Re: Right/Left Polarization: the ballot box and the street

Date: 11th Aug '02

Name: RFKB

LLETSA you write: "This is not 1932, but 2002." Yes it is, however, it's worth looking back to that time to learn some lessons from it.

In Germany in July 1932, Adolf Hitler polled 13,418,500 votes against the Social-Democrats supported Hindenburg's 19,360,000 and the Communist Thaelmann's 3,706,800. In June, street battles began, with the Nazis, protected by the police, invading working-class areas. A defensive pact between Social- Democrats and Communists could yet influence that result and rouse the German workers to battle against the fascists.

When the election took place eleven days later, the Nazi's polled 13,745,800 votes - the Social Democrats 7,959,700, the Communists 5,282,600. It was the peak of Nazi advance - and the bulk of Social-Democrats and Communist supporters still held firm. A united front for common resistance to fascism could yet prevail, but the shodows were lenghthening ominously; and soon would come the night when Nazi terror was to be unleashed.

The German CP was made illegal and thousands of Social-Democrats and Communist officials and members arrested. Consumed in the flames, too was the disastrous policy imposed by Stalin's men on the German party and the Comintern. The Comintern now called on it's sections everywhere to approach the social democratic parties for a united front. On 8 March, just two weeks after it had ridiculed a suggestion for a united front appeal to TUC and Labour, the CPGB did just that.

It was too late of course. On 5 March, amid burnings, beatings, arrests and suppression of socialist and communist meetings and newspapers, Germany went to the polls. Seventeen million votes - 43 per cent of the total - went to the Nazis, the Social Democrats polling 7,182,000, the Communists 4,845,000. On 23 March, Hitler asked parliament for dictatorial powers and got them. Ther most powerful socialist and communist parties in Western Europe were destroyed without resistance.

Apparently, a well-known writer asked William Gallacher if there was any possibility of a reconciliation between Trotsky and Stalin. Gallacher replied:

'Ask me if there is any chance of Trotsky and Hitler coming together and I'll think your question worth considering.'

The writer was horrified and showed it. 'You are not serious,' he said.

'I am quite serious', replied Gallacher.

In August 1939, it was Stalin and Hitler who 'came together', in the bloodiest diplomatic handshake in history.

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