Revolutionary Workers League (Oehlerite)
Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Workers League (RWL) was a radical left
group in the United States
. It was led by Hugo Oehler
and published The Fighting Worker newspaper.
, which had been formed by the merger of the Trotskyist Communist League of America
(CLA) and A. J. Muste
's American Workers Party
in December 1934. Some within the new party were advocating an application of Leon Trotsky
's French Turn
by having the enter in the Socialist Party of America
. The issue was first raised at the "Active Workers Conference" at Pittsburgh in March 1935. Though the idea was favored by James Cannon
and Max Shachtman
, the two former leaders of the CLA, it was opposed by Joseph Zack Kornfeder
and Muste.
The issue was again brought up at the WPUS June National Committee Plenum. Though the party issued a declaration denouncing "false rumors" of factionalism and moves toward merger with the socialists, a struggle did apparent take place, Muste, Oehler, and Martin Abern
against joining the Socialist, with Cannon and Shachtman favoring the proposal. The group led by Oehler and Tom Stamm were not entirely opposed to work among the left wing members of the Socialist party, but wanted to bring them into the WP as a group, rather than have the Workers Party dissolve into the Socialist Party.
To that end they began negotiations with the Revolutionary Policy Committee
. When they reported their talks to the Partys Political Committee, they set up their own negotiating committee without any members of the Oehler-Stamm group on it. When Oehler-Stamm group continued their talks with RPC they were censured by the Partys Control Commission. Things came to a head at the October 4–9 Plenum of the Party's National Committee, at which the Oehler-Stamm group was forbidden to issue a factional periodical and were given a final warning to cease their violations of "organizational discipline
". Oehler and his faction then withdrew to form the Revolutionary Workers League. By this time a majority of the National Committee come around to support the French turn..
The RWL originally thought of itself as an "opposition" within the official Trotskyist movement, in the same manner as Trotskyism originally conceived of itself as the "Left Opposition" within the Comintern. They focused, in their early years, to recruiting within the Trotskyist ranks, and may have created the "Marxist Policy Committee" within the Trotskyists' Socialist Appeal Association for that purpose.
left early in 1936 and quickly rejoined the Trotskyites. Joseph Zack then renounced Marxism completely, and founded a new group called the One Big Union Club.
The majority of the group apparently renounced Trotskyism at its third Plenum in October–November 1938. However this caused a spit between Oehler, who believed that Trotsky had degenerated from Marxism in 1934, and Stamm who felt that Trotsky had degenerated in 1928. Others reasons given for the split included questions over democratic centralism as well as a supposed tendency to focus too much on European events, but Sidney Lens stated that Stamms simply did not wish to relocate from New York to Chicago, where the RWLs headquarters was being transferred to become closer to the heart of America industry The Stammites set up another organization, also called the Revolutionary Workers League, sometimes called RWL (Revolt) after its periodical. They had small groups in New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and elsewhere. After an attempted merger with the Fieldites and some Socialist Labor Party dissidents failed, the Stammites disbanded in 1940.
Other groups to split from the RWL included the Leninist League
, led by George Marlen, a second Marxist Workers League led by K. Meinov, a group headed by David Atkins that merged into the Bordigists, the Revolutionary Communist Vanguard
.
. They succeeded in having one of their members Zygmount "Ziggy" Dobrycinski elected as head of Local 205. However when the RWL began to make demands for the "politicalization" of the members, including a six hour day and workers management of the industry, "Ziggy" quit the RWL.
) left wing. Later they sent Oehler, who was present during the May 1937 suppression of the anti-Stalinist Left. Oehler and Negrete were both imprisoned by the Loyalist regime, and only returned to the US after the intervention of the US embassy.
With the declaration of the Trotskyist Fourth International
, the RWL instead founded the Provisional International Contact Commission for the New Communist (Fourth) International. Besides themselves, this included the Leninist League (UK)
and the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (Austria), both groups close to Oehler.
led to a severe decline in the group. Its youth section, the Young Workers League appears to have been wound up in about 1940, the international disbanded in 1946, and The Fighting Worker ceased publication in 1947, although an attempt at a relaunch was made in 1950.
