April 1916. Zurich

In
the
German
version
of
the
thesis
... With regard to the recognition of the right of nations to self-determination, these positions—which we have emphasized—do not differ in essence; if this “right” is formulated in other terms, then, of course, we do not quibble over words. These propositions suffer only from an even greater vagueness and indeterminacy of political formulation than most programs and resolutions of the Second International.
Note
There is
a certain
similarity
between how humanity must arrive at the abolition of classes and how it must achieve the later fusion of nations. Namely: the abolition of classes is brought about solely by the transitional stage of the dictatorship of the oppressed class. The fusion of nations, on the other hand, requires the liberation of oppressed nations—the genuine eradication of national oppression—and the criterion of this reality, in a political sense, lies precisely in the freedom of secession. Freedom of secession is the best and only political means against the absurd system of small states and national isolationism, which, fortunately for humanity, is inexorably being dismantled by the entire development of capitalism.
1 The theses “The Socialist Revolution and the Right of Nations to Self-Determination,” written in German (“Die sozialistische Revolution und das Selbstbestimmungsrecht der Nationen”), were published in the Zimmerwald Left’s German journal “Vorbote” on April 15, 1916. Lenin’s proofreading insert (shown in bold type) was not included in the printed text. (For the Russian text of the theses, see Collected Works, Vol. XIX, pp. 37–47; the text presented here corresponds to p. 47.)
2 Lenin refers to the “propositions” of the PSR declaration adopted at the Zimmerwald Conference, published in the Bulletin of the International Socialist Commission in Bern on November 27, 1915 (in German).
3 See Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. XIX, p. 40.