Draft:3rd congress (rewrite)

delegations clean,

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The 3rd World Congress of the Comintern was held in Moscow on 22 June–12 July 1921. The third official meeting of the Communist International included delegations from more than 50 different national structures and took place in the back-drop of two major events; the failure of the German revolution and the introduction of New Economic Policy in Soviet Russia. The main language of the congress was German, with three further working languages: French, English and Russian (of the three, French being predominant).

Agenda and proceedings

The agenda was circulated in several languages from March 1921:

1. Report of the Executive Committee.
2. The world economic crisis and the new role of the Communist International.
3. Tactics of the Communist International during the revolution.
4. The period of transition (partial actions and the final revolutionary struggle).
5. The campaign against the Yellow Trade Union International of Amsterdam.
6. The International Council of Red Trade Unions and the Communist International.
7. The internal structure of the Communist Parties, their methods of action, and the essence of that action.
8. The internal structure of the Communist International—and its relations with the affiliated parties.
9. The Eastern question.
10. The Italian Socialist Party and the Communist International. (Appeal of the Italian Socialist Party against the decision of the Executive Committee.)
11. The K.A.P.D. and the Communist International. (Appeal of the V.K.P.D. against the decision of the Executive Committee.)
12. The women's movement.
13. The Young Communist movement. (Reporter: Munzenberg)
14. Election of the Executive Committee, and designation of its place of session.
15. Miscellaneous.

Agenda included -

• The World Economic Crisis and the New Tasks of the Communist International (Trotsky)
• Report on the activities of the ECCI (Zinoiev)
• The Tactics of the Communist International (Radek)
• The relations of the Red International of Labour Unions (RILU) to the Communist International; and the struggle against the "yellow trade union international" (Zinoiev, Heckert)
• The tactics of the Russian Communist Party (Lenin)
• The structure of communist parties and the methods and content of their work (W. Koenen)
• The women's movement (Clara Zetkin)
• The Communist International and the communist youth movement
• The co-operative question (Mescerjakov)

"The Third Congress of the Comintern convened in Moscow from June 22 to July 12, 1921. The Congress began its sessions with 509 delegates representing 48 countries; 291 had decisive votes; 218 were consultative. Toward the close the number of delegates increased to 603. Twenty-four full plenary sessions were held. The agenda was as follows: (1) Report of the ECCI (reporter: Zinoviev); (2) The World Economic Crisis and the New Tasks of the CI (reporter: Trotsky); (3) The German Communist Workers Party (KAPD); and the Italian Question; (4) The Tactics of the CI (reporter: Radek); (5) The Trade Union Question: a) The Red Trade Union International; b) The Struggle Against the Amsterdam International (reporters: Zinoviev, Heckert); (6) The Tactics of the Communist Party of Russia (reporter: Lenin); (7) The Youth Movement; (8) The Women's Movement (reporter: Clara Zetkin); (9) Communist Work in the Cooperatives; (10) The Organizational Structure of the Communist Parties and the Methods and Content of Their Work; (11) The Organizational Structure of the Comintern; (12) The Eastern Question; (13) Election of the ECCI. The Russian Bolshevik Party was represented by 72 delegates, among them: Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Radek, Bukharin, Rykov and others. The “Left Communists” were very strongly represented and at one time even appeared to have a majority at the Congress. Lenin demonstratively announced that at this Congress he was with the “Right Wing."

Materials, other stuff for expansion

Credentials commission

From report 25 June, Karl Radek: Report from Credentials Commission (June 25, 1921)

• Delegates from 48 countries
• As of 25 June, 291 delegates decisive vote recognized, 218 consultative, 100 (international) guests
• Consultative votes: Estonian ISP, Polish Bund, PZ world federation, Near East Bureau (Congress of Peoples, most probably), Far East Bureau,
• Estonian ISP, Bund, PZ accepted as consultative votes, as they were in negotiations with Comintern, consultative not indication of affiliation.
• Refused credentials to "CWP Bulgaria" (ex socdems) and Bulgarian "Group of Left Communists". CWP refused for having republished Kautsky's Terrorism and Communism. Group of Left Communists deemed not having demonstrated activity.
• Romania - PSR/PCR - not a member party of CI, declared itself as CI member in May 1921 congress, unable to send delegates, individual communists from underground accepted as delegates provisionally.
• 40 votes - Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, YCI (note: YCI participated as a single delegation, not separate country by country delegations of YCL)
• 30 votes - Britain, US, Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria
• 20 votes - Spain, Finland, Romania, Latvia, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium
• 10 votes - Azerbaijan (with Baku), Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iran, Turkey.
• 5 votes - South Africa, Iceland, Mexico, Armenia, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand (! not listed in neither invitation list nor in participating list), the Dutch East Indies
• Consultative - China, Turkestan, Khiva, Bukhara, and Mongolia
• Consultative - Japan Communist Group and Korea, admitted in individual capacity, consultative vote
• Japanese delegation still expected

