I came very fortunately, just at the time of Bela Kun's speech. After all, I came here to fight against the views of Comrade Bela Kun, because I know with absolute certainty that if Bela Kun opens his mouth, it is to defend the Left. And I would like to know who he was defending. Comrade Bela Kun thinks that communism is a defense of the left. He's mistaken. This mistake must be opposed with all seriousness. We must openly say that if there are still opportunists in the French Party - and I am sure there are - the Left is making a mistake in wishing to remain Leftists in the image of their friend Comrade Bela Kun and some French comrades. Comrade Bela Kun thinks that only the opportunists are mistaken - in fact, the Left is also mistaken. I have a transcript of the speech of Comrade Trotsky2. According to this transcript, Trotsky says that this kind of left comrades, if they continue on the same path, will kill the communist movement and the workers' movement in France. (Applause.) I am deeply convinced of that. And that is why I came here to protest against the speech of Comrade Bela Kun, who spoke against Comrade Trotsky instead of defending him - which he should have done if he wanted to be a genuine Marxist.

Marxism is when it is pointed out what political line should be pursued under such and such circumstances. And when Comrade Bela Kun comes and speaks of equanimity, of discipline and all that was set forth in the "Humanite "3 article with the same title, then it is found that he understands nothing and that he is obviously wrong. And those who do not understand that at a time of such a crisis as the sending of French troops to the Ruhr, the party cannot put forward such slogans, are not Marxists.

Comrade Bela Kun thinks that to be a revolutionary means to defend the Left everywhere and anywhere. The preparation of revolution in France, one of the largest European countries, cannot be led by one party. The conquest of the labor unions by the French Communists is what pleases me most. When I open this or that French newspaper (I frankly confess that this happens very rarely, as I have no time to read newspapers), I am most struck by the word "cell". It seems to me that you will not find this word in any dictionary, because it is a purely Russian expression, developed by us in our long struggle against tsarism, against the Mensheviks, against opportunism and against the bourgeois democratic republic. Our experience has created this kind of organization. These cells work collectively in parliamentary factions, in trade unions or in other organizations where our nucleus exists. And if there are communists who make this or that mistake, which is less than the stupidity committed by Comrade Bela Kun, we do not pat them on the head.

When I look at the magnificent work of the Communist Party, when I see all these cells in the trade unions and in other organizations, I say: the victory of the revolution in France is assured if the Left does not do anything stupid. And when they say, like Comrade Bela Kun, that cold-bloodedness and discipline have failed, this is foolishness in the spirit of the Left. I came here to say to the leftist comrades: if you follow such advice, you will kill the revolutionary movement, as Marat did. I'm not defending the French Communist Party, I'm not saying that it's quite a communist party. No. When Comrade Zalewski quotes one expression from the Humanite and says explicitly that the demand for reparations is a just cause, he is, of course, in his own way quite right. But we cannot allow that.

Let us take another example, the example of Marcel Cashen and others who in the French Chamber carry out the Franco-English concordat and say that in this is the guarantee of peace. This is opportunism, and the party that allows this is not a communist party. Of course, in our revolution we must point out that we must emphasize such and such facts, that such and such speeches cannot be tolerated, that this is not Communist. But it is necessary that the criticism be concrete. One must stigmatize opportunism. But the real opportunism of the party, which is reflected in Kashen's speech, is not criticized. Instead of criticizing it, one criticizes the expression and gives new advice. This is what Comrade Trotsky said in his speech (the German transcript of Comrade Trotsky's speech is quoted).

Therefore, Comrade Laporte was absolutely wrong, and Comrade Trotsky, protesting against it, was absolutely right. It may be that the behavior of the French Party was not entirely communist. I am prepared to allow that. But at the present moment such foolishness would destroy the Communist movement in France and England. One does not make a revolution with the appeal of the 19th. Comrade Trotsky was a thousand times right when he said that. And then there is the Luxembourg comrade4 who reproached the French Party for not sabotaging the occupation of Luxembourg. There! He thinks it is a geographical question, as Comrade Bela Kun thinks. No, it is a political question, and Comrade Trotsky was quite right to protest against it. It is very "leftist," very revolutionary and very harmful to the French movement. The victory of Communism in France, England and in Germany can only be prevented by leftist nonsense. If we continue our struggle against opportunism without any exaggeration, we will probably win. We must openly criticize the French Communist Party, say that it is not a Communist Party, that the policy defended and represented in the French Chamber by Marcel Cashen, when it comes to the alliance between France and England for the exploitation of the working masses - I do not use this expression officially - by brigands and not just brigands, but major robbers, - we must point out with the greatest precision and frankness that this policy defended by Cashen, expressed in this or that speech of Cashen or set forth in this or that issue of the newspaper, that it is not communism but opportunism. The Central Committee of the Communist Party will not approve this policy, just as I hope the Comintern Congress will not approve it either. But neither must we tolerate the nonsense defended by Comrade Bela Kun, nor the nonsense defended by Comrade from Luxembourg, nor the nonsense of Comrade Laporte, although he spoke splendidly. I know that there are real revolutionaries among the Communist youth. Criticize the opportunists on concrete ground, point out the errors of official French Communism, but don't do anything stupid yourself. When the masses are coming more and more towards you, when you are heading for victory, then you have to conquer the trade unions. Most labor unions are splendidly amenable to training, and if we achieve this, it will be the greatest victory. Bourgeois democracy is worth nothing more, and the unions are just dominated by the bureaucratic leaders of the 2 1/2 International. In the labor unions we must first win a reliable and Marxist majority. And then we will begin to make the revolution not with the appeal of the 19th and not with the nonsense that Bela Kun specialized in, but by fighting against opportunism, against the nonsense that the left does. And maybe it won't be a struggle, but a warning against the French speeches of Marcel Cashen, an open struggle against tradition, against opportunism, a warning against leftist nonsense. That is why I considered it my duty to support basically not what Comrade Trotsky said, and to declare that the policy defended by Comrade Bela Kun is not worthy of defense by any Marxist, any Comrade Communist. Such a political line must be fought against, and I hope, comrades, that after the commission which has been proposed here (and this is a perfectly reasonable proposal), after this commission has finished its work of analyzing the conduct of the French Party, we shall arrive at results which will confirm my thought.

Published in part - Bulletin of the Opposition (Bolshevik-Leninist), No. 32, Berlin, December, 1932, pp. 34-35.

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 19320, fol. 1-4 - transcript, typewritten text.

1The newspaper report on Lenin's speech at the enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee of the Comintern on June 17, 1921 was published in the newspaper "Moscou" of June 25, 1921.

"Moscou" - the organ of the III Congress of the Comintern. It was published in Moscow under the editorship of T.L. Axelrod from May 25 to July 17, 1921. 44 issues were published in English, German and French.

2L.D.Trotsky spoke at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Comintern late in the evening of June 16, 1921. V.I.Lenin read his speech from the transcript in German. The RCCHIDNI has one of the copies of this transcript (see: f. 495, op. 1, d. 38, l. 122-123).

3See doc. 69, note 5.

4V.I.Lenin is referring to the speech of E. Reyland, representative of the Communist Party of Luxembourg.