Italy ( 3 ) - the debacle

[Adam Rose <adam@xxxxxxxx>]

There was a conference in Milan.

First, the CGL leaders turned to the representatives of the Turin workers
( the base of the factory councils ) : would they kindly lead the revolution ?
Of course, they remembered their isolation in April and politely declined.

Then, the reformist CGL leaders, who were PSI members, turned to the national
directorate of the PSI : "You believe this is the moment for revolution.
You assume the responsibility. We resign". The maximalists ( ie centrists )
bluff had been called - naturally they backed off.

Instead they called a CGL conference on 11 September, at which the CGL
leaders won ( 591,000 to 409,000 votes ). By the end of the month, all the
factories had been handed back to the employers. Instead of advancing
concrete demands to take the revolutionary movement forward, they had
engaged in a beauracratic charade with the reformist union leaders.
The workers movement moved towards "disintegration and collapse" , in the
words of a letter from Bukharin, Lenin, and Zinoviev.

The Commintern HAD attempted to push the PSI in the right direction
>from afar, but had had no effect. Even AFTER this defeat, Serrati refused
even to expel the right. Eventually ( January 1921 ) the left split away
to form the PCI.

Tragically, this left split was dominated by the unbendable ultra left
dogmatist, Bordiga. In the situation of a defeat on this scale, the
tendency to reaction could have been overcome via a PCI able to implement
a united front to defend workers interest, rebuild their confidence, and
win over the majority of the working class. Unfortunately, the reaction
to the centrist leaders of the PSI, and the lack of an ORGANISED Leninist
style cadre, meant the ultra lefts dominated the PCI until the mid 20's.

DH writes : By then it was TOO LATE. FASCISM had triumphed.
( My emphasis ).

Adam.



Adam Rose
SWP
Manchester
UK





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