Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/141

 for freedom (and we will not controvert this) then, the present war, which will not free any nation whatever, but will cause the exploitation of many nations, whatever its issue may be, is not a "purely" imperialistic war. Since the failure of Czarism would bring about the disruption of Austria and of her undemocratic national structure, then a counter-revolutionary Czarism, having temporarily strengthened itself, conquering Austria and imposing an even heavier yoke upon the various Austrian nationalities would not give to this war an imperialist but to a certain degree a nationalistic character.

Since the ruling classes fool dull shopkeepers and brutalized peasants by yams about the nationalistic aims of an imperialistic war, then, a scientific man, an authority on Marxism, and a representative of the Second International, is justified in reconciling the masses with that deception by means of this "formula:" the ruling classes have imperialistic tendencies, but the popular classes have nationalistic aspirations.

Logic is here replaced by the lowest, most lying form of sophistry.

In the present war the nationalist element is only found in the war waged by Servia against Austria. And by the way mention of this is made in the resolution of the Berne conference. It is only in Servia and among the Servians that we find a movement for national emancipation dating back to many years ago and affecting millions of people, and of which the war waged by Servia against Austria is merely the "continuation."

If that war could be isolated, if it was not so intimately connected with the covetous and thievish plans of England, Russia and other nations, then all the Socialists would be "obliged" to wish for the triumph of the Servian bourgeoisie. This is the only just and unavoidable deduction based upon nationalist aspirations in the present war. But Kautsky never once dares to draw that conclusion.

Let us go further. The Marxist form of reasoning forbids us to study a subject isolated from the environment, that is to study it from a one-sided, incomplete point of view. The nationalist factor in the Servian- Austrian war cannot and could not seriously modify the character of this Pan-American war. If Germany should win she would strangle Belgium, seize a part of Poland and probably a part of France. If Russia should win she would take Galicia and a part of Poland and Armenia. In case of a draw the oppression of nationalities will go on as formerly. For Servia,