To explain the strange (at first glance) proposal and request with which we and the Central Committee are addressing you, it is necessary to explain the position of our party.

To clarify this position, one must understand, firstly, the fact of the ferocity of the counter-revolution and the terrible collapse of the S.-D. organization and S.-D. work; secondly, the main ideological and political currents in our party.

On the first question, it is enough to note the huge decline of organizations everywhere, almost a complete cessation in many places. The mass exodus of the intelligentsia. Only workers' circles and individuals remain. A young, inexperienced worker is struggling to make his way.

On the second question. In the revolution, there were two currents (and two factions, tatsachlich Spaltung**): Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Stockholm 1906 and London 1907 222. The opportunist and revolutionary wings.

The collapse of 1907-8 led to (α) liquidationism among the Mensheviks (definition),
(β) recallism (and ultimatism) among the Bolsheviks. Definition.

* Based on the fact that our sums and that the question is strictly limited to the conflict, the split abroad.

** - de facto split. Ed.

(.) Starting from III. 08, the Mensheviks absolutely did not participate in the central work of the party and even tried to sabotage it (VIII. 08). Abroad, they have dominance (students, immature bourgeois intelligentsia, etc.). Complete split abroad (thanks to the Mensheviks) and complete non-participation in party work plus struggle against the party.

The December 08 Conference condemns this 223.
(.) Recallism-ultimatism among the Bolsheviks in 1908-9. Decisive struggle against it by the Bolsheviks and Kaltstellung* of the recallists-ultimatists. Removal.

The collapse in Russia is growing.

Plekhanov's statement in August 09 ((“What do you wish” 224, liquidationism of “Golos”; declaration of liquidationism as petty-bourgeois opportunism; recognition of the party crisis as a severe illness; resignation from the editorial board of “Obshchestvennoe Dvizhenie”, which took refuge in a burgerlich-liberalen Verlag'е**)).

The significance of Plekhanov's statement = a weak echo, confirming all the accusations of the factional opponents of the Bolsheviks.

The Mensheviks' inclination towards the party in Russia (especially workers: Petersburg, Moscow).

Experience of party unification on this basis, recognizing the struggle on two fronts: with liquidationism and recallism-ultimatism.

Conditions for unification from our side: unconditional recognition of the struggle against liquidationism (a half-measure of the Central Committee: a personal concession); cessation of factional struggle (= especially the split abroad) and loyal submission to the majority of the party (Bolsheviks + Poles in particular), who pulled the party out of the 1907-9 crisis and put it on the path of decisive struggle on two fronts.

Mensheviks' conditions: covering up the clear definition of liquidationism (a half-measure in the unanimous resolution) and equality in the editorial board of the Central Organ ((in fact, the dominant party-wide institution at the extreme weakness and instability of the Central Committee in Russia)).

In the Central Committee, an extremely unstable compromise passes 1) a unanimous resolution with the deletion of the name "liquidationism" 225; 2) 3 and 2 in the Central Organ with Mekovsky's statement about "mechanical suppression," "state of siege," etc.; 3) refusal of the Mensheviks to decisively, clearly, and irrevocably give up the factional newspaper and factional organization, to recognize loyal submission to the majority.

Hence our concerns. By dissolving the Bolshevik faction and handing over the money to the Central Committee (in fact, 5 holders with an accidental and wavering majority, corrupted by recallism-ultimatism), we fear (we have every reason to fear) a foreign split by the Mensheviks and their pushing through of liquidationism (in the form of equality in the editorial board).

We are convinced that in the event of attempts at a split, organized by the Mensheviks from abroad, the Central Committee (i.e., the Bolsheviks + the nationals) will not be able to fight liquidationism, and it will be necessary to resume the factional struggle, to respond to the split with a split.

Experience of the "truce": the Beks disarmed. Experience of the "party way of life."

Conditions for the Mensheviks: (.) complete disarmament - cessation of the factional newspaper, the factional treasury, the factional split abroad; (.) loyal implementation of the resolution on the struggle against liquidationism; (.) loyal submission to the majority in the Central Organ; (.) loyal assistance to the Central Committee in Russia.

Si non - non*.

The Mensheviks' flirting with the recallists-ultimatists. The impotence and indulgence of the liquidators by Trotsky.