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The Cataclysm: World War II and the History of American Trotskyism

by Frank Lovell
The history of the twentieth century is divided between the re!"or#d "ar II wor#d and that which fo##owed$ It is true that the %irst "or#d "ar wrought many changes& inc#uding the co##a se of most of o#d Euro e's dynasties and the accom anying #oss of severa# crowned heads$ (#so the successfu# )ussian revo#ution and its wor#d!wide o#itica# re ercussions were direct conse*uences of that war$ +ut this on#y foreshadowed the second great conf#agration which was many times more destructive and *ua#itative#y different$ It transformed the wor#d in a#most every res ect$ )egard#ess of what as ect of twentieth century #ife historians may choose to examine& they wi## soon discover that "or#d "ar II was the great divide& #i,e a chasm caused by an earth*ua,e of unimaginab#e force$ Today's deso#ate o#itica# scene can be understood and ex #ained on#y in #ight of the causes and conse*uences of "or#d "ar II$ The Great Depression Those sti## a#ive who #ived in the -$.$ and can remember the /reat De ression sometimes reca## those years 01232!12425 as 6ha y times7 but on#y because those were the days of their youth$ That decade was a time of severe unem #oyment& terrib#e suffering& mass migration& and ho e#essness in the ear#y years$ "hen the de ression hit it seemed to many of its victims #i,e a natura# catastro he& something about which #itt#e cou#d be done and over which mere morta#s cou#d have no contro#$ Preachers of the gos e# were among the few beneficiaries$ They and other edd#ers of su erstition and ignorance were *uic, to attribute the economic co##a se to 6divine retribution$7 .ome said it was caused by 6suns ots$7 ( more #ausib#y rea# natura# catastro he& caused #arge#y by oor agricu#tura# methods and eco#ogica# indifference& occurred simu#taneous#y during art of the /reat De ression8 drought and wind storms on the 9orth

2 (merican #ains devastated arts of Texas& O,#ahoma& 9ebras,a& and other areas in the region which soon became ,nown as 6the dust bow#$7 This& combined with what some ca##ed the 6economic dry s e##&7 ro e##ed #arge numbers of oor farmers westward$ Entire fami#ies cou#d be seen riding s#ow freight trains bound for the Pacific :oast states$ :a#ifornia authorities estab#ished a 6border atro#7 to try and ,ee the enni#ess 6O,ies7 0the derogatory name attached to dust bow# victims5 out of that state$ This was on#y one as ect of the dis#ocation& human suffering& and des air that gri ed the nation$ Mi##ions of eo #e in 1241 0two years into the de ression5 were ;ob#ess& home#ess& and ,new not where to turn for he# $ The destructive conse*uences were inca#cu#ab#e$ Livestoc, erished& cro s went unharvested for want of mar,ets& machinery and warehouse inventories deteriorated$ The mar,ets for a## commodities had dried u $ :a ita#ism did not wor,$ The system had fai#ed to satisfy the basic needs of vast sectors of the o u#ation$ The ru#ing c#ass& the ca ita#ists who owned a## the means of roduction& began to rea#i<e that something had to be done to a##eviate the suffering& otherwise socia# dis#ocation and restiveness wou#d turn to revo#ution$ American Trotskyism in the Depression (t that ;uncture the most o#itica##y conscious revo#utionary grou in the -$.$ was the :ommunist League of (merica 0:L(5& ex e##ed from the :ommunist Party in 123= for 6Trots,yism$7 The #eader of this grou was >ames P$ :annon& who #ater in his History of American Trotskyism described decisions and actions ta,en by the :L( in those crucia# years$ He ex #ained that during the first five years of the :L('s existence 0123=!12445 6our sma## numbers& the genera# stagnation in the #abor movement& and the com #ete domination of a## radica# movements by the :ommunist Party& im osed u on us the osition of a faction of the :ommunist Party7 0 $ 11=5$ +ut by 1244 the o#itica# situation was different in this country and internationa##y& as :annon noted$ The :omintern had been shattered by the debac#e in /ermany 0Hit#er's rise to ower with no effective resistance by the .ta#ini<ed /erman :P and :ommunist Internationa#5& and at the fringes of the :ommunist movement it ?.ta#in's :omintern@ was #osing its authority$ Many eo #e& revious#y deaf to anything we said& were awa,ening to an interest in our ideas and criticisms$ On the other hand the masses who had remained dormant and stagnant during the first four years of the catac#ysmic economic crisis& began to stir again$ :annon a#so noted changes in the com osition of the (%L unions$

3 Des ite the great conservatism& the craft!mindedness and the corru tion of the (%L #eadershi & we insisted at a## times that the mi#itants must not se arate themse#ves from this main current of (merican unionism and must not set u artificia# and idea# unions of their own which wou#d be iso#ated from the mass$ The tas, of the revo#utionary mi#itants& as we defined it& was to #unge into the #abor movement as it existed and try to inf#uence it from within$ The (merican %ederation of Labor he#d a convention in October 1244$ This convention& for the first time in many years& recorded a swee ing increase in membershi as a resu#t of the awa,ening of the wor,ers& the stri,es and organi<ation cam aigns which& nine times out of ten& were initiated from be#ow$ The wor,ers were streaming into the various (%L unions without much encouragement or direction from the ossified bureaucracy 0 $ 1315$ Trotskyist olicy in the Trade !nions This union o#icy of the :L( was not shared by most other radica#s of the day$ The :ommunist Party& then in its 6Third Period&7 was trying to bui#d 6revo#utionary unions7 because the (%L was& as they said& a 6socia# fascist7 organi<ation consisting of 6com any unions$7 "hat remained of the I"" was a few 6revo#utionary industria# unions7 trying to win members away from the (%L craft unions and organi<e the unorgani<ed industria# wor,ers$ It was the trade union o#icy of the :L( 0#ater ado ted by the :P5 that guided the radica# wor,ers in (%L unions to victory in 124A in the historic stri,es in Minnea o#is& To#edo& and .an %rancisco$ The :IO movement arose from the strugg#e within the o#d (%L to estab#ish industria# unions& a strugg#e organi<ed by a narrow segment of the union bureaucracy headed by >ohn L$ Lewis$ This segment of the bureaucracy was im e##ed by and res onding to the u surge in the ran,s exem #ified by the three great stri,es of 124A mentioned above$ The formative years of the :IO 0rough#y 124B!4=5 mar,ed an exciting eriod for radica#s in the unions& best described in (rt Preis's history of the :IO& Labors Giant Step. +ut with the advent of "or#d "ar II& whose first hase began in the #ate summer of 1242& ;ust A!B years after the :IO was founded& a big change occurred in the com osition of these new unions& in the socia# consciousness of the union #eadershi & and in the degree of government intervention in and regu#ation of the unions$ T"rn to War# $ot "blic Works# %nded Depression The economic re#ief measures of the )ooseve#t administration& the 69ew Dea#&7 revived commodity roduction and he# ed restore stabi#ity in the monetary system 0beginning with )ooseve#t's dec#aration of a 6ban, ho#iday&7 which sa#vaged many sha,y ban,s caught in the 1243 ban,ing crisis5& but the

4 unem #oyment crisis was not so#ved$ Coung eo #e were ta,en off city streets and out of some rura# areas for training and rehabi#itation in the :ivi#ian :onservation :or s cam s$ (nd tens of thousands of manua# wor,ers& artists& and inte##ectua#s were given wor, 0most of it essentia# to the industria# infra structure5 in the myriad wor,s ro;ects under the federa# Pub#ic "or,s (dministration& #ater the "or,s Progress (dministration 0P"( and "P(5$ +ut a## these government re#ief rograms were continuous#y changing& insecure& and uncertain$ Industria# ;obs were scarce and usua##y tem orary or seasona#$ The best ;obs were those under union contract& often not we## rotected$ The economy never recovered under the 6 um riming7 of the first two )ooseve#t administrations in the years 1243!124=$ In 124= there were sti## 1D mi##ion unem #oyed& down from 14 mi##ion in 1244$ In the second )ooseve#t (dministration serious re aration for war began$ In 124E federa# war s ending was F232 mi##ion& a a#try sum by today's standard$ +y 124= it exceeded F1 bi##ion& never again to di be#ow that figure 0Preis& $ GA5$ Pre aration for the ra id deve#o ment of a huge war industry was under way$ +ut this did not resu#t immediate#y in new ;obs for the unem #oyed$ There was no a reciab#e change in the dai#y #ives of wor,ing eo #e$ In 124= ;obs seemed to be getting harder to find& due main#y to "P( cutbac,s$ Trotsky&s 'bservations of ()*+,-. 9o one in those days understood the o#itica# tenor of the time as we## as Leon Trots,y& who wrote dai#y from his refuge in Mexico on the most ressing socia# issues& es ecia##y the imminence of war$ In 124= he com #eted the draft of the Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, the rogrammatic document u on which the %ourth Internationa# was founded #ater that year$ 0It bore the tit#e T e !eat Agony of "apitalism an# t e Tasks of t e $ourt %nternational.& In this document Trots,y sought to ex #ain how the wor,ing c#ass and the oor in a## sectors of the wor#d cou#d rotect against and eventua##y ha#t the war machine$ 6"ar&7 he wrote& 6is a gigantic commercia# enter rise& es ecia##y for the ?arms@ industry$7 0.ee the Transitional Program, 3nd edition& 9ew Cor,8 Pathfinder& 12GA& $ 21$5 He inserted in the text of the Transitiona# Program a arenthetica# reminder of his ear#ier anti!war dec#aration& 'ar an# t e $ourt %nternational 0124A5& which& he said& 6 reserves a## its force today7 0ibid$& $ ==!25$

