V. I.

Lenin

A new Social-Democratic organisation has made its appearance in the
Caucasus: The League of Armenian Social-Democrats. This League,
as we know, began its practical activities over half a year ago and
already has its own paper, published in Armenian. We have received the
first issue of this paper, which is called Proletariat and next
to its title carries the inscription “Russian Social-Democratic
Labour Party.” It contains a number of articles, commentaries, and reports
dealing with the social and political conditions which have called into
existence the League of Armenian Social-Democrats, and giving a general
outline of the programme of its activities.

The leading article, “Manifesto of the Armenian Social- Democrats,”
states: “In its activities, the League of Armenian Social-Democrats,
as one of the branches of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party which
extends the net work of its organisations far and wide over the entire
expanse of Russia, is in complete accord with the R.S.D.L.P., and will
fight together with it for the interests of the Russian proletariat in
general, and of the Armenian proletariat in particular.” Further, after
referring to the rapid development of capitalism in the Caucasus and the
monstrously powerful and manifold results of this process, the authors go
on to speak of the present state of the working-class movement in the
Caucasus. In the industrial centres of the Caucasus, such as Baku, Tiflis,
and Batum, with their big capitalist establishments and numerous
industrial proletariat, this movement has already struck deep
roots. However, because of the extremely low cultural level of the
Caucasian workers, their struggle against the employers has naturally been of a more or less
instinctive, spontaneous nature till now. A force was necessary which
could unite the workers’ scattered forces, give their demands articulate
form and develop class-consciousness among them. That force is socialism.

Then, after briefly setting forth the main theses of scientific socialism,
the League explains its stand in relation to the present-day trends in
international, and, in particular, Russian, Social-Democracy. “The
attainment of the socialist ideal,” says the Manifesto, “is, in our
opinion, conceivable neither through the working class’ efforts in the
economic sphere nor through partial political and social reforms; it is
possible only by completely smashing the entire existing system, by means
of a social revolution, to which the political dictatorship of the
proletariat must he the necessary prologue.” Then, pointing out that the
existing political system in Russia is hostile to every social movement,
especially to that of the working class, the League declares that it sets
itself the immediate task of politically educating the Armenian
proletariat and drawing it into the struggle of the entire Russian
proletariat for the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy. Without at all
denying the need for the partial economic struggle of the workers against
the employers, the League, however, does not consider it of importance in
itself. The League recognises this struggle insofar as it improves the
material condition of the workers and helps develop political
consciousness and class solidarity among them.

Of particular interest to us is the League’s attitude towards the national
question. “Taking into consideration,” says the Manifesto, “that the
Russian state is made up of many different nationalities at varying levels
of cultural development, and believing that only the extensive development
of local self-government can safeguard the interests of these
heterogeneous elements, we deem essential the establishment of a
federative [italics ours] republic in the future free Russia. As
to the Caucasus, in view of the extremely diverse national composition of
its population, we shall strive to unite all the local socialist elements
and all the workers of the various nationalities; we shall strive to
create a united and strong Social-Democratic organisation, for a more successful struggle against the autocracy. In the future Russia
we shall recognise the right of all nations to free self-determination,
since we regard national freedom as being only one of the aspects of civil
liberties in general. Proceeding from this proposition, and taking into
account the above-mentioned diverse national composition of the Caucasus
and the absence of geographical boundaries between the various
nationalities, we do not find it possible to include in our programme the
demand for political autonomy for the Caucasian peoples; we demand only
autonomy in matters pertaining to cultural life, i. e., freedom of
language, schools, education, etc.”

We whole-heartedly welcome the Manifesto of the League of Armenian
Social-Democrats and especially its splendid attempt to give a correct
presentation of the national question. It is highly desirable that this
attempt be carried through to the end. Two fundamental principles by which
all Social-Democrats in Russia should be guided in the national question
have been quite correctly outlined by the League. These
are, firstly, the demand for political and civil liberties and complete
equality, rather than for national autonomy; and, secondly, the demand for
the right to self-determination for every nationality forming part of the
state. But neither of these principles is as yet quite consistently
brought out by the League of Armenian Social-Democrats. As a matter of
fact, is it possible from the Armenian Social-Democrats’ point of view to speak of the demand for a federative republic?
Federation presupposes autonomous national political units,
whereas the League rejects the demand for national autonomy. To be fully
consistent, the League should delete the demand for a federative
republic from its programme, confining itself to the demand for a
democratic republic in general. It is not the business of the proletariat
to preach federalism and national autonomy; it is not the
business of the proletariat to advance such demands, which inevitably
amount to a demand for the establishment of an autonomous class
state. It is the business of the proletariat to rally the greatest
possible masses of workers of each and every nationality more closely , to rally them for struggle in the broadest possible arena for a democratic republic and for socialism. And since the
state arena in which we are working today was created and is being maintained and extended by means of a
series of outrageous acts of violence, then, to make the struggle against
all forms of exploitation and oppression successful,we must not disperse
but unite the forces of the working class , which is the most
oppressed and the most capable of fighting. The demand for recognition of
every nationality’s right to self-determination simply implies that we,
the party of the proletariat, must always and unconditionally oppose any attempt to influence national self-determination from without
by violence or injustice . While at all times performing this
negative duty of ours (to fight and protest against violence), we on our
part concern ourselves with the self-determination of the
proletariat in each nationality rather than with self-determination of peoples or nations. Thus, the general, basic and
ever-binding programme of Russian Social-Democracy must consist only in
the demand for equal rights for all citizens (irrespective of sex,
language, creed, race, nationality, etc.) and for their right to free
democratic self-determination. As to support of the demand for
national autonomy, it is by no means a permanent and binding part
of the programme of the proletariat. This support may become necessary for
it only in isolated and exceptional cases. With regard to Armenian
Social-Democracy, the League of Armenian Social-Democrats has itself
recognised the absence of such exceptional circumstances.

We hope to return to the question of federalism and nationality.[ See pp. 454-63 of this volume.– Ed . ]

For the time being we shall conclude by once again welcoming a new member
of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party—the League of Armenian
Social Democrats.

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