Third Zimmerwald Conference
Encyclopedia
The Third Zimmerwald Conference or the Stockholm Conference of 1917 was the third and final of the anti-war socialist conferences that had included Zimmerwald (1915)
and Kienthal (1916)
.
that had been called by Petrograd Soviet
and Dutch-Scandinavian Committee that had included the members of the old International Socialist Bureau
. As this conference kept being postponed, so was the Zimmerwald meeting that was supposed to assemble before it, until late July 1917 when the International Socialist Commission decided to hold its own meeting regardless of what happened to the plans for the proposed general conference for September 5–12, 1917.
The International Socialist Commission was represented by Angelica Balabanoff
, Ture Nerman
, Carl Hoglund and Carl Carlson. Lindhagen was appointed chairman of the presidium of the Conference and Balabanoff its secretary.
, Hendrik Ehrlich
and Yosef Goldberg
.
There was broad agreement on some political questions, namely, that any peace achieved by the bourgeois governments or by the Pope would be reactionary - such a peace would contain the seeds of a new war, burden the workers with war debts, dampen class consciousness
, stabilize class power and only prolong the struggle for socialism. There was some debate on the proposed Stockholm conference, even though its was felt that its prospects of meeting were "shattered". Radek, Dunker, Balabanoff, Hoglund and Sirola were against participation; Ledebour was personally against going to the conference, but that was not necessarily the official view of his party; Haase and Stadthagen favor participation, but only as a tactical move in order to settle accounts with the social patriots and majorities in an international setting; Axelrod stated that he would leave if the conference did not endorse the proposed conference and he did after the first meeting; Ermansky was for the conference "heart and soul.
On September 10, after hearing the reports of the Petrograd Soviet delegation on the situation in Western Europe, Nobs suggested a commission be elected to draw up a manifesto. The commission consisted of Balabanoff, Haase, Ledebour, Radek, Ermansky, Hoglund, Dunker and Schlesinger. The text of the manifesto was hammered out in five meetings until it was unanimously adopted on September 12.
There was also some controversy with regard to the situation in Russia. After the representatives of the Organization Committee made their report, Orlovsky introduced as declaration on behalf of the Bolsheviks and the Polish and Lithuanian Social Democracy condemning the Mensheviks for keeping ministers in the Kerensky government even though its had initiated the Kerensky Offensive
, reintroduced capital punishment in Russian military
, suppressed socialist newspapers and imprisoned socialist leaders. Even though the declaration stated that the present conference did not have the power to expel the Mensheviks from the Zimmerwald movement, but demanded that a resolution be adopted on the situation in Russia, that, implicitly, condemned the Mensheviks conduct, they would quit the conference. The issue was debated at length but, because some delegates did not feel they were sufficiently informed on events in Russia to commit themselves to such a resolution and because resolutions in the conference had to be unanimous, no action was taken and the Bolsheviks did not leave the conference.
At the last two conferences resolutions of sympathy for the victims of the war were drawn up at the end of the conference. This time as "fraternal greeting" was sent to those social democrats who had been persecuted for their opposition to the war - Friedrich Adler, Karl Liebknecht
and Rosa Luxemburg
were specifically mentioned. Also a telegram of solidarity was sent to Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev
, Kollontai and Rakovsky
rejecting the "libels" against them. The new ISC membership that had provisionally been agreed to that summer was ratified, with Hoglund, Carlson and Nerman as bureau members and Balabanoff as secretary.
After the conference, an informal women's socialist conference was held by the female delegates
The only "true peace" would be one through the struggle of the proletarian masses to create socialist republics. This at the same time meant support of the Russian revolution, though even there "reaction" was raising its ugly head. The only was to a "socialist peace" was in an great international "mass action
" on the part of the socialist proletariat of all counties. This was a most difficult duty, but it would lead to "the final liberation of mankind".
Because of the manifestos content it was agreed to keep it a secret until all the parties that were supposedly going to participate in the mass action could be informed. It was further delayed in Germany for political reasons. It was finally published a few days after the October Revolution.
Zimmerwald Conference
The Zimmerwald Conference was held in Zimmerwald, Switzerland, from September 5 through September 8, 1915. It was an international socialist conference, which saw the beginning of the end of the coalition between revolutionary socialists and reformist socialists in the Second International.-...
and Kienthal (1916)
Kienthal Conference
The Kienthal Conference was held from April 24 to 30, 1916. Like its 1915 predecessor in Zimmerwald, it was an international conference of socialists who opposed the First World War.- Background :...
