Page:Resolutions and Theses of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International (1922).djvu/43

 Faith in the Communists.

3. On the other hand, under the influence of the ever-intensifying onslaught of capital, there has arisen amongst the workers an elemental, literally irresistible impulse towards unity, proceeding parallel with the gradual growth of faith of wide masses of workers in the Communists. Ever-enlarging circles of workers are now for the first time beginning to appreciate the bravery of the Communist vanguard, which threw itself into the struggle on behalf of the working-class interests at a time when the bulk of the workers remained indifferent or even hostile to Communism. Ever-enlarging circles of workers are now becoming convinced that only the Communists have been acting in protection of their economic and political interests, under most difficult circumstances and involving sometimes the greatest sacrifices. Accordingly, respect for the trust in the uncompromising Communist vanguard of the working class begins once more to show itself, now that even the more ignorant sections of the workers have seen the vanity of reformist hopes and have realised that, outside the class struggle, there is no salvation from the predatory campaign of capitalism.

Unity.

4. The Communist Parties now can, and should reap the reward of their struggle carried on earlier under the very unfavourable circumstances of indifference among the masses. But while there is developing an ever-increasing trust in the irreconcilable, fighting Communist elements of the working class, the mass of the workers as a whole are being moved by an unprecedented attraction for unity. New strata of little experienced workers, awakening into active political life, dream of the unity of all workers' parties and even of all workers' organisations in general, hoping thereby to strengthen resistance to the capitalist campaign. New strata of workers, who often have not previously taken part in the political struggle, are once again putting to the test of their own personal experience the practical plans of reformism. In addition to these numbers of workers, belonging to the old Social-Democratic Parties, cannot reconcile themselves with the campaign of the Social-Democrats and Centrists against the Communist vanguard. They are already beginning to demand agreement with the Communists. But they have still not outlived their faith in the reformists, and still largely support the Second and Amsterdam Internationals. These workers do not formulate their plans and intentions clearly enough, but in general their new disposition leads them to desire to reconstruct a common front and to try to make the parties and unions of the Second and Amsterdam Internationals fight by the side of the Communists against the capitalists' attack. In so far such a disposition is favourable to progress. In the nature of things faith in reformism has been shattered. In the pre-