressive of the superpowers but also the headquarters of international revisionism. In exposing the USSR, the Marxist-Leninists have also opposed any view of alliance with U.S. imperialism.
Since Europe is the location of most of the countries of the second world, another important part of The Call’s series showed how Chairman Mao’s theory of the three worlds enables revolutionaries to distinguish correctly between friends and enemies.
The second world is comprised of those lesser imperialist countries which stand between the first world and the third world. On the one hand, they are imperialist powers themselves, exploiting and plundering the third world as well as their own working classes. On the other hand, these countries are also subjected to the bullying, aggression and subversion of the superpowers.
What is the significance of this analysis? The Western European Marxist-Leninists interviewed in the series agreed that the principal contradiction in their respective countries is between the bourgeoisie and -the proletariat, the decisive contradiction determining their development. It was stressed, however, that the tasks of the class struggle in each country cannot be taken up in isolation. They are conditioned also by the overall development of the international situation and must take it into account.
The article on Sweden was a case in point. It showed how the Swedish workers allied with the third world by struggling against imperialism and the Swedish bourgeoisie. Nonetheless, it showed how the class interests of the Swedish bourgeoisie led it, to a certain extent, to clash with the hegemonism of the super-powers, as on the questions of Vietnam and Czechoslovakia. Here the Marxist-Leninists supported this stand as a just one, while exposing the class interests behind it and criticizing any vacillations.
The same class interests of the bourgeoisie, however, also lead it to reliance on one or the other superpower. In Sweden today, the shift is toward reliance on the Soviet Union, showing the danger of appeasement and capitulationism.
While The Call’s series covered most of the main points crucial to Europe today, it still was not a complete picture of the situation. The series had several limitations. Many countries were not visited, including arenas of some of the sharpest class struggles and superpower rivalries, such as Portugal, Spain and Italy. Also, any complete report would have to discuss the situation in Eastern Europe, where a Marxist-Leninist movement is developing as well. Here the limitations are obvious, due to the harsh conditions of Soviet social-imperialist domination.
Finally, the European communist movement is by no means uniform in all its views. The correct Marxist-Leninist line in these countries has developed, and is developing, in the course of struggle against erroneous lines. This ideological struggle has sharpened since the death of Mao Tsetung, which opportunists have used as an occasion to promote splits and attack Chairman Mao’s line. The Call has made its own stand clear on these basic questions. In the case of some countries or organizations, it has not made particular comments at this time.
War and revolution are both on the rise in Europe, a fact which is enabling the revolutionary forces there to assume a great role in shaping the world’s destiny. While the road ahead is certainly tortuous, the future is undoubtedly bright.