Page:Boris Souvarine - The Third International.djvu/8

 our flesh, not a drop of our blood, not a man, not a cent will we yield you" said they, not deeming the causes of conflict worthy of the life either of a French infantryman or of a German grenadier. And those who did not believe in the efficacy of a general strike, said to the masses: "Shoulder your gun, but turn it against your exploiters."

Suddenly the Socialist creed completely changed its colour to such a degree as to be unrecognisable. Within twenty-four hours it was identifying itself with "national duty" and its words of command were directly opposed to those tenets with which we were all so familiar. They exacted allegiance to the war from all Socialists, even insisting on their becoming combatants. They forbade any "disturbance" whether at the front or in the rear, meaning thereby either agitation or revolt. Opposed to militarism as the workers were in times of peace yet had they to submit to it during the war.

Such was the attitude suggested by the behaviour of the "leaders" of the International, at the most crucial period in the life of the people when the revolution through which Europe was passing should have forced Socialists to stand loyally by those ruling principles which justify their existence. But this treachery was not the result of the weakness of a day, but was unavoidable owing to the previous policy of those forever disqualified "leaders" whose shameful conduct we have already hinted at and mean to discuss later. The confusion caused by the declaration of war on August 4th, 1914, might have excused a temporary slackening of their beliefs, for which we should not have blamed them unduly, had they subsequently repudiated their action and repaired some of the damage they had caused. But instead, they wished to justify themselves in their sudden change of camp, and out of their error even founded a new political creed, which amounted to nothing less than perfidious treachery to their old flag.

In collaborating with the bourgeoisie, in sharing the responsibilities of the capitalist policy of the war, in becoming members of the "Sacred Union," in accepting the aims of Imperialism, in resisting every hint of Proletarian Revolution other than in the "enemy countries,"