5 On the eve of "or#d "ar II 0>u#y 34& 12425 Trots,y was interviewed by a grou of (merican scho#ars 0The :ommittee on :u#tura# )e#ations with Latin (merica& headed by Professor Hubert Herring5$ They as,ed enetrating *uestions& among them8 6"hat vita#ity has the sto !Hit#er b#ocH "hat course wi## .oviet )ussia ta,e in ma,ing an a##iance with +ritain and %ranceH Do you consider it #i,e#y that .ta#in may come to an understanding with Hit#erH6 Trots,y's res onse was ro hetic$ It de ends not on .ta#in& but on Hit#er$ .ta#in has roc#aimed that he is ready to conc#ude an agreement with Hit#er$ Hit#er unti# now re;ected his ro osition$ Possib#y he wi## acce t it$ Hit#er wishes to create for /ermany a wor#d!dominating osition$ The ?fascistH@ rationa#e is on#y a mas,& as for the %rench& +ritish& and (merican em ires democracy is on#y a mas,$ The rea# interest for +ritain is IndiaI for /ermany& to sei<e IndiaI for %rance it is to not #ose the co#oniesI for Ita#y& to sei<e new co#onies$ The co#onies do not have democracy$ If /reat +ritain& for exam #e& fights for democracy it wou#d do we## to start by giving India democracy$ The very democratic Eng#ish eo #e do not give them democracy because they can ex #oit India on#y by dictatoria# means$ /ermany wishes to crush %rance and /reat +ritain$ Moscow is abso#ute#y ready to give Hit#er a free hand& because they ,now very we## that if he is engaged in this destruction )ussia wi## be free for years from attac, from /ermany$ I am sure they wou#d furnish raw materia#s to /ermany during the war under the condition that )ussia stand aside$ .ta#in does not wish a mi#itary a##iance with Hit#er& but an agreement to remain neutra# in the war$ +ut Hit#er is afraid the .oviet -nion can become owerfu# enough to con*uer& in one way or another& )umania& Po#and& and the +a#,an states& during the time /ermany wou#d be engaged in a wor#d war& and so a roach direct#y the /erman frontier$ That is why Hit#er wished to have a reventive war with the .oviet -nion& to crush the .oviet -nion& and after that begin his war for wor#d domination$ +etween these two ossibi#ities& two variants& the /ermans vaci##ate$ "hat wi## be the fina# decision& I cannot forete##$ I am not sure if Hit#er himse#f ,nows today$ .ta#in does not ,now& because he hesitates and continues the discussions with +ritain& and at the same time conc#udes economic and commercia# agreements with /ermany$ He has& as the /ermans say& two irons in the fire$ 0Leon Trots,y . ea,s& $ 4DA!B$5 Thus Trots,y antici ated and redicted the .ta#in!Hit#er act& which was signed one month #ater& (ugust 33&1242$ On .e tember 1 Hit#er's troo s invaded Po#and and "or#d "ar II began$ Trotsky Foresees the /American Cent"ry0 One other rediction by Trots,y on the eve of war shou#d be noted$ He was as,ed a fina# *uestion by the (merican scho#ars who interviewed him8 6"hat wou#d be your advice to the -nited .tates as to its course in internationa# affairsH6

6 Trots,y res onded at #ength to this rovocative *uestion& ma,ing c#ear his o osition to -$.$ im eria#ism& which he was sure wou#d be embroi#ed in the coming war$ +ut beyond this he ventured to redict the war's outcome$ The text of his res onse fo##ows8 I must say that I do not fee# com etent to give advice to the "ashington government because of the same o#itica# reason for which the "ashington government finds it is not necessary to give me a visa$ "e are in a different socia# osition from the "ashington government$ I cou#d give advice to a government which had the same ob;ectives as my own& not to a ca ita#istic government& and the government of the -nited .tates& in s ite of the 9ew Dea#& is& in my o inion& an im eria#istic and ca ita#istic government$ I can on#y say what a revo#utionary government shou#d do J a genuine wor,ers' government in the -nited .tates$ I be#ieve the first thing wou#d be to ex ro riate the .ixty %ami#ies$ It wou#d be a very good measure& not on#y from the nationa# oint of view& but from the oint of view of sett#ing wor#d affairsJ it wou#d be a good exam #e to the other nations$ To nationa#i<e the ban,sI to give& by radica# socia# measures& wor, to the ten or twe#ve mi##ions unem #oyedI to give materia# aid to the farmers to faci#itate free cu#tivation$ I be#ieve that it wou#d signify the rise of the nationa# income of the -nited .tates from FEG bi##ions to F3DD or F4DD bi##ions a year in the next years& because the fo##owing years we cannot foresee the tremendous rise of the materia# ower of this owerfu# nation& and of course such a nation cou#d be the genuine dictator of the wor#d& but a very good one& and I am sure that in this case the fascist countries of Hit#er and Musso#ini& and a## their oor and miserab#e eo #e& wou#d& in the #ast ana#ysis& disa ear from the historica# scene if the -nited .tates& as the economic ower& wou#d find the o#itica# ower to reorgani<e their very sic, economic structure$ I do not see any other outcome& any other so#ution$ "e have during the #ast six or seven years& observed the 9ew Dea# o#itics$ The 9ew Dea# rovo,ed great ho es$ I didn't share their ho es$ I had& here in Mexico& a visit from some conservative senators& two years ago& and they as,ed me if we were sti## in favor of surgica# revo#utionary measures$ I answered& I don't see any others& but if the 9ew Dea# succeeds& I am ready to abandon my revo#utionary conce tion in favor of the 9ew Dea# conce tions$ It did not succeed& and I dare to affirm that if Mr$ )ooseve#t were e#ected for the third term& the 9ew Dea# wou#d not succeed in the third term$ +ut this owerfu# economic body of the -nited .tates& the most owerfu# in the wor#d& is in a state of decom osition$ 9obody has indicated means how to sto this decom osition$ ( who#e new structure must be made& and it cannot be rea#i<ed as #ong as you have the .ixty %ami#ies$ This is why I began with the advice to ex ro riate them$ Two years ago& when your :ongress assed the neutra#ity #aws& I had a discussion with some (merican o#iticians& and I ex ressed my astonishment about the fact that the most owerfu# nation in the wor#d& with such creative ower and technica# genius& does not understand the wor#d situation J that it is their wish to se arate themse#ves from the wor#d by a scra of a er of the #aw of neutra#ity$ If (merican ca ita#ism survives& and it wi## survive for some time& we wi## have in the -nited .tates the most owerfu# im eria#ism and mi#itarism in the wor#d$ "e a#ready see the beginning now$

7 Of course& this armament is& as a fact& creating a new situation$ (rmaments are a#so an enter rise$ To sto the armaments now without a war wou#d cause the greatest socia# crisis in the wor#d J ten mi##ions of unem #oyed$ The crisis wou#d be enough to rovo,e a revo#ution& and the fear of this revo#ution is a#so a reason to continue the armaments& and the armaments become an inde endent factor in history$ It is necessary to uti#i<e them$ Cour ru#ing c#ass had the s#ogan 6O en Door to :hina&7 but what signifies it ?i$e$& what does that meanH@ J on#y by batt#eshi s& in ho e of reserving the 6freedom7 ?from >a anese domination@ of the Pacific Ocean by a tremendous f#eet$ I don't see any other means of defeating ca ita#istic >a an$ "ho is ca ab#e of doing this but the most owerfu# nation in the wor#dH (merica wi## say we don't wish a /erman eace$ >a an is su orted by /erman arms$ "e do not wish an Ita#ian& /erman& >a anese eace$ "e wi## im ose our (merican eace because we are stronger$ It signifies an ex #osion of (merican mi#itarism and im eria#ism$ This is the di#emma& socia#ism or im eria#ism$ Democracy does not answer this *uestion$ This is the advice I wou#d give to the (merican government$ 0Leon Trotsky Speaks, $ 4D=!41D$5 This statement is *uoted in its entirety because it summari<es Trots,y's a reciation of the wor#d o#itica# situation on the eve of "or#d "ar II& far more erce tive than any other o#itica# figure of the time$ Trots,y s o,e in Eng#ish ?which he had not fu##y mastered& ma,ing his s eech sometimes hard to fo##ow@& for which he a o#ogi<ed$ The interview was ta,en in shorthand by one of his secretaries who transcribed it and made a co y for the grou of (merican scho#ars who artici ated$ It was first ub#ished in %ntercontinental Press, .e tember =&12E2$ My ur ose in inc#uding this #engthy *uotation here is to give a sam #e of the advanced o#itica# understanding with which the Trots,yist movement was armed in those days$ This was a great advantage for the .ocia#ist "or,ers Party in the education of its members and for the ideo#ogica# and tactica# re aration of its #eadershi to meet the wartime cha##enges soon to be faced$ The demonstrab#e va#idity of Trots,y's historica# insight was insufficient to revent a near AD ercent s #it from the ."P #ed by defectors from Marxism 0+urnham& .hachtman& and (bern5& a## three of them to #eaders of the ."P rior to the outbrea, of war in Euro e in 1242$ 9or cou#d Trots,y's warnings of the war danger have any effect on the o u#ar consciousness of the -$.$ wor,ing masses$ Their o#itica# thin,ing was conditioned a#most entire#y by their harsh #ife and va#iant strugg#es in the de ression years and by the ro! war ro aganda of the )ooseve#t administration and the mass media$ American Trotkysism on the %ve of World War II The dai#y activity of the ."P on the eve of "or#d "ar II was most#y centered on the strugg#es of the wor,ing c#ass& stri,e actions& unem #oyed

8 demonstrations& defense of union gains& artici ation in union o#itics and union caucus formations& organi<ing new unions& recruiting new members to the arty& and distributing arty #iterature$ The gathering war c#ouds cast their shadow over a## our activity& but the im ending war was not an obsession with us$ "e ,new it was coming and we thought we were re ared to meet whatever cha##enges it might bring$ (fter the outbrea, of war in Euro e an Emergency :onference of the %ourth Internationa#& he#d in 9ew Cor, May 12!3E& 12AD& ado ted a manifesto 0written by Trots,y5& 6Im eria#ist "ar and the Pro#etarian "or#d )evo#ution$7 This #engthy manifesto stated 6o en#y and c#ear#y how it 0the %I5 views this war and its artici ants& how it eva#uates the war o#icies of various #abor organi<ations& and& most im ortant& what is the way out to eace& freedom and #enty$7 Its conc#uding sections succinct#y out#ined what to do8 6The tas, which is osed by history is not to su ort one art of the im eria#ist system against another but to ma,e an end of the system as a who#e$7 It argued that wor,ers must #earn mi#itary arts8 6(## the great *uestions wi## be decided in the next e och arms in hand$7 (nd it ca##ed for wor#d revo#ution to end the s#aughter and destruction and reorgani<e a eacefu# wor#d8 6?"e@ carry on constant& ersistent& tire#ess re aration of the revo#ution J in the factories& in the mi##s& in the vi##ages& in the barrac,s& at the front and in the f#eet$7 1"ne ()-. Disc"ssions 2ith Trotsky: 3ilitary olicy ( sma## de#egation of ."P #eaders& headed by :annon and %arre## Dobbs& met with Trots,y in :oyoacan& >une 13!1B&12AD$ Other artici ants were (ntoinette Koni,ow& .am /ordon& >ose h Hansen& :har#es :orne## ?:har#ie :urtiss@& and Haro#d )obbins$ The ur ose was to begin to deve#o a wartime anti!war strategy for the ."P$ Trots,y out#ined his ro osa#s$ The fo##owing excer ts from exchanges between :annon and Trots,y essentia##y ex ress Trots,y's osition8 T. The state is now organi<ing tremendous mi#itary machines with mi##ions of men$ 9o #onger do we have ;ust the sma## ossibi#ities of defense guards but the wide ossibi#ities given by the bourgeois state itse#f$ ". :an this ta,e the form of reso#utions to the trade unionsH Do we demand mi#itary e*ui ment& training& etc$H "hat about the ossibi#ity of confusing us with the atriotsH T. Partia# confusion is inevitab#e& es ecia##y at the beginning$ +ut we #ace our who#e agitation on a c#ass basis$ "e are against the bourgeois officers who treat you #i,e catt#e& who use you for cannon!fodder$ "e are concerned about the deaths of wor,ers& un#i,e the bourgeois officers$ "e want wor,ers' officers$

9 "e can say to the wor,ers8 "e are ready for revo#ution$ +ut you aren't ready$ +ut both of us want our own wor,ers' officers in this situation$ "e want s ecia# wor,ers' schoo#s which wi## train us to be officers$ ". The 9ew Cor, Times ;ust rinted an editoria# advocating universa# mi#itary training$ Do we agree with thatH T. Ces$ That is correct J but under contro# of our own organi<ations$ ". Doesn't this #ine ma,e a very shar brea, with the acifists such as 9orman Thomas and the Kee (merica Out of "ar outfitsH %or a #ong time our agitation has been abstract$ It was against war in genera#$ On#y revo#ution can sto war$ Hence we favor universa# training$ The difficu#ty is to ma,e c#ear that we are rea##y against war$ "e need very c#ear and recise formu#ations$ It signifies too a re!education of our own movement$ The youth has been im regnated with an anti!mi#itarist and esca ist attitude toward war$ (#ready many have as,ed about going to Mexico in order to hide out$ Our ro aganda is not sufficient#y se arated from that of the acifists$ "e say there must be no warL (t the same time we say we can't avoid warL There is a #in, missing somewhere$ (## *uestions wi## be so#ved with war$ Mere o osition can't signify anything$ +ut the rob#em which re*uires formu#ation is ma,ing ourse#ves distinct from the atriots$ (oniko)* "hat about our s#ogans such as 6not a cent for war7H T. .u ose we had a senator$ He wou#d introduce a bi## in favor of training cam s for wor,ers$ He might as, BDD mi##ions for it$ (t the same time he wou#d vote against the mi#itary budget because it is contro##ed by c#ass enemies$ "e can't ex ro riate the bourgeoisie at resent& so we a##ow them to ex #oit the wor,ers$ +ut we try to rotect the wor,ers with trade unions$ The courts are bourgeois but we don't boycott them as do the anarchists$ "e try to use them and fight within them$ Li,ewise with ar#iaments$ "e are enemies of the bourgeoisie and its institutions& but we uti#i<e them$ "ar is a bourgeois institution& a thousand times more owerfu# than a## the other bourgeois institutions$ "e acce t it as a fact& #i,e the bourgeois schoo#s& and try to uti#i<e it$ Pacifists acce t everything bourgeois but mi#itarism$ They acce t the schoo#s& the ar#iament& the courts& without *uestion$ Everything is good in eacetime$ +ut mi#itarism& which is ;ust as much bourgeois as the restH 9o& they draw bac, and say we don't want any of that$ The Marxists try to uti#i<e war #i,e any other bourgeois institution$ It is c#ear now that in the next eriod our o osition to mi#itarism wi## constitute the base for our ro agandaI our agitation wi## be for the training of the masses$ Our mi#itary transitiona# rogram is an agitationa# rogram$ Our socia#ist revo#utionary rogram is ro aganda$ 1"ne ()-. Disc"ssions 2ith Trotsky: !nion To2ard C olicy and olicy

The other *uestion discussed at these meetings was ."P fractions in the union movement& the arty's trade union o#icy$ In genera# the ."P had b#oc,ed with so!ca##ed rogressives and mi#itant activists against the .ta#inists in a## situations where the .ta#inists sought inf#uence or contro##ed the union a aratus& as in the Minnea o#is Teamsters and in the auto and maritime industries$ Trots,y argued that the war situation and the .ta#inist o osition

