Page:Theses Presented to the Second World Congress of the Communist International (1920).pdf/63

 on them economically, financially and in a military respect; under the present international conditions there is no other help for dependent and weak nations than a union of Soviet Republics.

12. The century-long oppression exercised over the colonial and weaker nationalities by the imperialistic powers has left in the worker masses of the oppressed countries not only a bad feeling but a mistrust towards the oppressors in general, including the proletariat of such nations. The base betrayal of Socialism by the majority of the official leaders of this proletariat in 1914–1918, when, under the term "defense of the fatherland," the social-chauvinists concealed the defense of the "rights" of their "own" bourgeoisie to oppress and rob the colonies and financially dependent countries, could not but strengthen this perfectly just mistrust. On the other hand, the more backward a country is, the stronger developed is its small agricultural production, its patriarchality and provincialism inevitably reinforcing the especial strength and stubborness of the deepest of petty bourgeois prejudices, namely, national egoism and national narrowmindedness. As such prejudices can only disappear with the disappearance of imperialism and capitalism in the more advanced countries, and after a radical change in the whole basis of the economic life of the backward countries, the dying out of such prejudices cannot but proceed very slowly. Hence, the duty of the communist proletariat in all countries is to deal very carefully and attentively with such survivals of national feeling in the longer oppressed countries and nationalities, likewise to make even certain concessions for the purpose of a more rapid conquest of the above-mentioned mistrust and prejudices. Without a voluntary striving after union and unity on the part of the proletariat, and of all the worker masses of all countries and nations of the whole world, the victory over capital ism cannot be successfully brought about.