V. I. Lenin

The only firm gain in a revolution is that which has been won
by the mass of the proletariat. The only gain worth recording is
that which really has been firmly won.

The founding of the Third, Communist International in Moscow on
March 2, 1919, was a record of what has been gained not only by
the Russian workers, but also by the German, Austrian, Hungarian,
Finnish, Swiss-in a word, by the workers of the world.

Precisely because of this the founding of the Third, Communist
International really is firm.

Only four months ago it was impossible to say that Soviet
government, the Soviet form of state, was an international
achievement.! There was something in it, and moreover something
essential, which belonged to all capitalist countries as well as
to Russia. But, until it had been put to the test, it was still
impossible to say what changes, of what depth and importance, the
development of the world revolution would bring.

The German revolution has provided this test. An advanced
capitalist country, coming after one of the most backward, has
demonstrated to the whole world in a matter of a hundred-odd days
not only the same principal revolutionary forces and principal
direction of the revolution, but also the same principal form of
the new, proletarian democracy-the Soviets.

At the same time in Britain, a victor country, the richest in
colonies, the longest serving model of "social peace", or so it
was reputed, the oldest capitalist country, we can see an
extensive, irrepressible, intense and powerful growth of Soviets
and of new Soviet forms of mass proletarian struggle-the Shop
Stewards Committees.

In America, the strongest and youngest capitalist country, the
workers have tremendous sympathy with the Soviets.

The ice has been broken.

The Soviets have triumphed throughout the world.

They have triumphed first and foremost because they have won
the workers' sympathy. That is the main thing. No savagery by the
imperialist bourgeoisie, no persecution or murder of Bolsheviks
can deprive the people of this gain. The more the "democratic"
bourgeoisie rage, the firmer the grip these gains will take on the
hearts of the workers, on their moods, on their minds, and the
more they will inspire their heroic struggle.

The ice has been broken.

That is why the work of the International Conference of
Communists in Moscow which founded the Third International has
proceeded so easily, so smoothly, with such calm and firm
resolution.

We have recorded what has already been won. We have written
down what has already taken a firm grip on the people's
minds. Everyone knew, and what is more, everyone saw, felt,
sensed, each from his own country's experience, that a new
proletarian movement was in full swing. Everyone realised that
this unprecedenledly strong arid deepgoing movement cannot be
confined to any of the old frameworks, or held in cheek by the
past masters at petty politics, neither by the world-schooled,
world-skilled Lloyd Georges and Wilsons of British and American
"democratic" capitalism, nor by the Hendersons, Renaudels,
Brantings and all the other case-hardened heroes of social-chauvinism.

The new movement is heading towards the dictatorship of the
proletariat, making headway despite all the vacillation, despite
desperate reverses, despite the unparalleled and incredible
"Russian" chaos (if one judges superficially as an onlooker). It
is heading for Soviet government with the torrential might of millions and tens of millions of workers sweeping
everything from their path.

This is what we have recorded. We have embodied in our resolutions, theses, reports and speeches what has already been
won.

Marxism, illuminated by the bright light of the new, universally rich experience of the revolutionary workers, has
helped us to understand the inevitability of the present
development. It will help the workers of the whole world, who are
fighting to overthrow capitalist wage-slavery, more clearly to
appreciate the aims of their struggle, to march more firmly along
the path already outlined, more confidently and firmly to achieve
victory and to consolidate it.

The founding of the Third, Communist International lieralds the
international republic of Soviets, the international victory of
communism.

March 5, 1919