10 to war after the signing of the .ta#in!Hit#er Pact re*uired a tactica# change in the ."P's trade union o#icy$ He argued for an aggressive a ea# to .ta#inist union members for united action against the war #ans of the )ooseve#t administration& and for endorsement of +rowder 0the :P candidate5 for resident in the 12AD genera# e#ection against )ooseve#t$ The fo##owing excer ts from the discussion are ty ica# of the differences that deve#o ed between Trots,y and the others& articu#ated most decisive#y by :annon$ T. Theoretica##y it is ossib#e to su ort the .ta#inist candidate$ It is a way of a roaching the .ta#inist wor,ers$ "e can say& yes& we ,now this candidate$ +ut we wi## give critica# su ort$ "e can re eat on a sma## sca#e what we wou#d do if Lewis were nominated$ Theoretica##y it is not im ossib#e$ It wou#d be very difficu#t it is trueJbut then it is on#y an ana#ysis$ They of course wou#d say& we don't need your su ort$ "e wou#d answer& we don't su ort you but the wor,ers who su ort you$ "e warn them but go through the ex erience with them$ These #eaders wi## betray you$ It is necessary to find an a roach to the .ta#inist arty$ Theoretica##y it is not im ossib#e to su ort their candidate with very shar warnings$ It wou#d sei<e them$ "hatH HowH$$$ The rogressive e#ements o ose the .ta#inists but we don't win many rogressive e#ements$ Everywhere we meet .ta#inists$ How to brea, the .ta#inist artyH The su ort of the rogressives is not stab#e$ It is found at the to of the union rather than as a ran, and fi#e current$ 9ow with the war we wi## have these rogressives against us$ "e need a stronger base in the ran,s$ There are sma## Tobins on whom we de end$ They de end on the big Tobins$ They on )ooseve#t$ This hase is inevitab#e$ It o ened the door for us in the trade unions$ +ut it can become dangerous$ "e can't de end on those e#ements or their sentiments$ "e wi## #ose them and iso#ate ourse#ves from the .ta#inist wor,ers$ 9ow we have no attitude toward them$ +urnham and .hachtman o osed an active attitude toward the .ta#inists$ They are not an accident but a crysta##i<ation of (merican wor,ers abuse by Moscow$ They re resent a who#e eriod from 121G u to date$ "e can't move without them$ The coincidence between their s#ogans and ours is transitory& but it can give us a bridge to these wor,ers$ The *uestion must be examined$ If ersecutions shou#d begin tomorrow& it wou#d begin first against them& second against us$ The honest& hard members wi## remain true$ The rogressives are a ty e in the #eadershi $ The ran, and fi#e are dis*uieted& unconscious#y revo#utionary$ 0'ritings of Leon Trotsky, 1242!AD& $ 3E4$5 ". They ?the :P@ wi## robab#y ma,e a change before we return$ "e must exercise great caution in dea#ing with the .ta#inists in order not to com romise ourse#ves$ Cesterday's discussion too, a one!sided channe# regarding our re#ations in the unions& that we act on#y as attorneys for the rogressive #abor fa,ers$ This is very fa#se$ Our ob;ective is to create our own forces$ The rob#em is how to begin$ (## sectarians are inde endent forcesJin their own imagination$ Cour im ression that the anti!.ta#inists are riva# #abor fa,ers is not *uite correct$ It has that as ect& but it has other as ects too$ "ithout o osition to the .ta#inists we have no reason for existing in the unions$ "e start as o ositionists and become irreconci#ab#e$ "here sma##

11 grou s brea, their nec,s is that they scorn maneuvers and combinations and never conso#idate anything$ (t the o osite extreme is the Lovestone grou $ In the .-P 0.ai#ors -nion of the Pacific5 we began without any members& the way we usua##y begin$ - to the time of the war it was hard to find more fruitfu# ground than the anti!.ta#inist e#ements$ "e began with this idea& that it is im ossib#e to #ay a ro#e in the unions un#ess you have eo #e in the unions$ "ith a sma## arty& the ossibi#ity to enter is the first essentia#$ In the .-P we made combination with syndica#ist e#ements$ It was an exce tiona# situation& a sma## wea, bureaucracy& most of whose o#icies were correct and which was against the .ta#inists$ It was incom rehensib#e that we cou#d #ay any ro#e exce t as an o osition to the .ta#inists who were the most treacherous e#ements in the situation$ "e formed a tactica# b#oc with the one ossibi#ity to enter the union free#y$ "e were wea, numerica##y& strong o#itica##y$ The rogressives grew& defeated the .ta#inists$ "e grew too$ "e have fifty members and may ossess soon fifty more$ "e fo##owed a very carefu# o#icy J not to have shar c#ashes which were not necessary anyway so far& so as not to bring about a remature s #it J not to #et the main fight against the .ta#inists be obscured$ The maritime unions are an im ortant section in the fie#d$ Our first enemy there is the .ta#inists$ They are the big rob#em$ In new unions such as the maritime& which in rea#ity surged forward in 124A& shattering the o#d bureaucracy& the .ta#inists came to the fore$ The o#d!fashioned craft unionists cannot revai# against the .ta#inists$ The strugg#e for contro# is between us and the .ta#inists$ "e have to be carefu# not to com romise this fight$ "e must be the c#assica# intransigent force$ The .ta#inists gained owerfu# ositions in these unions& es ecia##y in the auto union$ The Lovestoneites fo##owed the o#icy out#ined by Trots,y yesterday J attorneys for the #abor fa,ers& es ecia##y in auto$ They disa eared from the scene$ "e fo##owed a more carefu# o#icy$ "e tried to ex #oit the differences between the Martin gang and the .ta#inists$ %or a whi#e we were the #eft wing of the Martin outfit& but we extricated ourse#ves in the ro er time$ (uto is ostensib#y :IO but in rea#ity the .ta#inists are in contro#$ 9ow we are coming forward as the #eading and ins iring circ#e in the ran, and fi#e that has no to #eaders& that is anti!.ta#inist& anti! atriotic& anti!Lewis$ "e have every chance for success$ "e must not over#oo, the ossibi#ity that these chances deve#o ed from ex eriments in the ast eriod to ex #oit differences between the union to s$ If we had ta,en a sectarian attitude we wou#d sti## be there$ In the food unions there was an inchoate o osition to the .ta#inists$ There were office!see,ers& rogressives& former :Pers$ "e have on#y a few eo #e$ "e must #in, ourse#ves with one or the other to come forward$ Later we wi## be ab#e to come forward$ Two things can com romise us8 One& confusion with the .ta#inists$ Two& a urist attitude$ If we imagine ourse#ves a ower& ignoring the differences between the reactionary wings& we wi## remain steri#e$ 0'ritings of Leon Trotsky, $ 3E2!G15 T. I wou#d be very g#ad to hear even one sing#e word from you on o#icy in regard to the residentia# e#ection$ ". It is not entire#y correct to ose the rob#em in that way$ "e are not with the ro!)ooseve#t mi#itants$ "e deve#o ed when the .ta#inists were ro! )ooseve#tian$ Their resent attitude is con;unctura#$ It is not correct that we #ean toward )ooseve#t$ :omrade Trots,y's o#emic is a o#emic for an inde endent candidate$ If we were o osed to that then his account wou#d be

12 correct$ %or technica# reasons we can't have an inde endent candidate$ The rea# answer is inde endent o#itics$ It is a fa#se issue8 )ooseve#t vs$ the .ta#inists$ It is not a bona fide c#ass o osition to )ooseve#t$ Possib#y we cou#d su ort +rowder against )ooseve#t& but +rowder wou#d not on#y re udiate our votes& but wou#d withdraw in favor of )ooseve#t$ T. I ro ose a com romise$ I wi## eva#uate +rowder BD ercent #ower than I estimate him now in return for BD ercent more interest from you in the .ta#inist arty$ ". It has many com #ications$ 0'ritings, $ 3GB5 World War II Deepens "ithin a few months fo##owing these discussions far!reaching events wou#d cast them in a new #ight$ (t the beginning of >une 12AD& Hit#er seemed on the verge of victory$ The /erman attac, on the (##ied evacuation at Dun,ir, ,i##ed GD&DDD +ritish troo s$ Later that month %rance ca itu#ated to /ermany$ (nd in >u#y the /erman air bombardment of +ritain began$ Trots,y was assassinated by an agent of .ta#in& (ugust 3D&12AD$ Less than a year #ater Hit#er invaded the .oviet -nion& >une 33& 12A1$ The im act of these wor#d!shattering events was much different in Euro e than in the -nited .tates$ The )ooseve#t administration was im e##ed to ste u its war re arations$ +ut it was restrained by o u#ar anti!war sentiment and by an iso#ationist b#oc in the -$.$ :ongress headed by .enator Taft$ 9ot unti# ear#y 12A1 0after the residentia# e#ection5 was )ooseve#t in a osition to ta,e decisive measures$ He then signed the controversia# Lend!Lease (greement with the be#eaguered (##ies to roduce and de#iver war materia#s$ The second measure ta,en by )ooseve#t came in >une 12A1 when %+I agents raided the branch offices of the .ocia#ist "or,ers Party in .t$ Pau# and Minnea o#is$ (n indictment drawn u by the >ustice De artment was soon handed down by a federa# grand ;ury against 32 men and women& a## members of the Minnea o#is Teamster movement andMor the .ocia#ist "or,ers Party$ These moves were c#ear signa#s that the government was re aring on a## fronts to enter the war$ -$.$ industry began shifting to war roduction and the machinery of thought contro# went hand in g#ove with this$ Po#itica# activists& both in the cam of the ru#ing c#ass and in the unions and other wor,ing c#ass organi<ations& were beginning to rea#i<e that a great change in the economic and socia# structure of the country was under way& causing extensive debate and dissension in ru#ing c#ass circ#es$ %or the vast ma;ority of wor,ing eo #e it meant that new ;obs were o ening u $ Many who never before had a regu#ar ;ob now found wor, in some shi yards that were being bui#t and in air #ane