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
group in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was led by Hugo Oehler
Hugo Oehler
-Biography:An active trade unionist, Oehler joined the Communist Party USA in its early days, and by 1927 was a district organizer for the party in Kansas...
and published The Fighting Worker newspaper.
Origins
The RWL originated as a tendency within the Workers Party of the United StatesWorkers Party of the United States
The Workers Party of the United States was established in December 1934 by a merger of the American Workers Party led by A.J. Muste and the Trotskyist Communist League of America led by James P. Cannon. The party was dissolved in 1936 when its members entered the Socialist Party of America en...
, which had been formed by the merger of the Trotskyist Communist League of America
Communist League of America
The Communist League of America was founded by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman and Martin Abern late in 1928 after their expulsion from the Communist Party USA for Trotskyism. The CLA was the United States section of Leon Trotsky's International Left Opposition and initially positioned itself as...
(CLA) and A. J. Muste
A. J. Muste
The Reverend Abraham Johannes "A.J." Muste was a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist. Muste is best remembered for his work in the labor movement, pacifist movement, and the US civil rights movement.-Early years:...
's American Workers Party
American Workers Party
The American Workers Party was a socialist organization established in December 1933 by activists in the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, a group headed by A.J. Muste.-Formation:...
in December 1934. Some within the new party were advocating an application of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
's French Turn
French Turn
The French Turn was the name given to the entry between 1934 and 1936 of the French Trotskyists into the Section Française de l'International Ouvrière...
by having the enter in the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
. The issue was first raised at the "Active Workers Conference" at Pittsburgh in March 1935. Though the idea was favored by James Cannon
James Cannon
James Cannon may refer to:*James P. Cannon , American Communist and Trotskyist leader*James Cannon , Scottish-born mathematician who was one of the principal authors of Pennsylvania's 1776 Constitution...
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:...
, the two former leaders of the CLA, it was opposed by Joseph Zack Kornfeder
Joseph Zack Kornfeder
Joseph Zack Kornfeder, , also known as Joseph Zack and to his friends as "Joe," was an Austro-Hungarian-born American who was a founding member and top leader of the Communist Party of America in 1919. Zack was a Representative of the Communist International to South America from 1930 to 1931,...
and Muste.
The issue was again brought up at the WPUS June National Committee Plenum. Though the party issued a declaration denouncing "false rumors" of factionalism and moves toward merger with the socialists, a struggle did apparent take place, Muste, Oehler, and Martin Abern
Martin Abern
Martin Abern was a Marxist politician who was an important leader of the Communist youth movement of the 1920s as well as a founder of the American Trotskyist movement.-Early years:...
against joining the Socialist, with Cannon and Shachtman favoring the proposal. The group led by Oehler and Tom Stamm were not entirely opposed to work among the left wing members of the Socialist party, but wanted to bring them into the WP as a group, rather than have the Workers Party dissolve into the Socialist Party.
To that end they began negotiations with the Revolutionary Policy Committee
Revolutionary Policy Committee (U.S.)
The Revolutionary Policy Committee was an offshoot of the so-called "Militant" faction in the Socialist Party of America during the middle-1930s...
. When they reported their talks to the Partys Political Committee, they set up their own negotiating committee without any members of the Oehler-Stamm group on it. When Oehler-Stamm group continued their talks with RPC they were censured by the Partys Control Commission. Things came to a head at the October 4–9 Plenum of the Party's National Committee, at which the Oehler-Stamm group was forbidden to issue a factional periodical and were given a final warning to cease their violations of "organizational discipline
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...
". Oehler and his faction then withdrew to form the Revolutionary Workers League. By this time a majority of the National Committee come around to support the French turn..
The RWL originally thought of itself as an "opposition" within the official Trotskyist movement, in the same manner as Trotskyism originally conceived of itself as the "Left Opposition" within the Comintern. They focused, in their early years, to recruiting within the Trotskyist ranks, and may have created the "Marxist Policy Committee" within the Trotskyists' Socialist Appeal Association for that purpose.
