To A. M. Kollontai
А. М. КОЛЛОНТАЙ
Date: 1917-03-05
Source: ru:PSS/v49
Translated by: AI (Claude)

5.III.1917.

Dear A.M.! Newspaper reports speak of convening on 12.V a congress of the youth in Sweden to found a new party "on Zimmerwald principles."

I confess, this news particularly agitates and outrages me. For "Zimmerwald" has clearly gone bankrupt, and a good word serves again to cover up rottenness! The Zimmerwald majority, that is - Turati and Co., Kautsky with Ledebour, Merrheim - all have gone over to the position of social-pacifism, condemned so solemnly (and so fruitlessly!) at Kienthal. The manifesto of Kautsky and Co. of 7.I.1917, a series of resolutions of the Italian Socialist Party, the resolutions of Merrheim-Jouhaux and Longuet-Bourderon (+ Raffin-Dugens in unanimity with Renaudel), is this not the bankruptcy of Zimmerwald? And the Zimmerwald "center" - R. Grimm, who on 7.I.1917 entered into an alliance with the social-patriots of Switzerland for the struggle against the lefts!! Grimm, who scolds the social-patriots of all countries except the Swiss, whom he covers! C'est degoutant! I am beside myself with rage at these scoundrels; it is disgusting to hear them and about them; it is even more disgusting to think about working together with them. Playacting!

We are gathering materials for you about this crash of R. Grimm. Answer, can you get the Zurich "Volksrecht." There in the motives of the referendum and in the resolution of the lefts in Toss (11.II.1917) and others and others you will find the main material.

But surely the Swedish lefts are probably in the majority sincere. This is clear. And it is necessary at all costs to help them before 12.V to understand in advance all the vulgarity of social-pacifism and Kautskyism, to help them understand all the vileness of the Zimmerwald majority, to help them work out for themselves a good program and tactics for the new party.

Really, we must (all of us, the lefts in Sweden and those who can communicate with them) unite, strain all efforts, help, for the moment in the life of the Swedish party, of the Swedish and Scandinavian workers' movement is decisive.

Since you read Swedish (and speak it too), a large dose of responsibility falls on you, if we understand "internationalism" not in the sense of "my hut is on the edge."

Written March 5, 1917
Sent from Zurich
First published in the 4th edition of Collected Works
Printed from the manuscript