The Third Communist International was founded in 1919, in the storm and struggle of the revolutionary wave that swept the world between 1917-1923.
In its first five years, the Communist International was a world party of socialist revolution. Its aim was to accelerate the creation of mass communist parties across the world, and guide the world working class to the seizure of power.
The debates, speeches, and resolutions of the first four congresses of the Comintern remain a valuable treasure trove for communists to this day.
That is why we are publishing a six-part podcast series on the lessons of the Comintern, taken from the talks given at this year’s Marxist Summer Camp.
To kick off the series, Fiona Lali outlines the rich history of Marxist internationalism, stretching from Marx and Engels’ efforts to build the First International, through to Trotsky’s Fourth International.
In the upcoming weeks, we will cover topics like the German Revolution of 1918-1923, the United Front tactic, Lenin’s struggle against ultra-leftism, Stalin’s ‘theory’ of socialism in one country, and more.