Splits
The group went through a number of splits, both of organized factions and individuals. A small Marxist Workers' LeagueMarxist Workers' League (US)
The Marxist Workers League was the name of two splinter groups from the Revolutionary Workers League in the 1930s.The first group split in early 1936 and "after a sensational existence of both its members for 19 days" rejoined the Trotskyists....
left early in 1936 and quickly rejoined the Trotskyites. Joseph Zack then renounced Marxism completely, and founded a new group called the One Big Union Club.
The majority of the group apparently renounced Trotskyism at its third Plenum in October–November 1938. However this caused a spit between Oehler, who believed that Trotsky had degenerated from Marxism in 1934, and Stamm who felt that Trotsky had degenerated in 1928. Others reasons given for the split included questions over democratic centralism as well as a supposed tendency to focus too much on European events, but Sidney Lens stated that Stamms simply did not wish to relocate from New York to Chicago, where the RWLs headquarters was being transferred to become closer to the heart of America industry The Stammites set up another organization, also called the Revolutionary Workers League, sometimes called RWL (Revolt) after its periodical. They had small groups in New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and elsewhere. After an attempted merger with the Fieldites and some Socialist Labor Party dissidents failed, the Stammites disbanded in 1940.
Other groups to split from the RWL included the Leninist League
Leninist League (US)
The Leninist League was a communist political party in the United States. It published a newspaper, In Defense of Bolshevism.Its origins lay in the Revolutionary Workers League of Hugo Oehler, which had originated in the Trotskyist movement, but rejected Trotskyism in 1937...
, led by George Marlen, a second Marxist Workers League led by K. Meinov, a group headed by David Atkins that merged into the Bordigists, the Revolutionary Communist Vanguard
Revolutionary Communist Vanguard
The Revolutionary Communist Vanguard broke off from the Philadelphia section of the Revolutionary Workers League. Originally known as the "Social Science Circle", it became the Revolutionary Communist Vanguard when the group made its final break with Hugo Oehler. It was "led by a lad named Fleming"...
.
Trade union activities
The revolutionary Workers League was active inside a number of trade unions, particularly the United Auto WorkersUnited Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
. They succeeded in having one of their members Zygmount "Ziggy" Dobrycinski elected as head of Local 205. However when the RWL began to make demands for the "politicalization" of the members, including a six hour day and workers management of the industry, "Ziggy" quit the RWL.
International
The group sent a man named Russel Blackwell (using the pseudonym Rosalio Negrete) to Spain during the early part of the Spanish Civil War, who made contacts to the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUMPoum
Poum is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The town of Poum is located in the far northwest, located on the southern part of Banare Bay, with Mouac Island just offshore....
) left wing. Later they sent Oehler, who was present during the May 1937 suppression of the anti-Stalinist Left. Oehler and Negrete were both imprisoned by the Loyalist regime, and only returned to the US after the intervention of the US embassy.
With the declaration of the Trotskyist 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...
, the RWL instead founded the Provisional International Contact Commission for the New Communist (Fourth) International. Besides themselves, this included the Leninist League (UK)
Leninist League (UK)
The Leninist League was Oehlerite organisation set up by Dennis Levin in Glasgow, Scotland in 1932, originally as the Glasgow Leninist League.August Thalheimer of the Communist Party Opposition sent regular reports to the Leninist League while he was in Spain, during the Spanish Revolution.During...
and the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (Austria), both groups close to Oehler.
Decline and dissolution
The outbreak of World War IIWorld 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...
led to a severe decline in the group. Its youth section, the Young Workers League appears to have been wound up in about 1940, the international disbanded in 1946, and The Fighting Worker ceased publication in 1947, although an attempt at a relaunch was made in 1950.
Serials
- The Fighting Worker New York; Chicago Vol. I #1 January 25, 1936 - Vol. XII #11 November 3, 1947 ("preliminary issue" November 30, 1935)
- International News New York eight issues August - November 1935
- Fourth International (Revolutionary Workers League New York; Chicago Vol. II #1 January 1936 - Vol. IV #5 February 1939
- Revolt New York Vol. I #1 March 26, 1938 to Vol II #14 January 7, 1940.
