This consciousness that the fall of Soviet Russia would be a victory not alone for Russian, but for world reaction, is so strongly in the minds of European and American workers that even the most reactionary leaders cannot work against this class instinct of the wide working masses. From this arises that contradiction which finds its expression in the instability and vacillation of the Amsterdam International in its relations to Soviet Russia. Attack upon Soviet Russia when there is no external danger, enforced aid when there is such danger—thus there are two steps made forward and three backward. These contradictions are a result of the contradictory composition of the Amsterdam International itself, from dim sympathies for us from the masses to definite antagonism to us from the leaders.
The Amsterdam International and the United Front
From all the above we may reach a conclusion as to the attitude of the Amsterdam International and all reformist organizations to the tactics of a United Front. What is the origin of the United Front idea? What is the attitude of the reformist wing of the labor movement to the United Front?
The idea of the United Front appears at the same time when the tide of the revolutionary wave began to ebb. We must admit that in the first period of the October revolution we, the Russian Communists, over-estimated the tempo of the development of the world revolution. It seemed that after our revolution, revolutions would at once follow in other countries. Some expected it in a few weeks, others in months, and in general this expectation of a rapid conclusion, a rapid development of events, surely made an impression on all our tactics.
The tactics of a revolutionary party are decided, not by abstract principles, but by calculating the real situation, and the relations of forces in the struggle. In order to select a line of action for the next period, that is, to map out the strategic plans for action, we have to calculate the surroundings, the relation of forces, the power of resistance of our enemy, the degree of our organization, to calculate the assets of all the fighting forces, to study the social typography of the area. And our area is quite a big one. It takes in the whole world. And only all this taken together decides our line of action. With a rapid development of events our course would be one line of action, with a slower development, a second line, although we have before us one and the same problem.
What are the characteristics of the first two years after the October period. Let us remember the development of events in Germany and those street battles which took place there while there was no powerful Communist Party in existence, not even strong Communist local organizations. The first period was characterized by frontal attacks;