Invitation list

• "The list of the parties and organizations invited to the Third Congress of the Comintern ( endorsed by the Small Bureau of the ECCI in late April , early May 1921"

June 17

Declared holiday in Moscow by Moscow Soviet, in honour of the congress - Parade of army, militia, cadets, scouts, etc., on Red Square, salute taken by Trotsky

After Trotsky's speech, speeches by Coututier (France), Schneider (Germany), Catagnano (Italian youth), Glinksi (Poland), representatives of CPGB, Women of the east, CP Czechoslovakia, CP Persia, CP Spain. For the first time in Russia, on public places loudspeakers connected through telephones were used, so the speeches could be heard throughout the city.

Kollontai

"The only speaker to ignore the group discipline of the Russian delegation and to appeal to foreign delegates to support her programme was Alexandra Kollontai who belonged to the Workers' Opposition."

Congress bulletine

• Tobias Akselrod, directed the daily bulletine at the Congress. (Delegate?) Bulletine 'Moscow-Moskau-Moscou', in English, German and French

Summary and proceedings

• Credential Commission report here: Karl Radek: Report from Credentials Commission (June 25, 1921) clarifies that it was PZ world federation
• From Trotsky (foot note, not written by Trotsky himself): "The Third Congress of the Comintern convened in Moscow from June 22 to July 12, 1921. The Congress began its sessions with 509 delegates representing 48 countries; 291 had decisive votes; 218 were consultative. Toward the close the number of delegates increased to 603. Twenty-four full plenary sessions were held. The agenda was as follows: (1) Report of the ECCI (reporter: Zinoviev); (2) The World Economic Crisis and the New Tasks of the CI (reporter: Trotsky); (3) The German Communist Workers Party (KAPD); and the Italian Question; (4) The Tactics of the CI (reporter: Radek); (5) The Trade Union Question: a) The Red Trade Union International; b) The Struggle Against the Amsterdam International (reporters: Zinoviev, Heckert); (6) The Tactics of the Communist Party of Russia (reporter: Lenin); (7) The Youth Movement; (8) The Women's Movement (reporter: Clara Zetkin); (9) Communist Work in the Cooperatives; (10) The Organizational Structure of the Communist Parties and the Methods and Content of Their Work; (11) The Organizational Structure of the Comintern; (12) The Eastern Question; (13) Election of the ECCI. The Russian Bolshevik Party was represented by 72 delegates, among them: Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Radek, Bukharin, Rykov and others. The “Left Communists” were very strongly represented and at one time even appeared to have a majority at the Congress. Lenin demonstratively announced that at this Congress he was with the “Right Wing."
• As of June 23, congress had 291 delegates with decisive votes, 218 with consultative. By end 603 delegates at the Congress.
• At the 4th session of the III congress - Radek reported on the Mandate Commission of the III Congress. Albeit not all mandates had been verified, the congress had 298 delegates with decisive votes, 219 with consultative votes, 100 guests. The mandates of the Bulgarian Communist Workers Party and the Left Communists (the Bulgarian left communists??) were approved. Individual Romanian communists were given permission to participate in the congress, considering that the communists had been arrested at the Romanian socialist congress. The Estonian independents, the Polish Bund and Poale Zion were given consultative votes.
• The opening session on 22 June held at the Bolshoi Theatre.
• Sessions of the 3rd congress held in the Kremlin.
• Opening session:, 6 o clock (6 PM presumably), opening session of the III Congress. Presidium of the session: Zinoviev (Russia), Gennari (Italy), Loriot (France), Koenen (Germany), Kolarov (Bulgaria). Zinoviev began his speech by paying tribute to revolutionary martyrs from the past year. Lenin, Trotsky, Alois Muna, Albert Inkpin and Heinrich Brandler were elected as 'honorary presidents' of the Congress, the latter three being in jail. Zinoviev detailed the progress of the revolutionary movement over the past year, recognizing set-backs in the March Action in particular. He highlighted that the Russian revolutionary experience showed that the path to victory goes through defeat - pointing to the possibility of seizing of French trade unions by revolutionaries, the size of the Czechoslovak party with 400,000 members, the possibility to turn defeat in Italy into victory, the unification of CPs in Britain and US, the pending foundation of RILU. He concluded his speech with a special greeting to the delegates from Near and Far East. Lev Kamenev on behalf of Moscow Soviet greeted the delegates welcome. After Zinoviev's and Kamenev's speeches, there were speeches by representatives of the larger parties. The speech of Vailliant Coututier was particularly appreciated, as he affirmed that the day would come when French workers would meet the Russian Red Army on the barricades. Then a concert of prominent Russian artists, including Feodor Chaliapin. The event was closed by singing of the Internationale.

