In 1920 Lenin called on the Communist International to open a second front against the imperialist powers by fighting alongside nationalist and peasant movements in the colonies. Eighteen months later, leaders of fledgling East Asian communist parties and other revolutionaries gathered in Moscow to plan the way forward. The Congress of the Toilers of the Far East profoundly influenced the strategy of Communist Parties throughout the colonial world. But alliances with other parties were fragile and risky. East Asian Communist Parties suffered serious defeats in the years following the Congress until WWII revived their fortunes. This edited and annotated edition of the Congress minutes will be of interest to scholars and general readers alike.
John Sexton is an independent researcher and translator.
AcknowledgementsIllustrationsNote on Texts and Sources Introduction Preface to the 1970 Hammersmith Reprint Opening Session: 21 January 1922, Moscow Second Session: Morning of 23 January 1922, Moscow Third Session: Evening of 23 January 1922, Moscow Fourth Session: Morning of 24 January 1922, Moscow Fifth Session: Evening of 24 January 1922, Moscow Sixth Session: Morning of 25 January 1922, Moscow Seventh Session: Evening of 25 January 1922, Moscow Eighth Session: Morning of 26 January 1922, Moscow Ninth Session: Morning of 27 January 1922, Moscow Tenth Session: Evening of 27 January 1922, Moscow Eleventh Session: Evening of 30 January, Moscow The Results of the Washington Conference and the Situation in the Far East Final Session: Evening of 2 February 1922, Petrograd Manifesto of the Congress Greetings to the President of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee M.I. Kalinin Report of the Credentials Committee Classification of Delegates Appendix 1: Organisations Represented at the CongressAppendix 2: Timeline of EventsAppendix 3: Congress DelegatesBibliographyIndexIllustration Section
Those interested in the role of the Communist International in the anti-colonial struggle, and the history of labour and peasant movements in East Asia.