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Bolshevising Irish communism: the Communist International and the formation of the Revolutionary Workers’ Groups, 1927–31

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Emmet O’Connor
Emmet O’Connor*
Affiliation:
Department of History, University of Ulster, Magee College
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Extract

During the 1920s the Communist International, or Comintern, attached exceptional importance to Ireland for the potential of its anti-imperialist forces to foment revolution at home, enlist the Irish diaspora, and encourage unrest in Britain and the Empire. In this way the Comintern might strengthen its relatively feeble bridgehead in the anglophone world and embarrass Britain, the keystone of Russia’s enemies. However, the Comintern encountered repeated frustration in attempting to direct its Irish sections until 1929 when it approved an initiative to create a Bolshevised party. At national level, Bolshevisation meant the application of the Leninist principles of unity, discipline and democratic centralism. Crucially, Bolsheviks understood their national sections to belong to a world party directed by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (E.C.C.I.) in Moscow. In the global context, it also meant the subordination of the Comintern to the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (V.K.P./b.), as the Soviet party was called, and the interests of the Soviet Union. Both levels of Bolshevisation went hand in hand in Ireland, where a new party was built from scratch between 1929 and 1933.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 33 , Issue 132 , November 2003 , pp. 452 - 469
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 2003

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References

1 McDermott, Kevin and Agnew, Jeremy, The Comintern: a history of international communism from Lenin to Stalin (London, 1996), pp 41–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 Milotte, Mike, Communism in modern Ireland: the pursuit of the workers’ republic since 1916 (Dublin, 1984), pp 7–8.Google Scholar

3 Bowler, Stephen, ‘Seán Murray, 1898-1961, and the pursuit of Stalinism in one country’ in Saothar, xviii (1993), p. 44Google Scholar. See also idem, ‘Stalinism in Ireland: the case of Sean Murray’ (unpublished M.S.Sc. thesis, Queen’s University Belfast, 1992).

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5 Bowler, ‘Seán Murray’, p. 44; Jackson, Pete, ‘“A rather one sided fight”: the Worker and the Spanish Civil War’ in Saothar, xxiii (1998), pp 79–87.Google Scholar

6 The C.P.I.’s disbandment is dated in George McLay, ‘Report on the situation in Ireland’ to the E.C.C.I., 26 June 1924 (Rossiiskii Gosudartsvennyi Arkhiv Sotsial’no-Politicheskoi Istorii, Russian State Archive for Social and Political History, Moscow (R.G.A.S.P.I.), 495/89/27-13). Except where stated, references to Larkin and the I.W.L. are based on O’Connor, Emmet, ‘Jim Larkin and the Communist Internationals, 1923-9’ in I.H.S, xxxi, no. 123 (May 1999), pp 357-72.Google Scholar

7 The Profintern, or Red International of Labour Unions, was the trade union counterpart to the Comintern.

8 ‘Digest of communications received from representative [in] Ireland’, [Aug. 1927] (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/104-189); ‘Digest of communications from representative in Ireland’, 22 Sept. 1927 (ibid., 495/89/45-44).

9 Twenty-four Swiss and 41 Belgians attended the school (Gotovitch, José, Narinski, Mikhailet al. (eds), Komintern: l’histoire et les hommes: dictionnaire biographique de l’Internationale communiste en France, en Belgique, au Luxembourg, en Suisse et à Moscou (1919-1943) (Paris, 2001), pp 595-8).Google Scholar

10 McLoughlin, Barry, ‘Proletarian academics or party functionaries? Irish communists at the International Lenin School, Moscow, 1927-37’ in Saothar, xxii (1997), pp 63–79.Google Scholar

11 Arthur to Frank, 17 Nov. 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/54-53).

12 Drisceoil, Dónal Ó, Peadar O’Donnell (Cork, 2001), p. 51Google Scholar. MacBride and MacSwiney were senior I.R.A. men.

13 Milotte, Communism in modern Ireland, p. 93; Irish Labour Defence League, ‘Report of the first annual conference’, 7 July 1929 (R.G. A.S.P.I., 539/3/644-2/5).

14 Report on C.P.I., 30 Oct. 1923 (University College Dublin Archives (U.C.D.A.), Richard Mulcahy MSS, P7a/87).

15 Irish Labour Defence League, ‘Report of the first annual conference’, 7 July 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 539/3/644-2/5); Irish Labour Defence League, report from 7 July to 30 Sept. 1929 (ibid., 539/3/644-7/9); letter to the Irish Labour Defence League, 3 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 539/3/645-1).