13 #ants and some other new industria# sites$ +ut the mass consciousness condition?ed@ by the De ression era remained$ 3ore on 4W &s 3ilitary olicy The #eaders of the .ocia#ist "or,ers Party did not doubt at that time that the ro#etarian mi#itary o#icy out#ined by Trots,y wou#d become a usefu# device to mobi#i<e wor,ers and so#diers in their own defense during the war& on the home front and in batt#e$ ( P#enum!:onference of the ."P in :hicago on .e tember 3G!32&12AD& concurred in the mi#itary o#icy and ado ted the main re ort by :annon on this sub;ect in which he said 0among other things5& "e are under great ressure and wi## be under sti## greater ressure$ "e ,now that we are dea#ing with a murderous machine in .ta#in's /P-$ "e ,now that :omrade Trots,y was not the first& and robab#y wi## not be the #ast& victim of this murder machine$ Our arty must a#so ex ect ersecutions from the "a## .treet government$ This conference began with a moment of si#ence in memory of Trots,y& 6our greatest teacher and comrade and our most g#orious martyr$7 On the decisive *uestions of mi#itary service and su war& :annon's re ort stated unambiguous#y& ort of the im eria#ist

"e say it is a good thing for the wor,ers now to be trained in the use of arms$ "e are& in fact& in favor of com u#sory mi#itary training of the ro#etariat$ "e are in favor of every union going on record for this idea$ "e want the ro#etariat to be we## trained and e*ui ed to #ay the mi#itary game$ The on#y thing we ob;ect to is the #eadershi of a c#ass that we don't trust$ :annon a#so gave a re ort on .ta#inism and the ."P union discussed with Trots,y$ He said& o#icy& as

I thin, this is one time we disagreed with Trots,y correct#y$ 9everthe#ess we have a## rea#i<ed that we must devise a more f#exib#e tactic towards the :P and #oo, for suitab#e occasions& as #ong as they es ouse this semiradica# #ine 0The Can,s (re 9ot :omingL5& to enetrate their ran,s& by means of united front ro osa#s$ 0T e Socialist 'orkers Party in 'orl# 'ar %%, $ =G$5 Of course this ros ect ended when Hit#er's armies invaded the .oviet -nion$ The :P -.( then became (merica's #eading ;ingoists$ They thought the wartime a##iance between (merican ca ita#ism and the .oviet -nion wou#d #ast forever$ The 3inneapolis Trial

14 In the so!ca##ed .edition Tria#& the Minnea o#is tria# of Trots,yist #eaders which began October 3G&12A1& :annon answered a series of *uestions on the ."P's Pro#etarian Mi#itary Po#icy$ He re eated that the arty was in su ort of conscri tion& 6universa# mi#itary training$7 He a#so ex #ained that the arty o osed a## im eria#ist wars$ 0Socialism on Trial, $ AD!BD$5 6It is abso#ute#y true that Hit#er wants to dominate the wor#d&7 he said& but we thin, it is e*ua##y true that the ru#ing grou of (merican ca ita#ists has the same idea and we are not in favor of either of them$ "e do not thin, that the .ixty %ami#ies who own (merica want to wage this war for some sacred rinci #e of democracy$ "e thin, they are the greatest enemies of democracy here at home$ "e thin, they wou#d on#y use the o ortunity of a war to e#iminate a## civi# #iberties at home& to get the best imitation of fascism they can ossib#y get$ The Trots,yists were c#eared of the sedition charge& found gui#ty of vio#ating the .mith (ct 0of *uestionab#e constitutiona#ity5& and sentenced on Dec$ =&12A1& the day the -$.$ :ongress dec#ared war& fo##owing the >a anese attac, at Pear# Harbor$ %rom that day on the condition of #ife in the -nited .tates was destined for changes revious#y un,nown$ After earl Harbor The )ooseve#t administration had everything in #ace to start the war machine ro##ing$ Thousands of new mi#itary recruits were *uic,#y inducted and sent off to training cam s$ %actory gates o ened to a f#ood of new wor,ers& who went on com any ayro##s under the cost! #us agreement between government and industry8 the government aid the cost and industry co##ected the #us& which was the rofit mar,!u for ca ita#ist management$ (t first this seemed #i,e a minor mirac#e& a wor#d of unem #oyment and misery transformed into ;obs for everyone and *uic,#y bui#t housing ro;ects near the #aces of wor,$ +#ac,s and other minorities began to find wor, in industries where on#y whites had revious#y been em #oyed$ (nd women were given new #ife& freed from the drudgery and monotony of chi#d care and house wor,$ (uxi#iary units of the mi#itary were created for women recruits in a## branches of the armed forces$ "omen wor,ers were needed in industry$ Everybody seemed ha y at first exce t those draft victims who were rushed off to war and got caught on the ,i##ing fie#ds and in the s#aughter ens$ In 9orth (merica& es ecia##y in the -nited .tates& #ife was she#tered from the fu## im act of war$ There were no air raids$ :ities were not bombed or she##ed$ +ut even so there was hardshi and discontent$ (s the war dragged on the casua#ties mounted$ :onsumer goods grew scarcer and more ex ensive$

15 The rationing system im osed by government decree gave rise to corru tion and created a b#ac, mar,et$ "ages were fro<en$ The government tried to free<e ;obs to revent wor,ers from #eaving #ow! aid ;obs for ones that aid more$ (## socia# institutions ex erienced drastic change during the war& the schoo#s& the rather rimitive hea#th care system& the churches& and even the governmenta# structure at a## #eve#s$ Much of this was hard#y erce tib#e& or went #arge#y unnoticed and was oor#y understood$ The under#ying assum tion was that wartime conditions were tem orary& that after the war things wou#d revert to the rewar status *uo$ Chan5es in the !nions The unions a#so underwent rofound changes& robab#y more than most other organi<ations$ This was true of the organi<ationa# structure& but a#so 0 erha s more so5 of the #eadershi and hired officia#dom$ In 12AD the combined membershi of a## unions J (%L& :IO& )ai#road brotherhoods& and inde endents J was =&2AA&DDD$ In 12AB& at the end of "or#d "ar II& tota# union membershi was 1A&G2E&DDD& an increase of near#y E mi##ion$ 0+ureau of Labor .tatistics& History of Labor, 12GE$5 In exchange for the wartime no!stri,e #edge and other commitments by to union officia#s& the )ooseve#t administration conceded the union sho and dues chec,!off in war industries$ This is what accounted for the ra id growth of union membershi $ Mi##ions of wor,ers who had never before be#onged to unions sudden#y became union members$ Their union dues were deducted from their aychec,s$ Many were hard#y aware that they were union members and attended union meetings& if at a##& on#y to be initiated 0in the case of some anti*uated (%L craft unions and the )ai#road brotherhoods5$ This inf#ux of inex erienced union members changed the character of the union movement without noticeab#e conse*uences at first$ Even greater changes too, #ace in the com osition and socia# consciousness of the union bureaucracy$ -nion treasuries sudden#y had more money than the officia#s ,new what to do with$ 9ew union head*uarters were bui#t or contracted for and new office s ace was rented$ (## this was obvious#y necessary& they said& to accommodate the #arge numbers of new union officers hired to 6service the needs of the growing membershi $7 Most of these new officers were friends of incumbent officia#s& a ointed 0in some cases5 to avoid the draft$ -nder these changing circumstances even o#d!#ine& stri,e!hardened union mi#itants who had won union e#ections and en;oyed o u#ar su ort

16 soon came to regard their commitment to the )ooseve#t administration as more im ortant than their ob#igation to the union and its members$ (nd if some of them began to have doubts about this& they were reminded that they cou#d be drafted into the army if they fai#ed to remember that one of their duties as union officia#s was to he# enforce the no!stri,e #edge$ Wartime 4trikes Nuite a #ot has been written since the war about unions during the war$ Martin /#aberman's boo,& 'artime Strikes* T e Struggle Against t e +o, Strike Ple#ge in t e -A' #uring 'orl# 'ar %%, received favorab#e attention when it a eared in 12=D and sti## serves as a usefu# source of information$ It was reviewed by 9e#son Lichtenstein 0in the maga<ine Labor History5$ He wrote8 Throughout his boo,& /#aberman #eaves the im ression that wi#dcat stri,es were a s ontaneous u surge from a #eader#ess unorgani<ed ran, and fi#e$ -ndoubted#y some stri,es of this sort occurred& but for the most art even the numerous de artmenta# 6*uic,ie7 sto ages too, #ace under the informa# #eadershi of union!conscious mi#itants& who were unwi##ing to #et the -("'s nationa# commitment to the no!stri,e #edge stand in the way of what they considered the effective and traditiona# defense of ran, and fi#e interests$ (nd as /#aberman himse#f records& many of the #argest and most o#itica##y ins ired wor, sto ages were actua##y #ed by e#ected #oca# officia#s$ Lichtenstein's basic criticism was that 6/#aberman's ana#ysis is rooted in the o#itica# tradition whose chief s o,esman was the Marxist activist and theoretician& :$ L$ )$ >ames&7 certain#y a va#id criticism in most res ects$ /#aberman c#aimed that those sections of the wor,ing c#ass who were re#ative#y new to the factories& such as women and .outhern immigrants& were #east #i,e#y to acce t 6the disci #ine of factory wor, and disci #ine of the union$7 Lichtenstein countered this hy othesis with the fo##owing observation of what ha ened$ The inf#ux of new industria# recruits certain#y disru ted the usua# attern of factory #ife and di#uted union inf#uence& but their resence a#one hard#y ex #ains the intensity or the #ocation of sho f#oor mi#itancy$ Of far greater im ort was an o ositiona# infrastructure and a reexisting tradition of strugg#e into which these new wor,ers cou#d be accu#turated$ The center of auto wor,er mi#itancy during the war came not in new factories #i,e "i##ow )un or the other aircraft #ants recent#y bui#t in Texas and .outhern :a#ifornia& but at Dodge Main& +riggs and other Detroit area sho s where union traditions had their dee est roots$ Here a dense sho steward system& a history of #oca# activism and a radica# o#itica# mi#ieu gave organi<ationa# and socia# coherence to the inchoate rebe##iousness of wor,ers new and o#d$

