Antimilitarist Propaganda and Socialist Working Youth Leagues
Антимилитаристская пропаганда и союзы социалистической рабочей молодежи
Date: 1907
Source: PSS vol 16
Translated by: AI (Claude)

At the international socialist congress in Stuttgart, as is known, the question of militarism was discussed, and in connection with it the question of antimilitarist propaganda. In the resolution adopted on this subject, it is stated, among other things, that the congress considers it the duty of the working classes "to contribute to ensuring that working youth be educated in the spirit of the brotherhood of peoples and socialism and be imbued with class consciousness." In this the congress sees a guarantee that the army will cease to be a blind instrument in the hands of the ruling classes, which they dispose of at their discretion and which they can at any moment direct against the people.

To conduct propaganda among soldiers on active service is extremely difficult, sometimes almost impossible. Life in the barracks, strict supervision, rare leaves extremely hinder relations with the outside world; military discipline, senseless drill intimidate soldiers; military command uses all efforts to beat out of the "gray cattle" every living thought, every human feeling, to instill in them feelings of blind obedience, senseless and savage malice toward "external" and "internal" enemies... To approach the soldier, torn away from his usual environment, alone, ignorant, intimidated, into whose head the wildest views on everything around him have been driven, is much more difficult than to approach youth of draft age, living in the circle of family and comrades, closely connected with them by common interests. Antimilitarist propaganda among working youth gives excellent results everywhere. And this is of enormous significance. A worker entering the ranks of the army as a conscious Social-Democrat is poor support for the powers that be.

In all European countries there exist leagues of socialist working youth. In some countries, for example in Belgium, in Austria, in Sweden, these leagues are large organizations performing responsible party work. Of course, the main goal of the youth leagues is self-education, the development of a clear, integral socialist worldview. But alongside this, the youth leagues also conduct practical work. They struggle to improve the position of apprentices, try to defend them from the boundless exploitation of employers. Even more time and attention is devoted by the leagues of socialist working youth to antimilitarist propaganda.

To this end they try to establish close ties with young soldiers. This is achieved in the following way. While the young worker has not yet entered the army, he is a member of the league, pays membership dues. When he becomes a soldier, the league continues to maintain constant relations with him, regularly sends him a small monetary assistance ("soldier's penny," as they call it in France), which, however small it may be in itself, is of essential significance for him. In return, he for his part undertakes to regularly inform the league of everything that happens in his barracks, to write about his impressions. Thus, even upon entering service, the soldier does not lose contact with the organization of which he was a member.

A soldier is always driven to serve as far as possible from his place of birth. This is done with the calculation that the soldier should not be connected by any interests with the local population, that he should feel alien to it. Then it is easier to force him to obey the order—to shoot into the crowd. The leagues of working youth try to destroy this alienation of the soldier from the local population. Youth leagues are connected with each other. Arriving in a new city, a soldier, a former member of a youth league in his homeland, is met by the local league as a welcome guest, he is immediately introduced into the circle of local interests, helped in whatever way they can. He ceases to be a stranger, a newcomer. He also knows that if some misfortune happens to him, they will help him, support him. This awareness gives him courage, he holds himself more boldly in the barracks, more boldly defends his rights and his human dignity.

Close ties with young soldiers give the youth leagues the opportunity to conduct broad antimilitarist propaganda among soldiers. This is done mainly through antimilitarist literature, which the youth leagues publish and distribute in enormous quantities, especially in France, in Belgium, and also in Switzerland, Sweden, etc. This literature is of the most diverse content: postcards with pictures of antimilitarist content, soldiers' antimilitarist songbooks (many of these songs are very widespread among soldiers), "soldier's catechism" (in France it was distributed in more than 100,000 copies), all kinds of brochures, appeals, leaflets; weekly, biweekly, monthly newspapers and journals for soldiers, some of them with illustrations. "The Barracks," "The Recruit," "The Young Soldier," "Pioupiou" (affectionate nickname of the young recruit), "Forward" are very widely distributed. For example, in Belgium the newspapers "The Recruit" and "The Barracks" are each distributed in 60,000 copies. Especially many journals come out at the time of the recruit draft. Special issues of soldiers' newspapers are sent to the addresses of all conscripts. Antimilitarist literature is delivered to soldiers in the barracks, passed to them on the street, soldiers find it in coffeehouses, taverns, everywhere they happen to be.

Especially much attention is paid to conscripts. Solemn send-offs are arranged for them. During the recruit draft, processions go through the city. Thus, for example, in Austria recruits, dressed in mourning, pass through the whole city to the sounds of a funeral march. In front of them rides a cart decorated in red. Red posters are pasted everywhere on the walls, on which is printed in large letters: "You will not shoot at the people!" Parties are arranged in honor of the recruits, at which passionate antimilitarist speeches are made. In a word, everything is done to awaken the consciousness of the recruit, to insure him against the pernicious influence of those ideas and feelings which will be instilled in him in the barracks by hook or by crook.

And the work of socialist youth does not go to waste. In Belgium among soldiers there already exist about 15 soldiers' leagues, adhering in the majority to the Social-Democratic Workers' Party and closely connected with each other. There are regiments in which two-thirds of the soldiers are organized. In France the antimilitarist mood has become massive. During the strikes in Dunkirk, Creusot, Longwy, Monceau-les-Mines, soldiers who were moved against the strikers declared their solidarity with them...

With each day in the ranks of the army there are more and more Social-Democrats, the army is becoming more and more unreliable. When the bourgeoisie must stand face to face with the organized working class—on whose side will the army be? The socialist working youth with all the energy and ardor characteristic of youth is working to ensure that it will be on the side of the people.

"Vperyod" No. 16, October 8, 1907

Published according to the text of the newspaper "Vperyod"