Revolutionary Socialist League (UK, 1938)
Encyclopedia
The first RSL was formed in early 1938 with the merger of two different parties, the Marxist League led by Harry Wicks
and the Marxist Group
led by C. L. R. James
.
In August 1938, James P. Cannon
and Max Shachtman
came to London
in an attempt to unite all four British Trotskyist groups. The RSL, the Militant Group
and the Revolutionary Socialist Party
merged to form a new Revolutionary Socialist League, but the Workers International League refused, claiming that agreement on perspectives was insufficient and that the new group represented a dilution of democratic centralism
.
The new RSL became the British affiliate of the newly formed Fourth International
. They maintained the Militant Labour League for those members who were involved in Labour Party
entryism
and published The Militant.
The group adopted a defeatist policy during World War II
, which they modelled on Lenin's revolutionary defeatist tactics of the 1914-18 war but which was seen by their rivals in the WIL as being pacifist, and had some initial successes when the Shop Assistants' Union (later USDAW) adopted their position in 1940. This led the Labour Party to ban the Militant Labour League. In addition, the group became increasingly inactive as many younger members were conscripted into the British Army
.
More importantly the group's position opposing the war became a major cause of factional strife both within the group and between it and the WIL. Three major positions developed which help to explicate the ensuing factional divisions outlined below. Firstly, a Left Fraction
formed, which opposed the war on a basis all other factions described as pacifist. Secondly the leadership faction around D. D. Harber held a position that opposed the Proletarian Military Policy
(PMP) of the WIL and was described by its opponents as semi-pacifist. Finally the WIL and tendencies leaving the RSL at different times adhered to the aforementioned PMP.
In 1939, some RSL members split to form the Revolutionary Workers League, which Isaac Deutscher
soon joined, due to the inaction of the RSL leadership when war began. Initially they used the name RSL as the official group was inactive only changing their name later. However the majority of the RWL joined the WIL in 1940, the remainder rejoins the RSL in 1941. Another split produced the Socialist Workers Group which published Socialist Fight and entered the ILP, some of its former members eventually joining the Trotskyist Opposition, a group, expelled in 1942 from the RSL. This group, led by John Lawrence
, advocated adoption of the PMP of the Socialist Workers Party
and was in favor of fusing with the WIL. in fact collaboration between the Trotskyist Opposition and the WIL was so close that Lawrence was employed by the latter on technical tasks. Finally, in 1943, the Left Fraction who were opposed to that policy were expelled.
The leadership of the RSL refused to enter into any unity negotiations, despite the party's drastic reduction from 300 to 20 members, until in 1944 the Fourth International held a two-day conference. This conference being required to re-unite the group so that it could fuse with the WIL into a single organization which could then affiliate to the Fourth International. As planned on the first day, the Trotskyist Opposition and the Left Fraction were reunited with the RSL. Despite the objections of the Left Fraction, the second day saw the reformed RSL unified with the WIL – on the WIL's terms – to form the new Revolutionary Communist Party.
Harry Wicks
Harry Wicks was a British socialist activist.-Biography:Born in Battersea, London, he went to work on the railways and joined the National Union of Railwaymen in 1919. He joined the Labour Party, but after Black Friday moved to the Communist Party of Great Britain . After studying with A. E. E...
and the Marxist Group
Marxist Group (UK)
The Marxist Group was an early Trotskyist group in the United Kingdom.Its origins lay in the Communist League, the first Trotskyist group in the country. Trotsky advised the group to enter the Independent Labour Party , which had just disaffiliated from the Labour Party...
led by C. L. R. James
C. L. R. James
Cyril Lionel Robert James , who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J.R. Johnson, was an Afro-Trinidadian historian, journalist, socialist theorist and essayist. His works are influential in various theoretical, social, and historiographical contexts...
.