17 One of the best accounts of union activity during "or#d "ar II is by (rt Preis in Labors Giant Step, which consists 0in dea#ing with the wartime stri,es5 most#y of materia# and im ressions gained during the war by Preis as an on!the!scene re orter for the ."P news a er T e .ilitant. His cha ters on how the 12A4 Mine "or,ers stri,es were won and the coerced sett#ement of the threatened rai# stri,e and wa#,outs in stee# are unsur assed accounts of those momentous wartime events$ 6The trium h of the miners and the rai# #abor u surge& #us an a#most continuous rash of unauthori<ed de artmenta# and #ant stri,es in the :#O!organi<ed industries& forced Murray and the other :IO #eaders to ma,e some gestures in the direction of a fight for the wor,ers' interests$ Late in 9ovember and in December 012A45& the :IO in stee#& a#uminum& auto& texti#es and even in the e#ectrica# e*ui ment industry where .ta#inists dominated the union& advanced demands from 1D to 1G cents an hour&7 Preis wrote 0 $ 3DD5$ These demands for wage increases during the war were geared to the rising cost of #iving& as underscored by the union officia#s& and were not intended as 6a threat to the war effort$7 War Ind"stry and 6acial Conflict The wartime inf#ux of new members into the unions had other conse*uences far different from the rising mi#itancy caused by growing economic hardshi s$ One was a shar rise in racia# tensions$ +ert :ochran described the situation in Detroit$ (s Michigan became a ma;or war roduction center& there was an ingathering of masses of new wor,ers& many from the .outh$ +y mid!12A1 in Detroit a#one there were over 4BD&DDD new wor,ers& BD&DDD of them +#ac,s$ 9o rovisions worth ta#,ing about had been made to accommodate the newcomers$ (## faci#ities were monstrous#y overcrowdedI there was an acute housing shortageI the +#ac,s& who were forced into decaying& infested ghetto s#ums and were hemmed in by wa##s of hatred& turned su##en$ Here and there& f#urries of wi#dcat stri,es staged by white wor,ers o osing the transference and em #oyment of +#ac,s on defense wor, agitated the industria# scene$ :ochran mentions one of the #argest& most threatening of the wi#d cats$ In ( ri# 12A4& 3B&DDD whites struc, the Pac,ard #ant in reta#iation for a brief sit!down of +#ac,s rotesting their not being romoted& and )$ >$ Thomas 0-(" Internationa# President5 was ;eered when he tried to get the stri,ers to return to wor,$ In >une the accumu#ating socia# dynamite set off the b#ast of a ma;or race riot that went on for three days& resu#ting in 4A dead& hundreds in;ured& mi##ions of do##ars #ost in ro erty damage& and was on#y *ue##ed when federa# troo s were moved in$ The conduct of a## -(" officia#s was exem #ary in trying to defuse the hosti#ities$ 0Labor an# "ommunism, $ 331$5

18 In a footnote :ochran ex anded on the ro#e of the :IO in combating racism$ 6The :IO changed the face of race re#ations in (merican unionism$ The affi#iated unions o ened their doors to a## +#ac, wor,ers on an e*ua# basis$ /one were the constitutiona# bars& segregated #oca#s& secret >im :row ritua#s that disfigured the (%L and )ai#road +rotherhoods$ It was an achievement of the first order&7 he said$ Of course there were many racist :IO officia#s$ +ut the :IO o#icy was anti!racist$ This he# ed to curb racist racticesI and the encouragement and rotection it afforded +#ac, wor,ers contributed to the movement that arose #aterJthe :ivi# )ights movement of the 12BDs and 'EDs and the growth of +#ac, 9ationa#ism& a## resu#ting in the demise of >im :row in the .outh$ 0That was one resu#t of changes in industry during "or#d "ar II that had ositive effects #ater$5 Less 1in5oism D"rin5 World War II During "or#d "ar II there was much #ess of the ;ingoism that characteri<ed the first wor#d war$ I thin, this can be attributed main#y to the mass socia# consciousness generated by the /reat De ression$ This was the ground that nurtured the :IO movement of the 124Ds and it carried over through "or#d "ar II$ +ut during the war the re!war hatred and distrust of ca ita#ism as an economic and socia# system moderated a reciab#y because of the threat of fascism& a seeming#y a#ien force against which the nation was united$ 0It was genera##y not recogni<ed that fascism was ;ust another face of im eria#ism& a articu#ar manifestation of the wor#dwide death agony of ca ita#ism in its mono o#y!ca ita#ist& im eria#ist hase& with the rise of finance ca ita# to dominance$5 The c#ass strugg#e #ost some of its edge during the war when the government became the acce ted fina# arbiter$ /overnmenta# authority was sustained and enhanced by the o#icy of the )ooseve#t administration to a ear to com romise and to ma,e minor concessions to organi<ed #abor$ The government's mi#itary training rogram and its conduct of the war met #itt#e or no o osition from the conscri t army$ 9ot unti# the end of the war in Euro e was there any serious unrest or signs of revo#t in the -$.$ armed forces$ The 6+ring -s Home7 demonstrations in 12AB at the end of fighting in Euro e were caused by war weariness and a sense among the so#diers of 6a ;ob we## done J now it's time for us to go home$7 Those in the Euro ean theater resented the ros ect of being shi ed off to the Pacific$ (nd those in the Pacific thought they had been there #ong enough and were demanding re #acements$ These sentiments were shared by many commissioned officers$ 4W &s roletarian 3ilitary olicy

19 The ."P's ro#etarian mi#itary o#icy determined the attitude of arty members toward the draft& service in the mi#itary& and to some extent our re#ations with other radica#s$ It a#so affected indirect#y our union activity during the war$ In industry our comrades never a eared to be draft dodgers& a#though I ,now of no cases where any one of us rushed to vo#unteer$ Our auto fractions and erha s others must have introduced some reso#utions& from time to time& for mi#itary training under union contro#$ +ut I don't ,now of any unions that ado ted such reso#utions$ I don't thin, very many union members during the war cou#d understand the need for such a reso#ution& nor wou#d they be#ieve that it cou#d be im #emented if ado ted$ There was never& to my ,now#edge& any o u#ar outcry against mistreatment of so#diers by their officers$ This never became an agitationa# issue$ It remained a ro aganda *uestion and never went far beyond the ages of the .ilitant. It was seen at the time as an educationa# matter& something to be ta,en u #ater as changing conditions dictated$ (t the ."P nationa# convention he#d in 9ew Cor, in October 12A3 the arty honored the memory of 6five of her best and most devoted sons who served the arty and the wor,ing c#ass in the most dangerous osts as merchant seamen$7 It a#so noted that arty membershi was growing& es ecia##y the industria# fractions in auto and maritime$ (nd this trend continued during the entire course of the war$ The %nd of the War and the 7"estion of 6evol"tion "hen the war fina##y ended with the dro ing of the atom bombs and the surrender of >a an the resu#t was not what a#most every ."P member had confident#y ex ected$ "e be#ieved that -$.$ im eria#ism wou#d not survive the rigors of war& nor did we ex ect the .ta#inist bureaucracy to endure$ +ut when "or#d "ar II forma##y and officia##y ended both -$.$ im eria#ism and the .oviet bureaucracy a eared to be the so#e remaining mi#itary owers& and both seemed to be stronger than when the war began$ This& however& did not mean that the wor,ing c#ass was exhausted and defeated$ Even before the /erman surrender& Hit#er's artner in Ita#y had been u##ed from ower by the Ita#ian wor,ers and hanged by his hee#s$ (nd there were revo#utionary u risings and signs of revo#ution in %rance& in the +a#,ans& in (#geria& and in /reece as the war machine ground to a ha#t$ "hen the .ilitant head#ine b#ared 6THE)E I. 9O PE(:EL7 at the very moment when the (##ied owers were roc#aiming victory and romising eace& there was #enty of evidence that the im eria#ist war wou#d yet s awn civi# wars and