16 Department of Justice report, 19 July 1929 (N.A.I., DT S5074A).

17 Workers’ Voice, 7 Nov. 1931.

18 Profintern to Guser, Larkin’s statement, 6 Feb. 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/56-1).

19 Protocol no. 63 of the politburo, 7 Feb. 1929 (ibid., 17/3/725-1/2). I am obliged to Barry McLoughlin for this reference. In 1930 R.O.P. employees were organised by the Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks and the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (Workers’ Voice, 31 May 1931).

20 Nikolai Bukharin, head of the Comintern, 1926-9, had argued in 1926 that postwar Europe had undergone a period of revolution and conflict between social democrats and communists, followed by stabilisation in which united fronts were appropriate. The capitalist world was now entering a third period, of more intense competition for markets, a profits squeeze, falling living standards, a new round of imperialist wars, and a threat of war against Soviet Russia. As social democrats ultimately sided with the bourgeoisie, they should be ‘unmasked’ as enemies. Bukharin did not expect these developments to unfold rapidly, and Comintern policy adjusted incrementally. In Stalin’s struggle for absolute power in 1927-8, Bukharin found his theses used against him, and his supporters branded as ‘right-wing deviationists’ for being too moderate. Stalin’s triumph and tighter direction of Comintern policy gave the E.C.C.I. an added incentive to adopt the theory of the third period. From 1928, guided by ‘class against class’, communists were to attack social democratic parties as ‘social fascist’, while trying to build a ‘united front from below’ with the rank and file of reformist organisations. See McDermott & Agnew, Comintern, pp 68-80.

21 ‘Protokoll no. 109 der sitzung des praesidiums des E.K.K.I.’, 28 Jan. 1928 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/2/95-86/187). Gallacher represented the C.P.G.B. on the praesidium and had close contacts with republicans.

22 Ibid.

23 Ibid.

24 Officially the W.U.I. claimed 15,095 members in 1928, and 16,159 members in 1929, but it gave its income for these years as £4,337 and £6,335 respectively, and each member was worth about £1 per annum (Registry of Friendly Societies, W.U.I. file (N.A.I., 369T)).

25 ‘Protokoll nr. 46 der Sitzung der Standizen Kommission des E.K.K.I.’, 8 June 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/7/-).

26 Vassiliev was director of the E.C.C.I.’s bureau of organisation, 1928-35. Petrovski had represented the E.C.C.I. in the C.P.G.B., 1926-8, and was director of the propaganda bureau of the E.C.C.I., 1927-9. From 1929 he worked with the Soviet secret police, the N.K.V.D. See Gotovitch, Narinski et al. (eds), Komintern, pp 452-3,570-71. On Petrovski see also McDermott & Agnew, Comintern, p. 56.

27 A. J. Bennett to PolitSecretariat, E.C.C.I., 24 July 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/3/151-96).

28 ‘Protokoll nr. 45 der Sitzung des Politsekr. des E.K.K.I.’, 26 July 1929 (ibid., 495/3/-).

29 Tom Bell to Thomas Bell, 27 Oct. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-34); Tom Bell to PolitSecretariat and Anglo-American secretariat, E.C.C.I., 26 Nov. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/64-64); Seán Murray and Jim Larkin, jr, joint report on W.U.I., 2 Aug. 1930 (ibid., 495/89/63-19/27).

30 The Guardian, 10 Oct. 1997; Government Code and Cypher School decrypts of Comintern messages, 1930-45 (P.R.O., HW 17/17). I am obliged to Eunan O’Halpin and Barry McLoughlin for the latter reference.

31 Stewart to Robin [Page Arnot?], 25 May 1931 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/65-48/51).

32 Report of C.I. Commission in Ireland to Anglo-American secretariat, E.C.C.I., and W.E.B., 17 Mar. 1930 (ibid., 495/89/62-1/4).

33 Milotte, Communism in modern Ireland, p. 97; Workers’ Voice, 26 July, 20 Sept. 1930.

34 Stewart to Robin [Page Arnot?], 25 May 1931 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/65-48/51); ‘Protokoll nr. 145 der Sitzung der Politischen Kommission des Pol. Sekr. E.K.K.I.’, 3 June 1931 (ibid., 495/4/112-7); report from Ireland, 20 Aug. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/64-58/62).

