V. I.

Lenin

“ In our day”, when attempts are being made to stage another Beilis
case, the nationalists’ propaganda could bear more frequent scrutiny. The
nature of this propaganda was revealed with striking clarity at the recent
second congress of representatives of the “All-Russia National
Association”.

It would be highly erroneous to think that the significance of this
propaganda is negligible inasmuch as this entire “All-Russia
Association”, which was represented only by 21 delegates from all over
Russia, is negligible and fictitious, a mere shadow. The “All-Russia
National Association” is insignificant and a shadow, but its propaganda is
backed by all the parties of the right and by all the official
institutions; its propaganda is conducted in every village school, in every
military barrack, and in every church.

The following is a press report of a paper read at this congress on
February 2.

“ Savenko, a member of the Duma, read a paper on
‘Mazeppism’, [1] as the Ukrainian movement is called in the jargon of the
nationalists. Savenko expressed the opinion that the separatist tendencies
[i. e., for secession from the state] among the Byelorussians and the
Ukrainians were particularly dangerous. The Ukrainian movement constituted
a specially great and real menace to the integrity of Russia. The immediate
programme of the Ukrainians was federalism and Ukrainian autonomy.

“ The Ukrainians linked their hopes of autonomy with the
defeat of Russia in a future war with Austria-Hungary and Germany. On the
ruins of Great Russia an autonomous Poland and an autonomous Ukraine would
be founded under the sceptre of the Habsburgs and within the boundaries of Austria-Hungary.

“ If the Ukrainians really succeeded in tearing their
30,000,000 away from the Russian people, it would mean the end of the
Great-Russian Empire. ( Applause .)”

Why is this “federalism” no obstacle to the integrity of the United
States, or of Switzerland? Why is “autonomy” no obstacle to the integrity of Austria-Hungary? Why has “autonomy”
even cemented the ties between Britain and many of her colonies for a long time
to come?

Mr. Savenko has presented his case for “nationalism” in such a
ridiculous light that he has made it extremely easy to refute his ideas. The
integrity of Russia, if you please, is “menaced” by the autonomy of
the Ukraine, whereas the integrity of Austria-Hungary is cemented by
universal suffrage and the autonomy of her various regions! Is not this very
strange? Will it not occur to those who read and hear this
“nationalist” propaganda to ask why it is impossible to
cement the integrity of Russia by granting autonomy to the
Ukraine?

By persecuting “subject peoples”, the landlord and bourgeois
nationalists try to split and corrupt the working class the better to be able to
dope it. The class-conscious workers retaliate by demanding complete equality
and unity for the workers of all nationalities in practice .

In declaring the Byelorussians and Ukrainians to be subject peoples, the
nationalist gentry forget to add that the Great Russians (the only
non-“aliens” in Russia) constitute only 43 per cent of the
population. Hence, the “subject peoples” are in the majority! How
then can the minority keep its hold on the majority if it offers the latter no
benefits , the benefits of political freedom, national equality, and
local and regional autonomy?

By persecuting the Ukrainians and others for their “separatism”,
for their secessionist strivings, the nationalists are upholding the
privilege of the Great-Russian landlords and the Great-Russian
bourgeoisie to have “their own” state. The working class is opposed
to all privileges; that is why it upholds the right of nations
to self-determination.

The class-conscious workers do not advocate secession . They know the
advantages of large states and the amalgamation of large masses of workers. But
large states can be democratic only if there is complete equality among the
nations; that equality implies the right to secede.

The struggle against national oppression and national privileges is inseparably
bound up with the defence of that right.

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Notes:
[1]
Mazeppa, J. S. (1644–1709)—Hetman of the Ukraine in
1687–1709. For a number of years conducted treasonable negotiations with
the king of Poland and subsequently with the kin g of Sweden for the
secession of the Ukraine from Russia. In 1708 he openly sided with
Charles XII. After the defeat of the Swedes at Poltava in 1709, Mazeppa
escaped to Turkey with Charles XII.