Page:Boris Souvarine - The Third International.djvu/13

 probability of a rising "before the enemy."

The fumes of nationalism have long obscured these truths; to-day they appear in so crude a light that the simple exposure of events constitutes the most damning evidence against opportunism and its champions.

When the first days of August, 1914. saw the irreparable accomplished, that is to say when the Socialist previsions announcing the inevitable transformation of capitalist competition into imperalistimperialist [sic] war were realised, the two fractions of the International, on whom should have fallen the task of resistance to the enterprises of the governing classes, renounced all resistance.

The German fraction, which had denounced the policy of the Empire, and of its Austrian ally, which had held up to scorn Chancellors and Ministers, Pan-German squireens and junkers, which had vehemently condemned the ultimatum to Serbia as a provocation to war, accepted the accomplished fact, and submitted to the war, to its methods, to the régime. Its representatives in the Reichstag unanimously voted the war credits, with the exception of one member, Fritz Kunert, who deliberately walked out of the chamber. (This fact was not allowed to leak out till after the termination of the war).

The French faction, which had denounced the policy of the Republic and of its Russian ally, which had abused President Poincaré and his ministers, together with the nationalist diplomatists and financiers, which had vehemently condemned the alliance with Russia as likely to lead to war, accepted likewise the accomplished fact, and submitted to the war, to its methods, and to the régime. Its representatives in the chamber unanimously voted the war credits.

The vows of the past were forgotten, the International solidarity of the workers had disappeared. The solidarity of the exploiters and of the exploited was established.

In Germany and in France there were a few opposing