Page - 292 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

292 chapter 7 the political situation and a prognosis as to how this situationwould affect the internationalworkers’movement.While in 1935many SocialDemocrats had their doubts as to whether the course of history would flow as such, themanifesto’s authors firmlybelievedwarbetweenGermanyand theussr was inevitable, and that Germany’s potential victory in this conflict would be synonymouswith the subjugationof thewholeof Europe to thebrutality of fascism.Themanifesto insistedupon the followingpolitical efforts for the proletariat during thewar: (1) thedestructionofGerman fascismbyananti- Hitler coalition comprised of the allied nations and the Soviet Union; (2) support for the Soviet Union in its endeavour to defeat the capitalist social order; (3) takingadvantageof thewar inorder toseizepowerandcommence building socialism, particularly since transfiguring thewar inGermany into a proletarian revolutionwould be a prerequisite for a successful revolution across Europe.33 Themanifesto’s originators regarded the following as short- term tasks for the lsi: (1) support for capitalist governments in creating a systemofcollectivesecurity; (2)support forarmamentpolicies; (3)defending all countries threatenedbyHitler’s aggressionwhile simultaneouslywarning the working class of their respective governments’ imperialist policies; (4) urgingneutralcountries toplacesanctionsonGermany.Ofparticular interest for Bauer and his collaboratorswere thewar doctrines of the Soviet Union. Considering aussrvictory as a factor that could revolutionise conditions in WesternEurope,theyincitedthewholeworkingclasstostandinsolidaritywith theSovietUnionincaseofGermanaggression.Whatismore,theyappealedto anti-BolshevikoppositionalforcesinRussiatojoinindefendingthefatherland, while expecting the Soviet government to release the opposition in order to strengthen the country’s anti-fascist potential. Without a doubt, Bauer was oneof thekey figures to inspire thesedemands.Afterall,hehadidealisedthe processofbuildingsocialisminRussia fora longtime. BesidethenonsensicaldemandpointedoutbyHanisch, it is impossiblenot to notice the three great illusions onwhich Bauer’s theseswere based. The threeauthorsofthe1935anti-warmanifestofailedtorecognisetheconnection betweenthewarobjectivesof theSovietUnionand its imperialist ambitions, underestimatedtheenormousimpactoftherealitiescreatedbyNazismonthe Germanworkingclass, andthereforeerroneouslyanticipated theoutbreakof 33 CommentingonthelatterofBauer’saims,Hanischwrites: ‘Onemusttryto imaginethis: inthemidstofWorldWarii, the“popularmasses”aresupposedtounleashaproletarian revolution in France andBritain against their own governments – i.e. start a civil war before defeating fascism. In light of the experience ofWorldWar ii, a downright crazy idea’ (ourtranslation)–Hanisch2011,p.347.