Key topics of the III congress

• Central issue discussed at the III congress was the "March Action" in Germany.
• Paul Levi, KPD leader and ECCI member, had been expelled for labelling the March Action as 'putsch'.
• Situation in Czechoslovak and Italian parties also discussed

• Comintern, at III congress, renounced 'theory of the offensive' and recognized that 'the post-war revolutionary ferment is over' and that 'capitalism had managed to restore a temporary equilibrium'.

• "Även om Serrati- och Levikriserna kastade sin skugga, fördes dock inga häxprocesser ännu och avvikande meningar kunde framföras. En viss opposition hade bedrivits av ”revolutionens mäktigaste talarinna” Alexandra Kollontay och Alexander Schlapnikov"

Agenda and proceedings

Congress was opened by Zinoiev

Documents adopted

• These on the world situation and the tasks of the Communist International
• Resolution on the report of the ECCI
• Resolution on the situation in the German Communist Party
• Theses on tactics
• Theses on the structure of communist parties and on the methods and content of their work
• Resolution on the organization of the ECCI
• Theses on the Communist International and the RILU
• Resolution on the March Action in Germany and about the situation in the KPD
• Theses on tactics of the Russian Communist Party
• Resolution on tactics of the Russian Communist Party
• Resolution on methods of work among the women of the communist party
• Resolution on the Communist International and the Communist Youth International
• Resolution on the co-operative question
• Appeal to the world proletariat

India

• "At the Comintern's Third Congress in June 1921, 14 Indians, remnants of the German “Indian Provisional Government,” showed up. They had cooled their heels in Berlin since the war hoping to find a new patron but refusing at first to turn to Soviet Russia. But three years changed their outlook, and encouraged by the Soviet ambassador in Berlin they went to Moscow to talk to Lenin. They urged him to dump Roy and let them revolutionize India without accepting Lenin's atheistic ideology. Lenin listened politely and said no. Many of the Indians left Russia miffed but two remained, one to work in the Comintern headquarters, the other, Nalini Gupta, to become Roy's valued assistant and an important mover in the Indian Leninist subsidiary's early history."
• "It is interesting to note that the Berlin group of revolutionaries led by Virendranath Chattopadhyaya finally reached Moscow in 1921 to meet the Comintern leadership. They were of the view that first India should get rid of British rule and thereafter form the Communist Party. They wanted the Comintern’s assistance for the national liberation struggle. They did not want M N Roy and his group to be recognised as the Indian Communist Party. A commission of the Comintern after hearing all the views decided to recognise the Party formed in Tashkent as the Indian Communist group."
• "It may be casually pointed out that the formation of the party at Tashkent was challenged by the delegation of Indian revolutionaries who had come from Berlin to Moscow to attend the Third World Congress of the Communist International."
• "However , no organized communist activity , even on a very small scale , seems to have existed in India in the period 1917 - 21 ."
• "In the meantime, an Indian Revolutionary Committee had been.formed in Berlin, at the .end of 1920, with the blessings of Michael Borodin, who was then staying there to make arrangements for the journey of the delegates to· the Third World Congress of the Comintern.50 Now, with Russian money, thirteen members of this committee, including Chattopadhyaya, Bhupendranath Datta, Birendninath Dasgupta, Herambalal Gupta, Pandurang Khankoje, Gulam Ambia Luhani and Miss Agnes Smedley, left for Moscow, in the beginning of March. They were also joined by Nalini Gupta, who had come to Berlin at the end of 1920, but had not joined. this committee"

