V. I.

Lenin

The Seventh (April) All-Russia Conference of the R.S.D.L.P.(B.)

APRIL 24–29, 1917

16

Resolution on Uniting the Internationalists

Against the Petty-Bourgeois Defencist Bloc

Taking into consideration :

(1) that the parties of the
Socialist-Revolutionaries , Menshevik Social-Democrats , etc., have, in the great majority of
cases, adopted the stand of “ revolutionary defencism ”, that is, support of the imperialist war (voting
in favour of the loan and supporting the Provisional Government which represents the interests of Capital); (2) that these parties in all their policies defend the
interests and point of view of the petty bourgeoisie and corrupt the proletariat with bourgeois
influence by trying to persuade it that it is possible, by
means of agreements, “control”, participation in the cabinet,
etc., to change the government’s imperialist policy and divert
it from the path of counter-revolutionary encroachments on
liberty; (3) that this policy encourages and enhances the attitude of
unreasoning trust on the part of the masses towards the
capitalists, an attitude which constitutes the chief obstacle to
the further development of the revolution, and a possible source
of the revolution’s defeat by the landowner and bourgeois
counter-revolution, the Conference resolves that:

(1) unity with parties and groups which are pursuing such a
policy is absolutely impossible; (2) closer relations and unity with groups and trends that have
adopted a real internationalist stand are necessary on the basis
of a definite break with the policy of petty-bourgeois betrayal
of socialism.

| Pravda No. 46, May 2 (15), 1917 | Published according to the typewritten copy of the Minutes |

---
Notes: