Paul Levi and the Origins of the United-Front Policy in the Communist International
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During its first four congresses, held annually under Lenin (1919–22), the Communist International went through two distinct phases: while the first two congresses focused on programmatic and organisational aspects of the break with Social-Democratic parties (such as the ‘Theses on Bourgeois Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat’, adopted by the first congress, and the 21 ‘Conditions of Admission to the Communist International’, adopted by the second), the third congress, meeting after the putsch known as the ‘March Action’ of 1921 in Germany, adopted the slogan ‘To the masses!’, while the fourth codified this new line in the ‘Theses on the Unity of the Proletarian Front’. The arguments put forward by the first two congresses were originally drafted by leaders of the Russian Communist Party, but the initiative for the adoption of the united-front policy came from the German Communist Party under the leadership of Paul Levi. This article explores the historical circumstances that turned the German Communists into the pioneers of the united-front tactic. In the documentary appendix we add English versions of two documents drafted by Levi: the ‘Letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Germany’ on the Kapp Putsch, dated 16 March 1920, and the kpd’s ‘Open Letter’ of 8 January 1921, which gave rise to the united-front tactic.
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Alan Adler (ed), Theses, Resolutions and Manifestos of the First Four Congresses of the Third International , (Ink Links , London 1980 ).
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Levi Paul , '‘Brief an das Zentralkomitee der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands’ (16 March 1920) ' (1920a ) 2 (12 ) Die Kommunistische Internationale. Organ des Executivkomitees der Kommunistischen Internationale : 147 -150 .
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1
Levi 2011, pp. 67–9.
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2
Notably, Broué 2005.
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3
Rosmer 1972, p. 80.
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6
Levi 2011, pp. 70–8.
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7
English version in Levi 2011, pp. 67–9.
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9
Levi 2011, p. 59.
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10
Levi 2011, p. 60.
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11
Levi 2011, pp. 67–9.
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12
Broué 2005, pp. 854–5, emphasis mine.
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13
Quoted in Bock 1969, p. 255.
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14
Gruber (ed.) 1967, p. 395.
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15
Radek 1919, p. 9.
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16
Lenin 1977, p. 319.
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18
Broué 2005, p. 365.
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19
Spartakus 1920, p. 157.
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20
Levi 1920a, pp. 147–8.
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21
Levi 1920a, p. 148.
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23
Levi 1920a, p. 149.
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24
Levi 1920a, p. 150.
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25
Riddell (ed.) 2011.
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26
Reprinted in Spartakus 1920, p. 161.
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28
Broué 2005, p. 371.
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31
Spartakus 1920, p. 164.
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32
Spartakus 1920, p. 165.
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34
Spartakus 1920, pp. 166–7, emphasis in the original.
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35
Spartakus 1920, p. 167.
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37
Lenin 1976a, p. 110.
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38
Gruber (ed.) 1967, p. 397.
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39
Comintern 1977, p. 65.
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40
Comintern 1977, p. 66.
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41
Comintern 1977, p. 278.
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42
Comintern 1977, pp. 283–4.
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43
Comintern 1977, p. 277.
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44
Levi 1920b.
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45
See the documents in Lewis and Lih 2011.
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46
Broué 2005, pp. 468–9.
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47
Lenin 1976b, emphasis in the original.
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48
Lenin 1965, p. 319, emphasis in the original.
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50
Cammett 1967, p. 144.
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51
Cammett 1967, p. 258, n. 8.
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52
Levi 1966, p. 272.
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53
Levi 1966, p. 273.
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54
Levi 1966, pp. 281–2.
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55
Quoted in Cyr 2012, p. 148.
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56
Levi 1966, p. 278.
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57
Levi 1966, p. 281.
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60
See the documents in Gruber (ed.) 1967, pp. 346–50.
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61
Radek 1967, pp. 310, 312, emphasis in the original.
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62
Levi 2011, p. 103.
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63
Levi 2011, p. 106.
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64
Levi 2011, p. 108.