.
Background
The Third Zimmerwald Conference was originally called so that the Zimmerwald parties could discuss their attitude toward a proposed general conference of socialist parties in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
that had been called by Petrograd Soviet
Petrograd Soviet
The Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies , usually called the Petrograd Soviet , was the soviet in Petrograd , Russia, established in March 1917 after the February Revolution as the representative body of the city's workers.The Petrograd Soviet became important during the Russian...
and Dutch-Scandinavian Committee that had included the members of the old International Socialist Bureau
International Socialist Bureau
The International Socialist Bureau was the permanent organization of the Second International, established at the Paris congress of 1900. Before this there was no organizational infrastructure to the "Second International" beyond a series of periodical congresses, which weren't even given a...
. As this conference kept being postponed, so was the Zimmerwald meeting that was supposed to assemble before it, until late July 1917 when the International Socialist Commission decided to hold its own meeting regardless of what happened to the plans for the proposed general conference for September 5–12, 1917.
Neutral countries
- Social Democratic Left Party of Sweden and the Social Democratic Youth LeagueYoung Left (Sweden)Young Left is the youth organization of the Swedish Left Party.-Ideology:It is an organization that organizes the youth of today to fight for socialist and feminist social change. Young Left is a youth organization developed out of the labour movement, with influences from environmentalism, the...
- Oskar Samuelson, Otto Strom, Carl LindhagenCarl LindhagenCarl Albert Lindhagen was a Swedish lawyer, socialist politician, and pacifist.Carl Lindhagen was the Chief Magistrate of Stockholm 1903 – 1930...
, Jeorj Linstrom - Socialist Youth LeagueSocialist Youth League of NorwaySocialist Youth League of Norway , initially founded as the Social Democratic Youth League of Norway , was the youth wing of the Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway...
- Egede NissenNissenNissen may refer to:* a creature in Norse mythology, see Tomte* a Danish patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis"...
, Ernst Christian and Johannes Erwig - Swiss Social Democratic Party - Ernst NobsErnst NobsErnst Nobs was a Swiss politician.He was the mayor of Zürich from 1942 to 1944. He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on December 15, 1943, as the first member of the Social Democratic Party...
and Rosa Bloch - Danish Socialist Youth League
Russian Republic
- Central Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Party (Bolshevik) - Vatslav Vatslavovich Vorovsky and Nikolai Semashko
- Organization Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Party (Menshevik) - Pavel AxelrodPavel AxelrodPavel Borisovich Axelrod was a Russian Menshevik.- Early life and career :Born Pinches Borutsch in Potscheff near Chernigov and raised to Shklov, a small provincial town in and Mogilev, the biggest town of the three in the Russian Empire , Axelrod was the son of a Jewish innkeeper.In 1875 in...
and Mark Makadziub - Menshevik Internationalists - Osip Ermansky
- Social Democratic Party of FinlandSocial Democratic Party of FinlandThe Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
- Yrjö SirolaYrjö SirolaYrjö Elias Sirola was a Finnish socialist politician, teacher, and newspaper editor... - Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and LithuaniaSocial Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and LithuaniaThe Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania was a Marxist political party founded in 1893. Its original name was the "Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland" and it eventually became part of the Communist Workers Party of Poland...
- Karl RadekKarl RadekKarl Bernhardovic Radek was a socialist active in the Polish and German movements before World War I and an international Communist leader after the Russian Revolution....
and Jacob Hanecki
Entente countries
- Romanian Social Democratic PartyRomanian Social Democratic Party (defunct)The Romanian Social Democratic Party was a social-democratic political party in Romania. It published the magazine România Muncitoare, and later Socialismul, Lumea Nouă, and Libertatea.-Early party:...
- Alecu (Alexander) ConstantinescuAlecu ConstantinescuAlexandru "Alecu" Constantinescu was Romanian trade unionist, journalist and socialist and pacifist militant, one of the major advocates of the transformation of the Romanian socialist movement into a communist one....
and Ion Costache Frimu - Socialist Propaganda League of AmericaSocialist Propaganda League of AmericaThe Socialist Propaganda League of America was established in 1915, apparently by C.W. Fitzgerald of Beverly, Massachusetts. The group was a membership organization established within the ranks of the Socialist Party of America and is best remembered as direct lineal antecedent of the Left Wing...
