Written: Written in German
Published:
First published in Russian in Pravda No. 21, January 21, 1933.
Printed from the original.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
[1976],
Moscow,
Volume 35,
pages 343-344.
Translated: Andrew Rothstein
Transcription\Markup:
R. Cymbala
Public Domain:
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July 26, 1918
Esteemed Comrade Zetkin,
Many warm thanks for your letter of June 27, which was brought me by Comrade Hertha Hordon. I will do all I can to help Comrade Hordon.
We are all extremely glad that you. Comrade Mehring and the other “Spartacus comrades” in Germany are with us, “head and heart”.[1] This gives us confidence that the best elements of the West-European working class—in spite of all difficulties—will nevertheless come to our assistance.
We here are now living through perhaps the most difficult weeks of the whole revolution. The class struggle and the civil war have penetrated deep among the population: everywhere there is a split in the villages—the poor are for us, the kulaks are furiously against us. The Entente has bought the Czechoslovaks, a counter-revolutionary revolt is raging, the bourgeoisie is making every effort to overthrow us. Nevertheless, we firmly believe that we shall escape this “usual” (as in 1794 and 1849) course of the revolution, and will conquer the bourgeoisie.
With great gratitude, very best greetings and sincere respect,
Yours,
Lenin
P.S. My wife asks me to give you her special greetings. To Comrade Hoschka (we have translated his speech, as we have your article) and to all, all friends the very best greetings.
P.S. I have just been brought our new State Seal. Here is the impression. The inscription reads: Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. Workers of all countries, unite![2]
[1] Spartacists—members of the Spartacus group, a revolutionary organisation of the German Left Social-Democrats, formed at the beginning of the First World War by Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, Franz Mehring, Clara Zetkin, Julian Marchlewski, Leon Jogiches (Tyszka) and Wilhelm Pieck. The group carried on revolutionary propaganda among the masses, organised anti-war demonstrations, led strikes, and exposed the, imperialist nature of the war and the treachery of the opportunist Social-Democratic leaders. In April 1917, the group joined the Centrist Independent Social-Democratic Party of Germany, while maintaining its organisational independence. In November 1918, during the revolution in Germany, the group renamed itself the Spartacus League; on December 14, 1918 it published its own programme and broke with the “Independents”. At the Inaugural Congress held from December 30, 1918 to January 1, 1919 the Spartacists founded the Communist Party of Germany.
[2] Lenin stamped the end of the letter with the State Seal of the R.S.F.S.R.
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