The strategic role of internationalism and the need for an international
1. World Capitalism and the need for internationalism
- today's situation - pandemic, war in Ukraine, protests in Iran, in China, defeat of Bolsonaro, of Trump, coup in Peru
- the class nature, the imperialist and oppressive nature of the global system
What is Internationalism ?
- international solidarity, national to national - “weak” internationalism ?
- cross-border organization, “an injury to one is an injury to all” (IWW) - “strong” internationalism ?
2. History of the Internationals
1st International 1864 - 1876 Polish uprising, Chartism, Paris Commune
2nd International 1889 -1914 Vote war credits, assassination Jean Jaurès
3rd International 1919 - 1943 Russian Revolution, Stalinism
4th International 1938 - today Stalinist degeneration, 2nd World War
3. The Fourth International today
- the difficult road to the foundation
- world war
- transitional programme
- post war
- 1953 split -> different tendencies
- 1963 reunification
- the FI since 1968
- FI sections
- “broad anti capitalist” or new parties (1995)
Reading material
Dan La Botz The World Up in Arms Against Austerity and Authoritarianism
September 1938 - the founding of the Fourth International
Role and party-building tasks of the Fourth International
Additional reading: Daniel Bensaïd: The formative years of the Fourth International (1933-1938)
Gus Massiah: The new world struggles to be born
Michael Löwy: The Fourth International is 80 years old!
Pierre Rousset: Reflections on the “party question” (expanded version) – an overview