Page:Resolutions and Theses of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International (1922).djvu/33

 colony. The Russian Proletarian State, however, was strong enough to resist this attempt. Amidst the chaos of the collapsing capitalist system, Russia stands—from Beresina to Vladivostok, from Murmansk to the mountains of Armenia—as a growing Power in Europe and the Near and Far East. Despite the attempt of a capitalist world to ruin Russia by a financial blockade, it is in a condition to proceed with its economic reconstruction. To this end, it will use its own economic resources as well as make use of the rivalry of the various capitalist States, which will lead to some of them being compelled to enter into relationship with her.

One-sixth of the globe is now under the rule of Soviets. Already the existence of the Russian Soviet Republic has a weakening influence upon bourgeois society, and it is a powerful factor in the world revolution. The more Soviet Russia is economically restored and strengthened, the greater will be the influence of this mighty revolutionary factor in international politics.

'''IV. The Capitalist Offensive.'''

Owing to the fact that the proletariat of all countries, with the exception of Russia, did not take advantage of the weakened state of capitalism to deal it the final crushing blows, the bourgeoisie—thanks to the aid of the social-reformists—managed to suppress the militant revolutionary workers, to reinforce its political and economic power and to start a new offensive against the proletariat. All the attempts of the bourgeoisie to re-establish the international production and distribution of commodities after the storms of the world war, have been made solely at the expense of the workers. The systematically organised attack of world capitalism upon all the achievements of the working class has spread like wildfire to all countries. Organised capital everywhere relentlessly carried out the policy of cutting down the real wages of the worker, of prolonging the working day and of curtailing the most moderate rights of the workers in the industries. In the countries with a depreciated valuta, capitalism is compelling the destitute workers to bear the brunt of the economic crisis caused by the depreciation of money, and so forth.

The capitalist offensive, which of late has assumed gigantic proportions, compels the workers of all countries to adopt measures of self-defence. Tens of thousands of workers employed in the chief industries were brought into the fray. The fight was joined again by new groups of workers engaged in the most essential industries (railway workers, miners, metal workers, state and municipal employees).

The majority of these strikes have hitherto failed to bring immediate success. But this struggle was for the new groups of hitherto conservative workers a good training in implacable hatred towards the capitalists and towards the governments which openly defend the capitalists. These fights, forced