In August 1938, James P. Cannon
James P. Cannon
James Patrick "Jim" Cannon was an American Trotskyist and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party.Born on February 11, 1890 in Rosedale, Kansas, he joined the Socialist Party of America in 1908 and the Industrial Workers of the World in 1911...
and Max Shachtman
Max Shachtman
Max Shachtman was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.-Beginnings:...
came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in an attempt to unite all four British Trotskyist groups. The RSL, the Militant Group
Militant Group
The Militant Group was an early British Trotskyist group, formed in 1935 by Denzil Dean Harber, former leader of the Marxist Group, as an entrist group inside the Labour Party....
and the Revolutionary Socialist Party
Revolutionary Socialist Party (UK)
The Revolutionary Socialist Party, initially known as the International Socialist Labour Party, was a political party in Britain. It emerged out of a Scotland-based faction of the Socialist Labour Party, which had left the SLP in the early 1930s. The party was mainly based in Edinburgh, where it...
merged to form a new Revolutionary Socialist League, but the Workers International League refused, claiming that agreement on perspectives was insufficient and that the new group represented a dilution of democratic centralism
Democratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
.
The new RSL became the British affiliate of the newly formed Fourth International
Fourth International
The Fourth International is the communist international organisation consisting of followers of Leon Trotsky , with the declared dedicated goal of helping the working class bring about socialism...
. They maintained the Militant Labour League for those members who were involved in Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
entryism
Entryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
and published The Militant.
The group adopted a defeatist policy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which they modelled on Lenin's revolutionary defeatist tactics of the 1914-18 war but which was seen by their rivals in the WIL as being pacifist, and had some initial successes when the Shop Assistants' Union (later USDAW) adopted their position in 1940. This led the Labour Party to ban the Militant Labour League. In addition, the group became increasingly inactive as many younger members were conscripted into the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
More importantly the group's position opposing the war became a major cause of factional strife both within the group and between it and the WIL. Three major positions developed which help to explicate the ensuing factional divisions outlined below. Firstly, a Left Fraction
Left Fraction
The Left Fraction, sometimes calling itself the Left Fraction, British Section of the Fourth International , was a Trotskyist organisation in the United Kingdom....
formed, which opposed the war on a basis all other factions described as pacifist. Secondly the leadership faction around D. D. Harber held a position that opposed the Proletarian Military Policy
Proletarian Military Policy
The Proletarian Military Policy was a policy adopted by the Fourth International in response to World War II. It was an attempt to apply transitional demands such as trade union control of military training and the election of officers to transform what it characterised as an imperialist war into...
(PMP) of the WIL and was described by its opponents as semi-pacifist. Finally the WIL and tendencies leaving the RSL at different times adhered to the aforementioned PMP.
In 1939, some RSL members split to form the Revolutionary Workers League, which Isaac Deutscher
Isaac Deutscher
Isaac Deutscher was a Polish-born Jewish Marxist writer, journalist and political activist who moved to the United Kingdom at the outbreak of World War II. He is best known as a biographer of Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin and as a commentator on Soviet affairs...
soon joined, due to the inaction of the RSL leadership when war began. Initially they used the name RSL as the official group was inactive only changing their name later. However the majority of the RWL joined the WIL in 1940, the remainder rejoins the RSL in 1941. Another split produced the Socialist Workers Group which published Socialist Fight and entered the ILP, some of its former members eventually joining the Trotskyist Opposition, a group, expelled in 1942 from the RSL. This group, led by John Lawrence
John Lawrence (political activist)
John Gordon Michael Lawrence was a leading far left activitist in a wide variety of groups in Britain.-Early life:...
, advocated adoption of the PMP of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
and was in favor of fusing with the WIL. in fact collaboration between the Trotskyist Opposition and the WIL was so close that Lawrence was employed by the latter on technical tasks. Finally, in 1943, the Left Fraction who were opposed to that policy were expelled.
The leadership of the RSL refused to enter into any unity negotiations, despite the party's drastic reduction from 300 to 20 members, until in 1944 the Fourth International held a two-day conference. This conference being required to re-unite the group so that it could fuse with the WIL into a single organization which could then affiliate to the Fourth International. As planned on the first day, the Trotskyist Opposition and the Left Fraction were reunited with the RSL. Despite the objections of the Left Fraction, the second day saw the reformed RSL unified with the WIL – on the WIL's terms – to form the new Revolutionary Communist Party.