20 revo#utions$ (nd this is what did ha en in the remaining years of the 12ADs& ca ed by the :hinese revo#ution in 12A2$ The ru#ing c#ass in both cam s 0that of 6democracy7 and that of 6fascism75 were acute#y aware of the dangers to them of ro#etarian revo#ution& and on both sides they too, measures to head off this eventua#ity$ The Euro ean Trots,yist Ernest Mande#& in his boo, T e .eaning of t e Secon# 'orl# 'ar 0 ub#ished first in 12=E5& wrote8 It was& however& true that from the autumn of 12A4 onward authoritative re resentatives of /erman big business and ban,ing conscious#y re ared for a radica# change of economic orientation and foreign economic o#icy in the direction of integration into a wor#d mar,et dominated by -. im eria#ism$ This invo#ved a good dea# of medium! and #ong!term #anning& a reconversion of armaments into civi#ian roduction& the re aration of an ex ort drive& and a radica# currency reform in order to ma,e the /erman Mar, convertib#e once again 0 $ 1BA5$ The mi#itary so#ution at war's end destroyed the ear#y ho es of /erman ca ita#ists& but the ostwar moves of the -$.$ re,ind#ed those ho es$ "hen (merican im eria#ism decided against maintaining /ermany& >a an and Ita#y in a state of economic rostration and moved towards the Marsha## P#an ?12AG@ and the monetary reforms of 12A=& the second stage of the :o#d "ar became unavoidab#e$ Through the o eration of the Marsha## P#an and the Euro ean Payments -nion #in,ed to it& artici ating countries were integrated into a wor#d mar,et ru#ed by the #aw of va#ue& with the -. do##ar as universa# means of exchange and ayment& and -. o#itica# and mi#itary ower the secu#ar arm of that saint#y ru#e 0 $ 1EA5$ This gave /erman ca ita#ism a new #ease on #ife$ At War&s %nd# 8ack to Depression9 In the -$.$ few of the fears that demi#itari<ation wou#d see the return of De ression!era conditions& mass unem #oyment& and a stagnant economy& materia#i<ed$ Instead the transition to eacetime seemed re#ative#y easy to most wor,ers and returning so#diers$ There were two reasons for this$ The first was the wor#dwide destruction wrought by the war$ (nd the other was the -$.$ o#icy designed to rovide a #iving income at home to discharged so#diers& ,nown as the /I +i## of )ights$ The extensive materia# and mora# destruction of the war was never fu##y fe#t or understood in (merica$ The Euro eans had ex erienced it different#y$ Mande# described what it was8 The #egacy of destruction #eft by "or#d "ar II is staggering$ Eighty mi##ion eo #e were ,i##ed& if one inc#udes those who died of starvation and i##ness as a

21 direct resu#t of the war J eight times as many as during "or#d "ar I$ Do<ens of cities were virtua##y tota##y destroyed& es ecia##y in >a an and /ermany$ Materia# resources ca ab#e of feeding& c#othing& housing& e*ui ing a## the oor of this wor#d were wasted for ure#y destructive ur oses$ %orests were torn down and agricu#tura# #and converted into waste#and on a sca#e not witnessed since the Thirty Cears "ar or the Mongo# invasion of the Is#amic Em ire$ Even worse was the destructive havoc wrea,ed on human minds and behavior$ Oio#ence and barbaric disregard of e#ementary human rights J starting with the right to #ife J s read on a #arger sca#e than any thing seen during and after "or#d "ar I J itse#f a#ready *uite disastrous in this regard$ 0 .eaning of t e Secon# 'orl# 'ar, $ 1E2$5 ost2ar Labor !ps"r5e Trots,yists in the -$.$ were dee #y invo#ved in the #abor resurgence of 12AB! AE& described by Preis in Labors Giant Step as 6(merican Labor's /reatest - surge$7 The strugg#es of the (merican wor,ers and so#diers became inter#in,ed and confronted the (merican ca ita#ist ru#ing c#ass with an invincib#e ower$ This #ayed an im ortant art in giving the /M wor,ers the wi## to ho#d on unti# the #egions of mass industry swe##ed the nation's ic,et #ines into the mightiest stri,e army in this country's history$ (s the /M wor,ers waited for stee#& e#ectrica# and ac,inghouse wor,ers to #aunch their stri,es& Truman ?who had become -$.$ resident when )ooseve#t died@ intervened with his %act!%inding +oard's ro osa#s$ On >anuary 1D ?12AE@& the board recommended an increase of 12$B cents an hour J a raise of 1G$B ercent instead of the 4D ercent demanded and needed ;ust to ,ee the wor,ers even with their ta,e!home ay at the start of the war 0 $ 3GB5$ On March 1B the /M de#egates conference a roved a new contract$ (fter 114 days on the ic,et #ines& the 33B&DDD /M auto wor,ers had forced the cor oration to agree to an 1=$B!cent across!the!board wage raise& 14$B cents of it retroactive to 9ovember G& 12ABI correction of #oca# #ant ine*uitiesI no 6com any security7 c#ausesI and aid vacations$ If this was considerab#y #ess than what was demanded and needed& it was none the #ess a roud victory$ The /M wor,ers had been made to bear the brunt of cor orate resistanceI their stand had s ar,ed the who#e #abor strugg#e which won the #argest and most extensive wage increases that had ever been secured in a sing#e eriod 0 $ 3=15$ In the twe#ve months fo##owing O!> Day more then B&DDD&DDD wor,ers engaged in stri,es$ %or the number of stri,ers& their weight in industry and the duration of the strugg#e& the 12AB!AE stri,e wave in the -$.$ sur assed anything of its ,ind in any ca ita#ist country& inc#uding the +ritish /enera# .tri,e of 123E$ +efore its ebb it was to inc#ude the who#e coa#& rai#road& maritime and communications industries& a#though not simu#taneous#y 0 $ 3GE5$ The Cold War and Taft,Hartley

22 In contrast to this& 12AG was noted at the time by a member of the ."P o#itica# committee as 6the year of #ost stri,es$7 The em #oying c#ass devised an effective new strategy for dea#ing with unions at the economic #eve# within the fabric of the ca ita#ist roductive system& and on the o#itica# #eve# within the governmenta# structure$ %o##owing the emerging /M!-(" attern& most basic industries ado ted a aterna#istic #abor!management o#icy$ (#so& the -$.$ :ongress enacted the Taft!Hart#ey #aw& which codified and circumscribed #abor!management re#ations$ -nder the ressures from cor orate ca ita#ist government and society symbo#i<ed and ex ressed in the Taft!Hart#ey #aw the union movement became further institutiona#i<ed and its officia# re resentatives ad;usted to their indicated socia# status$ They now ac*uired officia# recognition as 6#abor statesmen$7 This was different from before& because Taft!Hart#ey conferred u on them new res onsibi#ities to ensure that the unions o erated within the new#y enacted #aw$ It a#so gave them an additiona# distinction because under this new #aw 6:ommunists7 0those who refused to sign a non!:ommunist affidavit5 were rohibited from ho#ding union office or were denied recognition by the 9ationa# Labor )e#ations +oard$ 6eactionary 6ole of AFL Many stri,es were #ost in 12AG due to the (%L's union raiding o#icy$ The (%L bureaucracy sought to ta,e advantage of Taft!Hart#ey to enhance its o#itica# inf#uence and gain contro# of more unions by branding the :IO a 6:ommie outfit7 and in this way winning 9L)+ certification in industries organi<ed by the :IO$ In stri,es ca##ed by :IO unions or rovo,ed by em #oyers under :IO contract& (%L unions 0the Teamsters and the .ai#ors -nion of the Pacific were es ecia##y notorious on the "est :oast5 su #ied stri,e brea,ers$ The resu#t 0in the oi# industry in :a#ifornia as an exam #e5 was that stri,es were bro,en and the em #oyers refused to negotiate& no #onger com e##ed to dea# with any union$ +y 12AG the -$.$ economy was beginning to ad;ust to the transition from war roduction to consumer needs J and getting a new transfusion than,s to the :o#d "ar mi#itary budget boondogg#e 0which has never ended& even today& #ong after the 6:o#d "ar7 was over5$ ( new sense was beginning to deve#o in the o u#ar consciousness that stab#e economic growth cou#d be ex ected for the foreseeab#e future$ The o#d fee#ing of insecurity and uncertainty engendered by the /reat De ression was beginning to recede$ The 6great (merican red scare7 0a#so ,nown as 6Mc:arthyism75 did not touch the dai#y #ives of the vast ma;ority of (merican wor,ers$ The organi<ed #abor and radica# movements& however& were dee #y affected& #eading eventua##y to the

