Description
Book SynopsisToward the United Front is a record of the proceedings of the last congress of the Communist International in which Lenin participated, now at last available in English. Newly translated and richly annotated, it discloses a rich spectrum of viewpoints. It features indispensable source material on early Communism with an introduction, detailed footnotes, 500+ short biographies, glossary, chronology and index, making it one of the most comprehensive accounts of early Communism.
Trade ReviewRiddell has here pulled off an immense and masterful editorial effort, comparing past publications of these proceedings in the four main languages of the Comintern – English, French, German and Russian … The work involved in clarifying the differences between texts, providing more accurate annotation, and correcting the misspelling of names and providing relevant biographical details is immense, and should earn the gratitude of generations of scholars for many years to come. —Alexander Marshall, Marx and Philosophy Review of Books We should be very grateful to John Riddell and his team of collaborators for making available, for the first time in a full English version, the minutes of the Fourth Congress of the Comintern … [F]or anyone seeking to understand the history of the 20th century [Toward the United Front] will be an invaluable work of reference, and no library with pretensions to serious historical coverage should be without it … —Ian Birchall, International Socialism "John Riddell’s Toward the United Front: Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International is a tremendous work of scholarship in the tradition of David Riazanov. The book is a remarkable paperback of 1,300 pages, but it repays reading: it is a manual for revolutionary socialist strategy, in the words of many of its finest representatives." —Paul Hampton, Worker's Liberty "John Riddell is to be congratulated on assembling this fine volume ... Beg, borrow or do what you must to get a copy and read it. Its size might seem intimidating but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.” —Chris Bambery, ISG
Riddell has here pulled off an immense and masterful editorial effort, comparing past publications of these proceedings in the four main languages of the Comintern English, French, German and Russian
The work involved in clarifying the differences between texts, providing more accurate annotation, and correcting the misspelling of names and providing relevant biographical details is immense, and should earn the gratitude of generations of scholars for many years to come. Alexander Marshall, Marx and Philosophy Review of Books We should be very grateful to John Riddell and his team of collaborators for making available, for the first time in a full English version, the minutes of the Fourth Congress of the Comintern
[F]or anyone seeking to understand the history of the 20th century [Toward the United Front] will be an invaluable work of reference, and no library with pretensions to serious historical coverage should be without it
Ian Birchall, International Socialism "John Riddell’s Toward the United Front: Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International is a tremendous work of scholarship in the tradition of David Riazanov. The book is a remarkable paperback of 1,300 pages, but it repays reading: it is a manual for revolutionary socialist strategy, in the words of many of its finest representatives." Paul Hampton, Worker's Liberty "John Riddell is to be congratulated on assembling this fine volume ... Beg, borrow or do what you must to get a copy and read it. Its size might seem intimidating but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.” Chris Bambery, ISG
Table of ContentsEditorial Introduction About This Edition Acknowledgements Proceedings Session 1. Opening Session (5 November) Session 2. Report of the Executive Committee (9 November) Session 3. Report of the Executive Committee (Concluded), Discussion (10 November) Session 4. Discussion of Executive Committee Report (Continued) (11 November) Session 5. Discussion of Executive Committee Report (Continued) (11 November) Session 6. Discussion of Executive Committee Report (Continued) (12 November) Session 7. Discussion of Executive Committee Report (Conclusion) (12 November) Session 8. Five Years of the Russian Revolution and Perspectives for the World-Revolution (13 November) Session 9. Five Years of the Russian Revolution and Perspectives for the World-Revolution (Continued) (14 November) Session 10. Five Years of the Russian Revolution and Perspectives for the World-Revolution (Concluded) (14 November) Session 11. The Capitalist Offensive (15 November) Session 12. Fascism; the Capitalist Offensive – Continued (16 November) Session 13. Credentials Report; the Capitalist Offensive – Concluded (17 November) Session 14. Programme (18 November) Session 15. Programme – Continued (18 November) Session 16. Trade Unions (20 November) Session 17. Trade Unions – Continued (20 November) Session 18. Trade Unions (Summary); Programme; Workers’ Aid (21 November) Session 19. The Eastern Question (22 November) Session 20. The Eastern Question (Concluded) (23 November) Session 21. The Agrarian Question (24 November) Session 22. The Agrarian Question; Youth; Blacks (25 November) Session 23. The Cooperative Movement (25 November) Session 24. Communist Work among Women (27 November) Session 25. Educational Work; Versailles Treaty (28 November) Session 26. Versailles Treaty; Austria; Executive Reorganisation (29 November) Session 27. Executive Reorganisation; Yugoslavia; Egypt; Black and Agrarian Questions (30 November) Session 28. France (1 December) Session 29. France, Spain, Denmark, Executive, Youth (2 December) Session 30. Italy; Czechoslovakia (4 December) Session 31. Workers’ Aid; Yugoslavia; Norway (5 December) 0000 Session 32. Various Resolutions; Election of ECCI; Close of Congress (5 December) Appendixes: Congress Resolutions and Appeals