- Fritz Rosen - International Brotherhood Welfare AssociationInternational Brotherhood Welfare AssociationThe International Brotherhood Welfare Association was a mutual aid society for hobos founded in 1905-1906. It was the second largest after the Industrial Workers of the World . It was started by James Eads How who had inherited a fortune but chose to live a hobo life...
- J. Eads How
Central Powers
- Independent Social Democratic Party of GermanyIndependent Social Democratic Party of GermanyThe Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany was a short-lived political party in Germany during the Second Reich and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of left wing members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
- Hugo HaaseHugo HaaseHugo Haase was a German politician, jurist and pacifist.-Biography:Haase was born in Allenstein , Province of Prussia, the son of Jewish shoemaker and small businessman, Nathan Haase, and Pauline née Anker. He studied law in Königsberg and established himself as a lawyer...
, Georg Ledebour, Arthur Stadthagen, Kathe Duncker, Adolf HoferAdolf Hofer (politician)Adolf Hofer was a Prussian Junker and a Socialdemocratic politician.- Life :...
and Robert Wengels - Opposition elements within the Social Democratic Labor Party of German AustriaSocial Democratic Party of AustriaThe Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
- Therese Schlesinger and Elisabeth Luzzatto - Opposition within the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (Broad Socialists) - Kharlakov
- General Trade Union Federation - Katerina Tinev
- Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists) - Vasil KolarovVasil KolarovVasil Petrov Kolarov was a Bulgarian communist political leader and leading functionary in the Communist International.-Early years:Kolarov was born in Shumen, Bulgaria on 16 July 1877, the son of a shoemaker...
and G. Kirkov
The International Socialist Commission was represented by Angelica Balabanoff
Angelica Balabanoff
Angelica Balabanoff was a Jewish-Italian communist and social democratic activist.-Revolutionary activities:...
, Ture Nerman
Ture Nerman
Ture Nerman was a Swedish socialist. As a journalist and author, he was a well-known political activist in his time. He also wrote poems and songs.Nerman was a vegetarian and a strict teetotaler...
, Carl Hoglund and Carl Carlson. Lindhagen was appointed chairman of the presidium of the Conference and Balabanoff its secretary.
Proceedings
The conference first heard reports from the ISC on its general operations and on the Grimm Affair. The conference approved of both reports. Next reports were heard on the progress of the Zimmerwald movement in various countries. Schlesinger spoke for Austria, Nissen for Norway, Sirola for Finland, Constantinescu for Romania and Rozin for the United States. Written reports were received from countries whose delegates had been unable to attend the conference because their passports had been denied, particularly Entente countries. Messages or greetings from Klara Zetkin, the Netherlands and the French Zimmerwaldists had already been received at the opening of the conference. On September 10, additional reports were made on the situation in Great Britain, France and Italy by members of the Petrograd Soviet who had just visited those countries. The Soviet representatives who made this report were Nikolai RusanovNikolai Rusanov
Nikolay Sergeyevich Rusanov , 1859, Oryol — July 28, 1939, Berne), also known under the pseudonyms of K. Tarasov and N. Kudrin, was a Russian revolutionary who connected the revolutionary populist movement of the 1870s with the revolutionary parties of the early twentieth century,...
, Hendrik Ehrlich
Ehrlich
Ehrlich is a German family name, meaning "honest" or "honorable". People with this surname include:* Abel Ehrlich , an Israeli composer of symphony music* Alojzy Ehrlich , Polish table tennis legend* Anne H. Ehrlich , a U.S...
and Yosef Goldberg
Yosef Goldberg
Yosef Goldberg was an Israeli farmer and politician who served as mayor of Metula from 1978 until 1998, and as a member of the Knesset for Likud and the New Liberal Party between 1988 and 1992.-Biography:...
.
There was broad agreement on some political questions, namely, that any peace achieved by the bourgeois governments or by the Pope would be reactionary - such a peace would contain the seeds of a new war, burden the workers with war debts, dampen class consciousness
Class consciousness
Class consciousness is consciousness of one's social class or economic rank in society. From the perspective of Marxist theory, it refers to the self-awareness, or lack thereof, of a particular class; its capacity to act in its own rational interests; or its awareness of the historical tasks...