23 drastic dec#ine of both$ This was conditioned by the ensuing years of re#ative ros erity with a steady rise in wages and standard of #iving unti# 12G= when the -$.$ ru#ing c#ass #aunched its anti!#abor offensive$ 4talinism and Trotskyism after World War II The :o#d "ar and 6red scare7 destroyed the :ommunist Party in the -$.$ +y 12BB& the year of (%L!:IO merger& the :P was without inf#uence in organi<ed #abor and no #onger a factor in (merican o#itics$ It #ayed no a reciab#e ro#e in the :ivi# )ights movement of the 12BDs and 12EDs& nor in the anti!Oietnam war movement of the 12EDs and 12GDs$ In those years the ."P su erseded the :P as the dominant organi<ation in the broad radica# movement$ +ut the ."P a#so suffered from the conse*uences of the ost!"or#d "ar II ca ita#ist ros erity 0as did the union movement and a## radica# organi<ations$ It began to degenerate as ear#y as the 12EDs& and J #i,e a## other radica# grou s J to fragment5$ These rocesses were ame#iorated s#ight#y in the case of the ."P by its su erior o#itica# training and the acute sensitivity of its #eadershi to socia# and o#itica# change$ 4plits in American Trotskyism Even before the defeat of /erman mi#itary ower in Euro e& and short#y before the 1= -$.$ Trots,yist #eaders were im risoned& there were signs that (#bert /o#dman and %e#ix Morrow 0two of the 1=5 were beginning to *uestion the future ros ects of revo#ution$ The so#dier revo#ts and wor,ing c#ass revo#utions had not occurred during the war as redicted by Trots,y$ /o#dman and Morrow ex ressed their fee#ings of disa ointment and disi##usionment at a meeting of the ."P nationa# committee in 9ew Cor,& Oct$ 32!9ov$ 1& 12A4& ca##ed to choose an interim #eadershi for the arty during the eriod when the 1= convicted #eaders wou#d be in ;ai#$ The rather des ondent mood of /o#dman and Morrow found ex ression in shar criticism by them of the arty 6regime7 and the method of training and se#ecting #eaders$ On this occasion :annon s o,e at #ength on the Leninist conce t of organi<ation& reviewing the differences that had deve#o ed after the tria# in Minnea o#is$ He conc#uded on a conci#iatory note$ Our strength is our combinationI our so#idarity on the fundamenta# rogram that Trots,y taught us& and our o#icy of se#ecting and he# ing eo #e to emerge from the ran,s to strengthen the #eadershi and our division of #abor is a conscious system a## u and down the #ine in organi<ing and dis osing of the abi#ities of individua# eo #e$ This is the cadre that you have got to do it with& :omrade Morrison 0/o#dman5$ It is not a hand ic,ed grou $ It is not arbitrari#y se#ected$ It is tru#y the re resentative of the arty$ Cou can't find another one& not now$ The tas, before us is how to im rove and strengthen

24 this one and to wor, together& and if the #enum& the comrades from out of town& have some criticism either of me or you& we have to heed that criticism$$$ 0.ee :annon's ta#, entit#ed 6The Prob#em of Party Leadershi 7 in T e Socialist 'orkers Party in 'orl# 'ar %%.& This ta#, was in many ways a ,ind of se#f!identification and in others a se#f! criticism$ :annon s o,e of his #imitations and fau#ts& and de #ored the insinuation that he was or ought to be considered a Marxist theoretician$ He identified himse#f as an organi<er and agitator$ Much of what he said about himse#f on this occasion was reminiscent of a reso#ution on organi<ation ado ted at the fina# nationa# convention of the :ommunist League of (merica 09ovember 4D& 124A5 on the eve of fusion with the (merican "or,ers Party$ This reso#ution was entit#ed 6The )ecord of the :L( Leadershi 7 and was signed by :annon& .wabec,& and .hachtman$ 0.ee T e "ommunist League of America, 1243!4A& $ 4GA$5 The disgrunt#ement of /o#dman and Morrow was a re#ude to their brea, with Trots,yism after the war$ Apparent 4tability of !:4: Capitalism I be#ieve :annon understood /o#dman and Morrow's ma#aise better than they did themse#ves$ It was something that not on#y affected these two individua#s but many others 0in different ways5 in the ."P and far beyond its narrow circ#e of inf#uence$ It was the a arent stabi#ity of -$.$ ca ita#ism and the arrogance of its ru#ers 0who be#ieved they wou#d dominate the wor#d& ushering in 6the (merican :entury75$ /o#dman and Morrow did not try very hard to convince ."P members of their rather sha##ow o#itica# arguments$ .ome months before the 12AE 9ationa# :onvention of the ."P& he#d in :hicago 09ovember 1A!1=5 that year& they drifted into the orbit of the .hachtman grou and away from the ."P$ /o#dman did not bother to attend the convention and Morrow showed u on#y to ma,e his farewe## s eech$ The main o#itica# reso#ution ado ted by the convention was the 6Theses on the (merican )evo#ution&7 drafted by :annon$ 0.ee >ames P$ :annon& Speec es To T e Party, $ 434I and T e Struggle for Socialism in t e /American "entury,0 $ 3BE$5 In these theses& :annon set down at the outset 0thesis I5 the way he saw the wor#d situation in the wa,e of "or#d "ar II& what had changed and what remained$ The -nited .tates& the most owerfu# country in history& is a com onent art of the wor#d ca ita#ist system and is sub;ect to the same genera# #aws$ It suffers from the same incurab#e diseases and is destined to share the same fate$ The overwhe#ming re onderance of (merican im eria#ism does not exem t it from the decay of wor#d ca ita#ism& but on the contrary acts to invo#ve it ever more dee #y& inextricab#y& and ho e#ess#y$ -$.$ ca ita#ism can no more esca e

25 from the revo#utionary conse*uences of wor#d ca ita#ist decay than the o#der Euro ean ca ita#ist owers$ The b#ind a##ey in which wor#d ca ita#ism has arrived& and the -$.$ with it& exc#udes a new organic era of ca ita#ist stabi#i<ation$ The dominant wor#d osition of (merican im eria#ism now accentuates and aggravates the death agony of ca ita#ism as a who#e$ The other centra# theme of this document was that the wor,ing c#ass in the -$.$ wou#d be decisive in the strugg#e to reso#ve the contradictions of the ca ita#ist system$ This was stated ex #icit#y in thesis P$ The issue of socia#ism or ca ita#ism wi## not be fina##y decided unti# it is decided in the -$.$ (nother retardation of the ro#etarian revo#ution in one country or another& or even one continent or another& wi## not save (merican im eria#ism from its ro#etarian nemesis at home$ The decisive batt#es for the communist future of man,ind wi## be fought in the -$.$ In his re ort at the convention on these theses& :annon stressed the educationa# rewards of arty discussion and debate& the necessary grounding for the wor,ing c#ass reorgani<ation of society$ >ust as in the ear#y days of our movement J at #east in the first ten years J we rearmed the movement with education and discussion and agitation around the basic rinci #es of the )ussian O osition& the (ng#o!)ussian :ommittee& the o#icy in the .oviet -nion& rob#ems of the :hinese revo#ution& #ater on the rob#ems of fascism in Euro e& so now I be#ieve we shou#d go through that same rocess again of organi<ing our educationa# wor,& our #iterary and ro agandistic wor,& in terms of o u#ari<ing and ex anding on each one of the basic ideas gathered together here in the theses& so the who#e arty becomes saturated with the conce t of the theses and the who#e out#oo, that f#ows from itJthat we are actua##y bui#ding a arty to ma,e the revo#ution in the -nited .tates$ 0T e Struggle for Socialism in t e /American "entury0, $ 3GG!=$5 In retros ect it is c#ear that the theses and :annon's re ort created the im ression that a revo#utionary situation cou#d deve#o in the -$.$ 6in our e och&7 sure#y before the c#ose of the 3Dth century$ This has not ha ened and seems un#i,e#y at this #ate date$ +ut carefu# reading a#so revea#s that :annon sensed 0as did Morrow and /o#dman at the time and as others wou#d #ater5 the stu#tifying ressures of mighty -$.$ ca ita#ism bearing down on wor,ing c#ass cu#ture and institutions$ It is a#so c#ear that :annon recogni<ed that "or#d "ar II had changed the wor#d& that what remained unchanged was the c#ass strugg#e& which wi## continue as #ong as ca ita#ism endures$ "e must not concede at any #ace or any oint to that schoo# of thought now very o u#ar among our neorevisionists that revo#utionary ossibi#ities are decided by sub;ective factors J the existence or nonexistence& the strength or wea,ness of the arty& or the reactionary or #ibera# o#icies of the ru#ing c#ass at a given moment& etc$$$ even if we encounter rea##y ferocious ersecution J

26 and that seems more #i,e#y than not J that wi## not ha#t revo#utionary deve#o ments or succeed in brea,ing the arty$ "e must assert as a matter of course that our arty is going to #ead the revo#ution 0 $ 3=15$ This remained the officia# credo of the ."P unti# 12=4 when the new generation of arty #eaders 0the 12EDs generation5 re udiated Trots,yism$ It is ironic that it was not government ersecution that destroyed the ."P but the arty's success in recruiting a redominant#y etty bourgeois membershi during the student radica#i<ation of the 12EDs and ear#y 12GDs$

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