Lenin on the World Revolution

1921

7 January 1921

Telegram to Mustafa Kemal

To the Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal

first published in 1957 in the journal "Kommunist", No. 15.

Lenin, Letters 1920 - 1921, Volume VII, Supplement No. 6, pages 305 - 306

We were delighted to receive your message on the occasion of the proclamation of the autonomy of the mountain peoples. Your letter has convinced the Soviet government that you sympathise with Soviet Russia's policy towards the nations belonging to the Russian Federation. Soviet Russia grants autonomy to all peoples on its territory and supports them in the formation of local republics, in accordance with the principle of the right of every people to self-determination. Only this principle makes it possible to establish the fraternal relations based on mutual understanding and mutual trust that exist between all nations belonging to Soviet Russia. Only such a policy will consolidate the existence of all the nations of Russia and unite them into one great and powerful family, capable of fighting against the countless enemies that surround us. By forming a great unity, we not only repel the direct attacks of our enemies, but are also immune to all the intrigues that our common adversaries resort to. I am pleased to note that the measures we are applying to the small nations have been correctly understood by you and are being received by you in a way that can only be conducive to the establishment of good relations and mutual trust.

Allow me once again to express our gratitude for your message and our most sincere wishes for the Turkish people and their government, who are fighting with unflagging energy for the independence and well-being of your country.

(translated from French).

6 February 1921

Speech at the IV All-Russian Congress of Garment Workers;

first published in 1922 in the book "Der Vierte Gesamt-russische Verbandstag der Bekleidungsarbeiter ( 1 - 6 February 1921), stenographischer Bericht" ), Petrograd.

Lenin Works, volume 32, page 105/106.

You all know how much capital is an international power, how closely the largest capitalist factories, enterprises and department stores are interwoven throughout the world. And from this you can see, of course, that the whole nature of capital cannot be finally defeated in a single country. It is an international power, and in order to defeat it definitively, it also requires joint action by the workers on an international scale" [ emphasised by the Comintern (SH) ] ; (page 106)

The most important thing that gives us the certainty that not only these attempts will fail, but also that the situation of the capitalist powers, generally speaking, is unstable throughout the world - that is the intensification of the economic crisis in all countries and the growth of the communist labour movement. The revolution in Europe has taken a different course from our revolution. As already mentioned, the Western European states did not succeed in utilising the end of the war, when the weapons were in the hands of the workers and peasants, for a quick and painless revolution, but the imperialist war has shaken the situation of these states to such an extent that not only has the crisis there not yet ended, but on the contrary, just now, as spring is approaching, the economic crisis is becoming more and more acute everywhere without exception, in the richest, most advanced countries.

Capital is an international evil, but precisely because it is an international evil, all countries are already so closely bound to one another that the downfall of one will drag all the others down with it [ emphasised by the Comintern (SH) ] ( ibid., page 109).

The fate of the capitalist states will inevitably be decided in connection with the growing economic crisis [ emphasised by the Comintern (SH) ] (ibid., page 111).