A. Lunacharski

The Italian Question

(23 June 1923)

From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 3 No. 52, 23 July 1923, p. 546.
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2022). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.

June 23, 1923

Lunacharski then read the following resolution:

The resolution on the Italian question of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International provided for the union of the Italian Communist Party with the majority of the Italian Socialist Party, which at its Rome Congress declared in favour of the Third International and for a rapid re-grouping of forces with the object of obtaining the maximum unity of the revolutionary workers against the attack of Fascism. Experience has shown that this decision was, and is, absolutely correct.

While confirming this decision, the Enlarged Executive of the Communist International notes with deep regret that the wishes of the Fourth Congress have so far not been put into practice.

Three reasons are responsible for the failure to carry out the resolution of the Fourth Congress on the Italian question.

Firstly the Fascist Terror, the unprecedented oppression which was launched against the Italian working class, the unpunished murder of revolutionary workers, the innumerable arrests and the unbridled arbitrariness forced the Italian working class movement temporarily underground and broke the spirit of the rank and file workers. As the most severe attacks were borne by the Communists, it is only natural that the least courageous section of the socialist workers should refrain from direct union with the Communists in order to avoid the full brunt of oppression.

Secondly – the conduct of the right wing of the Italian Socialist Party, which, taking advantage of the broken spirit of a section of the workers and of the fact that the revolutionary elements of the Italian Socialist Party most loyal to the Communist International had been arrested, rapidly organised itself into a fraction and conducted a systematic campaign against fusion with the Italian Communists.

Thirdly – the mistaken tactics of the majority of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party. Hypnotised by the former conflict with the group of Comrade Serrati, and suffering from extreme dogmatism, the majority of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party failed to observe that the situation within the Italian working class movement had radically changed, and that the union of all the revolutionary forces of the Italian workers within a United Communist Party was a Question of life and death for the proletariat. The majority of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party, in spile of the obligations assumed by them at the Fourth World Congress, not only failed to conduct a systematic agitation for union with the Italian Socialist Party, but even undermined and sabotaged the decision of the Congress.

The Enlarged Executive of the Comintern resolves as follows:

A. In relation to the Italian Communist Party.

The Communist International demands of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party that it should not only formally but in fact carry out the decisions of the Communist International. The whole of the Italian Communist Party and all its organs must undertake an energetic agitation for union of the proletarian forces.
It shall be the duty of the Italian Communists to support in every possible way the members of the Italian Socialist Party who are in favour of fusion with the Communists.
The Italian Communist Party shall apply the tactics of the united Front to Italian conditions, i.e. it shall make proposals to the Central Committee of the Italian Socialist Party upon this question in the form required by the resolution of the Communist International.
The composition of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party must be such as to guarantee the application of the above decisions.

B. In relation to the Italian Socialist Party.

The Enlarged Executive notes that the present Central Committee of the Italian Socialist Party is far from representing the majority of the members of the Italian Socialist Party. At the Milan Congress, which met in the midst of a White Terror, 9,000 of the 32,000 members were represented, and of these more than 40% declared in favour of uniting with the Communists.
The Executive Committee notes that, basing itself upon this insignificant majority, the victorious group refuses to allow to enter the Central Committee a single member of the other tendency, which is almost as numerous as itself.
The Executive Committee of the Communist International notes that immediately after the Congress the victorious group, in open defiance of the elementary principle of internal party democracy, expelled the Young Communist League solely because the latter remained true to the banner of revolutionary socialism.
The Executive notes that at the time of the crisis in the Amsterdam International, when a workers’ left wing, more class-conscious than the rest, was drawn to the Red Profintern, the Central Committee of the Socialist Party found it expedient to renew its adhesion to the Amsterdam International.
Thus, the Executive cannot but note that the attitude of the leaders of the Socialist Party hitherto has been hostile to the Communist International.
The Executive Committee of the Communist International regards the Milan Congress and the present position within the Italian Socialist Party as only a transitory episode. The Executive Committee is convinced that the time is not distant when the workers who are members of the Italian Socialist Party will nuke their voice heard.
Under the pressure of the majority of the workers, the leaders of the Socialist Party in a letter dated June 10th. expressed their desire for a rapprochement with the Communist International. The Executive, in its desire to take advantage of every opportunity to hasten the union of all the revolutionary forces of Italy, believes that it is meeting the wishes of he majority of the workers who are members of the Italian Socialist it consents to this rapprochement in spite of the hostility referred to above.
In view of the difficulties created by the political relations prevailing hitherto, the Communist International expresses its readiness to facilitate the establishment of harmonious relations between the two parties.
In order to express its solidarity with the workers of the Socialist Party, who are passing through a very difficult period, the Executive invites the Socialist Party as soon as possible to send a Delegation to Moscow to complete its union with the Communist International.

The Enlarged Executive of the Communist International call upon all the revolutionary Workers of Italy to work steadily and persistently for the preparation of the complete unity of all it revolutionary forces of the Italian working class under the banner of the Communist International.

Top of the page

Last updated on 2 September 2022