When Hitler came to power

election, and asks him to form a government as Chancellon of the Reich.

THUS, without strikins a . blow, the leader of the German fascists was vested with the full legal powers of the capitalist state.

In the next few months, with the support of the ruling class and the great mass of the middle class, he proceeded to smash the working-class organisations, killing or imprisoning many of its leaders.

Many books of all kinds which opposed Nazi racialism and nationalism were taken out of' the libraries and burned. The regimentation of German youth began and the whole propaganda apparatus was turned over to Goebbels.

EXTERMINATION

Persecution of the Jews began, prelude to the wholesale extermination of eight million European Jews which was to be carried out ten years later.

Watched benignly by many of the politicians of Western Europe, Hitler began to turn the German economy into an instrument of total war. Hitler had crushed socialism at home; many hoped that he would then go on to crush it in Russia and throughout Europe.

Most of all the events in Germany in January 1933 and the following months, signalled the defeat of the German working class, the most advanced and best organised working class movement in Europe.

In 1932 the two working class parties had 221 seats in the Reichstag against 196 for the Nazis; the latter had actually lost seats between the elections of July and those of November.

How had Hitler been able to Read Trotsky nany: Key to the national Situation, Marxist on Germany ...

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smash what mighty force?

An easy answer is to say that it was because the class was disunited. In this way the Social Democrats have an alibi by blaming the defeat on to the Communists and they in turn can blame the Social Democrats.

What were the facts? Who bears the major responsibility for the defeat of the German workers?

First of all, from the time of the downfall of the Kaiser in November 1918, the Social Democrats had been a main force in opposing revolution in Germany. They stood for the 'democratic', capitalist republic and social-democratic leaders co-operated with the catholic centre, the bourgeois liberals and the most reactionary elements in the army for this purpose.

'SOCIAL FASCISTS'

The Weimar republic could not have survived if the Social Democrats had withdrawn their support from it.

The Communist Party denounced the Social Democrats as 'social fascists'. According The Only Roac Only Germany, I/6 nany, inderstanding to Stalin the Nazis and the Social Democrats were 'not antipodes but twins'.

On this basis the Communist Party was instructed to fight the Social Democratic Party, which meant, in practice, its working class supporters, as well as the opportunist leaders. At times the CP made tactical alliances with the Nazis for this purpose, though not negotiated alliances, it is true.

HELPED BY MOSCOW The Social Democratic leaders ere immeasurably assisted in taining their hold on the OMINOUS MOVE BY WILSON FOR SECRET TALKS asked for a secret meeting with the Tory prime minister in order to take 'defence' out of party politics.

His request is made at a time when the British government is hard put to defend its imperialist interests.

From Malaysia to Aden, to Cyprus, in Europe, Asia and Africa its forces are stretched to a 'thin, red line' CRISIS The War Office expects 1964 to be a year of crisis, said 'Peterborough' in last Saturday's 'Daily Telegraph'. It is no accident that Wilson chooses such a time to ask for private talks with the Tories.

It is a natural tendency for Labour leaders who are nationalists first and socialists a poor second to rally round the flag when imperialism is in difficulties.

Gaitskell first supported path for the Communists was to offer at every opportunity a united front against the common danger.

Successful resistance by the working class would have permitted the Communists to strengthen their position and extend their influence over larger sections of the class, ready to move over to the offensive.

COMINTERN FINISHED The insane policy foisted on the German Communists by Stalin made this impossible. Trotsky's supporters were too weak to deflect the German CP from its course.

The disaster of the German working class in 1933 was decisive for the whole of Europe; it was from the role of Stalinism in this disaster that Trotsky drew the conclusion that the Third International was finished and that it was necessary to begin constructing the Fourth.

Few at the time gauged Stalin's responsibility for the coming to power of Hitler. The prestige of the Russian Revolution, as well as the devotion of the communist workers themselves, covered Stalin's crimes.

Those German communist leaders who, in exile in Moscow, BILL the Tory attack on Suez until the reaction of Labour's rank and file pulled him out of Eden's arms.

Similarly ignoring the party members, Wilson is anxious for Tory-Labour unity when capitalism is in extreme difficulties.

The Imperial General Staff have far too few British workers in their armed forces to protect their interests in all the many places where they face, or will shortly face, trouble. Service advisers and some MPs are pressing for return to conscription.

Tory denials that they plan to bring back the call-up are sheer humbug. But deny it they must with an election to fight.

Wilson, with a probable Labour government only a few short months ahead, is similarly anxious that conscription will not be an issue at the general election. He doesn't want any never recover.

ALL AND SUNDRY As for Stalin, he always knew how to take over, in a deformed way, the programme of his opponents. At the Seventh (and last) Congress of the Communist International in 1935 the policy of the united anti-fascist front was proclaimed.

Within a short time Communists were being urged to unite with all and sundry into 'Popular Fronts', not only with Social Democrats, but with middle class liberals, radicals and 'progressives.

PAVED THE WAY

The Communist Party of Germany, even when putting forward the apparently intransigeant slogans of the pre-1933 period, had neither the means, nor the intention, of waging a serious struggle for power. Now, with the open revisionism of the Popular Front period, Stalin imposed on Communist Parties everywhere an outright renunciation of such an aim.

A tremendous process of miseducation was begun which prepared the way for further betrayals in France and Spain in 1936-37 and throughout Europe in 1945-47. feelings on the subject stirred up in Labour's ranks which would make it more difficult for his government to carry out the measures which the Imperial General Staff find necessary.

Even before the votes are cast, let alone counted, Labour's leaders are preparing the way for steps against the working class. But, as Wilson will quickly find out, Labour will not carry through measures like conscription without great opposition.

CONDEMNS

Young workers, in particular. already in the forefront of the fight to throw out the Tories, will not welcome any attempt by Labour to marshal them into the forces to fight in jungle and desert for the interests of the monopoly capitalism which has flung many thousands of them on to the dole and condemns countless others to sweat away their lives in automated factories and mines.

EW