, stabilize class power and only prolong the struggle for socialism. There was some debate on the proposed Stockholm conference, even though its was felt that its prospects of meeting were "shattered". Radek, Dunker, Balabanoff, Hoglund and Sirola were against participation; Ledebour was personally against going to the conference, but that was not necessarily the official view of his party; Haase and Stadthagen favor participation, but only as a tactical move in order to settle accounts with the social patriots and majorities in an international setting; Axelrod stated that he would leave if the conference did not endorse the proposed conference and he did after the first meeting; Ermansky was for the conference "heart and soul.
On September 10, after hearing the reports of the Petrograd Soviet delegation on the situation in Western Europe, Nobs suggested a commission be elected to draw up a manifesto. The commission consisted of Balabanoff, Haase, Ledebour, Radek, Ermansky, Hoglund, Dunker and Schlesinger. The text of the manifesto was hammered out in five meetings until it was unanimously adopted on September 12.
There was also some controversy with regard to the situation in Russia. After the representatives of the Organization Committee made their report, Orlovsky introduced as declaration on behalf of the Bolsheviks and the Polish and Lithuanian Social Democracy condemning the Mensheviks for keeping ministers in the Kerensky government even though its had initiated the Kerensky Offensive
Kerensky Offensive
The Kerensky Offensive was the last Russian offensive in World War I. It took place in July 1917.- Background :...
, reintroduced capital punishment in Russian military
Capital punishment in Russia
Capital punishment in Russia is currently under question, albeit legally allowed . There exists both an implicit moratorium established by the President and an explicit one, established by the nation's highest court. Russia has not executed anyone since 1996, and the regulations of the Council of...
, suppressed socialist newspapers and imprisoned socialist leaders. Even though the declaration stated that the present conference did not have the power to expel the Mensheviks from the Zimmerwald movement, but demanded that a resolution be adopted on the situation in Russia, that, implicitly, condemned the Mensheviks conduct, they would quit the conference. The issue was debated at length but, because some delegates did not feel they were sufficiently informed on events in Russia to commit themselves to such a resolution and because resolutions in the conference had to be unanimous, no action was taken and the Bolsheviks did not leave the conference.
At the last two conferences resolutions of sympathy for the victims of the war were drawn up at the end of the conference. This time as "fraternal greeting" was sent to those social democrats who had been persecuted for their opposition to the war - Friedrich Adler, Karl Liebknecht
Karl Liebknecht
was a German socialist and a co-founder with Rosa Luxemburg of the Spartacist League and the Communist Party of Germany. He is best known for his opposition to World War I in the Reichstag and his role in the Spartacist uprising of 1919...
and Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
were specifically mentioned. Also a telegram of solidarity was sent to Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev
Zinoviev
Zinoviev, Zinovyev, Zinovieff , or Zinovieva is a Russian surname and may refer to:* Aleksandr Zinovyev , a Russian logician, sociologist, writer, and satirist* Alexander S...
, Kollontai and Rakovsky
Rakovsky
Rakovsky is a surname.* Christian Rakovsky , Bulgarian socialist revolutionary* Patrick Rakovsky , German football player...
rejecting the "libels" against them. The new ISC membership that had provisionally been agreed to that summer was ratified, with Hoglund, Carlson and Nerman as bureau members and Balabanoff as secretary.
After the conference, an informal women's socialist conference was held by the female delegates
Manifesto
The manifesto of the conference condemned the peace moves being made by the bourgeois governments. These manoeuvrings, made under the pressure of the war weary masses, were only designed to masks the ruling classes attempts to increase their sphere of exploitation, smash their adversaries and make conquests. A "capitalist peace" would only mean heavy war debts on the working masses, limitation of their rights and a strengthening of the capitalist state. The proposed Stockholm conference was also categorically condemned. The government socialists of either bloc had lost credibility because of their "hodman services" for the capitalist governments.The only "true peace" would be one through the struggle of the proletarian masses to create socialist republics. This at the same time meant support of the Russian revolution, though even there "reaction" was raising its ugly head. The only was to a "socialist peace" was in an great international "mass action
Mass action
In Chemistry, the law of mass action is a mathematical model that explains and predicts behaviors of solutions in dynamic equilibrium. It can be described with two aspects: 1) the equilibrium aspect, concerning the composition of a reaction mixture at equilibrium and 2) the kinetic aspect...
" on the part of the socialist proletariat of all counties. This was a most difficult duty, but it would lead to "the final liberation of mankind".
Because of the manifestos content it was agreed to keep it a secret until all the parties that were supposedly going to participate in the mass action could be informed. It was further delayed in Germany for political reasons. It was finally published a few days after the October Revolution.