Ebook: The Bolsheviks and the World War: The Origins of the Third International

THE PURPOSE of this book is to make available in
English a collection of documents on the origin of
the Third or Commtlnist International. During the
decade before 1914 the groups which cOlnposed the Russian
Social Democratic Labor party were in a turn10il of dissen-
sion caused mainly by conflicting theories of organization
and tactics. These disputes greatly distressed the leaders of
the Second International, and they tried, vvithout success, to
persuade the Bolsheviks to accept the kind of con1promise
by which other socialist parties maintained the fornlal unity
required by the International. Lenin and his friends viewed
with no less disapproval what they considered to be the op-
portunism of the socialist leaders. Certain documents are
given which relate to these matters, to Lenin's defense of
the Bolshevik viewpoint and his attempts to organize the
Lefts within the International.