Bund

• "... delegate representatives to the Ill Congress of the Communist International, to enable them to get into closer contact with the entire Comintern, also to afford us an opportunity to get better acquainted with the Bund through their intermediary. But the results of the presence of the two delegates of the central committee of the Bund who were admitted to the Congress with consultative votes, did not meet with the desired expectations. The delegates to the Bund did not participate in the work of the work of the Congress, did not request the floor on any question, whether in the commissions or in the plenary sessions, while one of the them availed himself of his stay at Moscow to commit a trespass against the Soviet Republic, in consequence of which a commission of the Executive Committee pronounced him as unworthy of participating in the negotiations of the Executive Committee."
• "Walecki was firmly opposed to conditional membership of the Bund, denouncing it as a nationalist, separatist, and opportunistic party; he was also opposed to the proposal of Zinoviev and Radek, representatives of the Executive Committee, to invite the Bund to the upcoming Third Congress of the Comintern."
• "The task of the Bund Central Committee delegation to the Third Congress of the Communist International was to raise once again the Bund question. It was to appeal to the Congress to rescind the decision of the Executive and agree to include the Bund without the conditions considered unacceptable by the Party. But the Bund delegation was greeted with hostility from the very beginning of their stay in Moscow. It turned out that in the time between March 1921 (the meeting with the special Bund emissary) and June 15 of the same year (the opening of the Third Congress), the Polish Communists managed to cast the Bund in a particularly harsh light to the authoritative Comintern circles."
• "Besides these there were delegates from the Young Communist Movement, the Near and Far Eastern Bureau, the “Polish Bund,” and “Paole Zion,” the two latter with a consultative vote until their question of affiliating to the Communist International.

Misc. delegates, whose party identity needs clarification?

• Arthur Holitscher, mention as 'participant' in the III congress of Comintern. There might be an error here, since per Wikipedia he travelled to Russia for 3 months in September 1920, so it could have been the Second Congress instead.
• Sergei Dalin - Сергей Алексеевич Далин - attended the II KIM congress per Delegate at III Comintern congress, as of 1920 Kazakhstan Komsomol official, in 1921 elected to the Far Eastern Secretariat. Perhaps he's the Far East youth delegate??
• Varsenika Kasparova? Mentioned as having been elected to the Communist International Women's Secretariat in 1921. Delegate at III Congress, and if so which delegation (RCP(b)? Tatar? Baku? Far East?)
• Shaymardan Ibragimov - this ref says he attended the III congress in 1920... so either its the III congress or the date is misprinted.

Women's conference

• 9-15 June, 1921, 2nd International Conference of Communist Women, 82 delegates from 28 countries (increased from 25 delegates of 19 countries in first conference)
• July 1921; new International Women's Secretariat elected; Zetkin (general secretary), Kollontai, Varsenika Kasparova, Zinaida Lilina, Colliard, Sturm.
• "Wie Sturm später ausführte, stand die II. Internationale Frauenkonferenz noch ganz im Zeichen der revolutionären Offensivtheorie, die erst wenig später, mit dem III. Weltkongreß, zugunsten einer neuen Taktik, der Einheitsfrontpolitik, verändert wurde."
• Before the congress, a conference of women of the east organized by Kasparova with 45 delegates - same as the IWS conference? when? seems it was also in Moscow around III congress

Süleyman Nuri

delegate, but in which delegation? (Turkish? Armenian? Baku?)

Turkish according to Bülent Gökay

Poalei Zion

• "The World Union [of Left PZ...] wrote a letter to the Executive Council of the Communist International on April 20, 1921. In the letter it was made clear that the [Left] World Union Poale Zion had decided to join the Comintern. The decision was approved by the local parties. The Union asked to be accepted as a member under the name of a Jewish division, and request representation in the Congress and in the Executive Council of the Communist International"
• PZ participated as consultative. At the end of the III congress, ECCI represented the following conditions to PZ - 1) PZ to abandon the notion of a homeland in Palestine, 2) the PZ World Union would be dissolved, 3) each of the PZ member parties would merge, as a Jewish section possibly, of the local communist party.

Colonial question

Colonial question not given prominence at III congress, Lenin and Trotsky only mentioned it in passing. Roy criticized the lack of attention to colonial question, was rebutted by a Bulgarian delegate who argued that the question had already been discussed at length in the II congress and at the Congress of the Peoples of the East in Baku.

Bulgarian CWP

The Communist Workers Party of Bulgaria, linked with KAPD, sent delegates to III congress, but they were not seated.

• "The opposition did not at all want to leave the party or the Comintern. It wanted to obtain the reintegration of those excluded. Consequently, the left-communist groups of the Bulgarian cp sent delegates to Moscow to get a mandate to allow them to participate, at least with a consultative voice, in the Third Congress of the Comintern" - wanted mandate on same lines as VKPD opposition. Radek refused, as there was no 'Bulgarian question'. In Jan 1922 formed BCWP.