- Marxist: for the New Communist (Fourth) International. Theoretical Organ of the Revolutionary Workers League of the US New York; Chicago Vol. IV #2 November 1938 - Vol. V #7 October 1939
- International News; Organ of the Provisional International Contact Commission for the New Communist (Fourth) International Chicago Vol. I #1 September 1939 - Vol. XII #4 November 1950
Pamphlets
- Lenin and the Bolsheviki, New York, Revolutionary Workers League 1936.
- The Black Legion - union busters Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1936
- Boss elections or the workers vote: capitalist democracy or a workers government. New York, Revolutionary Workers League 1936.
- Stalinism Betrays the Spanish Revolution: Behind the Murder of Zinoviev, Kamenev, Smirnov and the Frame-up of Trotsky, New York, Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the US 1936.
- The Socialist Party moves to the right: analysis of the 1936 Cleveland Convention and the capitulation of the Trotskyists to the Socialist Party. Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1937
- The truth about the Moscow frame-up trials Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1937
- Sixth anniversary of the Spanish Republic in Barcelona: eyewitness account Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1937
- Barricades in Barcelona: the first revolt of the proletariat against the capitalist people's front, eyewitness account, Barcelona May 15, 1937 New York: Demos Press, 1937
- The workers' answer to boss war Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1937
- Fight fascism: defend revolutionists in Spain Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S., 1938
- Fight against Roosevelt's war plans! Chicago, Ill: Demos Press, 1938
- Why communism? Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1938
- Lessons on Dialectic Materialism Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1938
- Capitalist decay and unemployment Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1938
- Workers rights or democracy: fight fascism by fighting capitalism. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1938
- The negro under capitalism: resolution: adopted by the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Workers League of the United States, September 3-4, 1938, Chicago. N[ew] Y[ork] C[ity] Published for the Revolutionary Workers League by Demos Press 1938.
- Constitution of the Revolutionary Workers League, U.S., and its position on democratic centralism Detroit, Mich.: Demos Press, 1938.
- Shall workers support a Labor Party? Chicago, Ill: Revolutionary Workers League, 1938
- Uncle Sam's stake in the war ... Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- Minutes of the third national convention ... April 8–10, 1939. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- Negro slavery, then and now Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- Draft program of the Revolutionary workers League of the United States Issued by the Political committee. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- The Stalin-Hitler Pact and the imperialist war. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- The lessons of Spain: the Peoples Front paves the way for Fascism. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- The social security measures; a Marxian analysis ... Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- Where shall the Jewish masses turn? Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1939
- Trade Unionism Today, Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League 1940.
- The worker in the 1940 elections : vote against war and capitalism Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League 1940.
- "Soldiers get free graves," ... A UAW pamphlet ... by Jim WaldenJim WaldenJim "Jimmy" Walden is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington State University from 1978 to 1986 and at Iowa State University from 1987 to 1994, compiling a career college football record of 72–109–7.-Playing career:Walden played...
Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1940 - American imperialism: the main driving force for war. Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1940
- The history of the American labor movement Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1940
- Militarism under American imperialism Chicago, Ill.: Demos Press, 1941
- War, what for? Chicago, Ill.: Demos Press, 1941
- Dialectical materialism; a reply to Sidney Hook. Chicago, Ill.: Demos Press, 1941
- The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League, US, 1941
- An Answer to the Renegades: Critique of Anti-Marxism, Chicago, Ill. : Revolutionary Workers League, U.S.A., 1941.
- The war and the left wing groups. Chicago : Demos Press, 1942
- Remember Odell Waller! Chicago, Ill.: Demos Press, 1942
- From Revolution to Reaction: A History of the 3rd International. Chicago, Ill.: Demos Press, 1942
- John Dewey, a Marxian critique by Sidney Lens (as Sid Okun) [Chicago] Revolutionary workers league, U.S. 1942.
- Workers' revolution, or wars forever Chicago, Ill.: Revolutionary Workers League of the U.S. 1945.
- Why the Revolutionary Workers League Chicago, Ill. : Revolutionary Workers League, U.S.A., 1945.
- If this be treason: an answer to the U.S. Attorney-General, Mr. Clark Cleveland, Ohio : Central Committee of the Revolutionary Workers League, U.S.A., 1949.
Further reading
External links
- Bulletin of the Marxist Policy Committee, front of the RWL.