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65
Levi 2011, p. 109.
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66
Levi 2011, p. 108.
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67
Lenin 1976b.
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69
Gruber (ed.) 1967, p. 403.
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70
Bayerlein and Albert (eds.) 2014, pp. 141–2: Dok. 35: ‘Die Frucht eines zweijährigen Kampfes wird zerstört’: Paul Levis Brief an Lenin zur Kritik der ‘Märzaktion’, [Berlin], 27.3.1921. Béla Kun confirmed that these interviews took place in a letter sent to Lenin from Vienna on 6 May 1921, adding that ‘the old lady’ Cara Zetkin ‘suffered from “dementia seniles” and is the living proof that Lofargne [Lafargue] with his wife acted in a completely correct way’ by committing suicide in old age (Bayerlein and Albert (eds.) 2014, p. 155: Dok. 43: ‘Persönlicher Brief des “Spaniers” (d.i. Béla Kun) an Lenin über die gescheiterte Märzaktion in Deutschland’, [Wien], 6.5.1921).
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71
Broué 2005, pp. 494, 532.
-
72
Bayerlein and Albert (eds.) 2014, p. 156, note, citing Koch-Baumgarten 1986, pp. 315–444.
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73
Levi 2011, pp. 119–65.
-
74
Levi 2011, pp. 166–205.
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75
Levi 2011, pp. 119–20.
-
76
Levi 2011, p. 146.
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77
Levi 2011, p. 148.
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79
Levi 2011, p. 157, Levi’s emphasis.
-
80
Levi 2011, p. 138, Levi’s emphasis.
-
81
Levi 2011, p. 18.
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82
Levi 2011, p. 163, Levi’s emphasis.
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83
Levi 2011, p. 164.
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84
Levi 2011, pp. 182–3.
-
85
Levi 2011, p. 183.
-
87
Levi 2011, p. 184.
-
88
Levi 2011, p. 203.
-
89
Levi 2011, p. 204.
-
90
Lenin 1976b.
-
91
Riddell (ed.) 2015, pp. 1094, 1090.
-
92
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 1092.
-
93
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 1094.
-
94
Riddell (ed.) 2015, pp. 1094–5.
-
95
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 1095.
-
96
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 1096.
-
97
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 941.
-
98
Riddell (ed.) 2015, p. 951.
-
99
Levi 1920a, p. 147.
-
100
Lenin 1965, emphasis in the original.
-
101
Levi 2011, p. 213.
-
102
Trotsky 1932, p. 103.
-
106
Broué 1997, pp. 293–349.
-
107
Riddell (ed.) 2011, pp. 1164–73.
-
108
Riddell (ed.) 2011, pp. 1187–8.
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Paul Levi and the Origins of the United-Front Policy in the Communist International
In: Historical MaterialismSearch for other papers by Daniel Gaido in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
During its first four congresses, held annually under Lenin (1919–22), the Communist International went through two distinct phases: while the first two congresses focused on programmatic and organisational aspects of the break with Social-Democratic parties (such as the ‘Theses on Bourgeois Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat’, adopted by the first congress, and the 21 ‘Conditions of Admission to the Communist International’, adopted by the second), the third congress, meeting after the putsch known as the ‘March Action’ of 1921 in Germany, adopted the slogan ‘To the masses!’, while the fourth codified this new line in the ‘Theses on the Unity of the Proletarian Front’. The arguments put forward by the first two congresses were originally drafted by leaders of the Russian Communist Party, but the initiative for the adoption of the united-front policy came from the German Communist Party under the leadership of Paul Levi. This article explores the historical circumstances that turned the German Communists into the pioneers of the united-front tactic. In the documentary appendix we add English versions of two documents drafted by Levi: the ‘Letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Germany’ on the Kapp Putsch, dated 16 March 1920, and the kpd’s ‘Open Letter’ of 8 January 1921, which gave rise to the united-front tactic.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 814 | 107 | 13 |
| Full Text Views | 293 | 5 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 112 | 9 | 0 |