Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/363

 tion of the order which prevailed prior to the war and out of which the war broke out. The European status quo ante bellum, a resultant of wars, robbery, violation, red tape, diplomatic stupidity and weakness of peoples, remains as the only positive content of the motto, "without annexations."

In its fight against Imperialism, the proletariat cannot set up as its political aim the return to the old European map: It must set up its own program of State and National relations, harmonizing with the fundamental tendency of economic development, with the revolutionary character of the age and with the Socialist interests of the proletariat.

The mere statement of the motto, "without annexations," gives above all no criterion for a political orientation in the several problems, brought forth during the course of the war. Assuming that France later on occupies Alsace-Lorraine, is the German Social Democracy together with Scheidemann bound to demand the return of this province to Germany? Shall we demand the restitution of the kingdom of Poland to Russia? Shall we insist upon Japan's giving Chio-Chau back to Germany? Or that Italy yields back to its owners that part of Trentino now occupied by her? That would be nonsense. We should be fanatics of legitimacy, i. e,, defenders of dynastic and "historic" rights in the sense of the most reactionary diplomacy. Besides, this program also demands a revolution for its fulfillment. In all these enumerated and in other similar cases we, confronted with the stern reality, shall naturally advance only one principle, viz., consultation of the peoples interested. This is certainly no absolute criterion. The French "Socialists" of the majority reduce the consultation of the population (of Alsace-Lorraine) to an unworthy mummy-show:—First occupying (that is, acquisition by force of arms) and then asking the population's consent to be annexed. It is quite clear that a real consultation, presupposes a state of revolution whereby the population can give their reply without being threatened by a revolver, be it German or French.

The only acceptable content of the motto "without annexations" is a protest against new violent acquisitions, which only amounts to the negation of the rights of nations to self-determination. But we have seen that this democratically unquestionable "right" will necessarily lead to the right of strong nations to make acquisitions and impose oppression, whereas for the weak nations it will result in feebleness of will or in "scraps of paper." Such will be the case as long as the political map of Europe forces nations and their