35 Letter to Irish Labour Defence League, 3 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 539/3/645-1); Andro Linklater, An unhusbanded life: Charlotte Despard, suffragette, socialist, and Sinn Feiner (London, 1980), pp 238-9.

36 Anglo-American secretariat to secretariat, Ireland, 23 Feb. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/61-1).

37 To secretariat, Ireland, 26 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-23).

38 Abridgement of report of Neptun’, 26 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/64-2/3); report from secretariat, 31 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-1/4); to secretariat, Ireland, 26 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-20).

39 ‘Material for the report on the situation and theses of the R.W.G.’, 11 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/14/334-1); to secretariat, Ireland, 26 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-19/23).

40 McLoughlin, ‘Proletarian academics or party functionaries?’, pp 69-70.

41 Report from Ireland,31 Jan. 1931 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/65-1/4);‘Material for the report on the situation and theses of the R.W.G.’,11 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/14/334-1/8); to secretariat, Ireland, 26 Feb. 1931 (ibid, 495/89/65-19/23).

42 Arthur to Frank, 17 Nov. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-53).

43 Tom Bell to Thomas Bell, 27 Oct. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-34).

44 Bell, Buckley and Stewart to E.C.C.I. 5 Dec. 1929 (ibid, 495/89/54-76).

45 ‘Preliminary report on the present situation and on our Irish policy’, 26 Oct. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-19/25).

46 Arthur to Frank, 17 Nov. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-53/63a).

47 Cody, Séamus, O’Dowd, John and Rigney, Peter, The parliament of labour: 100 years of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions (Dublin, 1986), p. 160.Google Scholar

48 Arthur to Frank, 17 Nov. 1929 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/54-53/63a).

49 Bell to PolitSecretariat, E.C.C.I., 5 Dec. 1929 (ibid., 495/89/54-75).

50 Crime Branch Special report to secretary, Department of Justice, 5 May 1930 (N.A.I.,DT S5074B).

51 Report of C.I. Commission in Ireland to Anglo-American secretariat, E.C.C.I., and W.E.B., 17 Mar. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/62-1/4).

52 Workers’ Voice, 7-14 June 1930.

53 ‘Revolutionary organisations’, 4 Apr. 1930 (N.A.I., DT S5074B).

54 Report of C.I. commission in Ireland to Anglo-American secretariat, E.C.C.I., and W.E.B., 17 Mar. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.1,495/89/62-1/4).

55 Ó Drisceoil, Peadar O’Donnell,pp 58-9; Workers’ Voice, 5 Apr. 1930.

56 Department of the President report, ‘Workers’ Revolutionary Party’, 5 Apr. 1930 (N.A.I.,DTS5074B).

57 Report of C.I. commission in Ireland to Anglo-American secretariat, E.C.C.I., and W.E.B., 17 Mar. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/62-1/4).

58 Ibid.

59 Workers’ Voice, 12-26 Apr. 1930.

60 Milotte, Communism in modern Ireland, pp 102-3.

61 Report of Bob Stewart, 12 Mar. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/63-2/3).

62 Workers’ Voice, 12 Apr. 1930; Crime Branch Special report to secretary, Department of the President, 28 Oct. 1930 (N.A.I., DT S5074B).

63 Draft resolution on Ireland for meeting of Anglo-American secretariat, 20 Apr. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/61-2/9).

64 ‘Notes on communism in Saorstát Éireann’, pp 34-8 (U.C.D.A. Seán MacEntee MSS, P67/523(5)).

65 McLoughlin, ‘Proletarian academics or party functionaries?’, pp 69-70; Seán|Murray, cadre file (R.G.A.S.P.I., 17/98/681).

66 Workers’ Voice, 28 June 1930.

67 Ibid., 19 July 1930.

68 An Phoblacht, 9 July 1930; Workers’ Voice, 12 July 1930.

69 ‘To the delegation in Ireland’, 20 Aug. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/61-23).

70 Seán Murray and Jim Larkin, jr, joint report on W.U.I., 2 Aug. 1930 (ibid., 495/89/63-19/27).

71 Workers’ Voice, 29 Nov. 1930.

72 Draft resolution on Ireland, 1 Sept. 1930 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/61-19/22).

73 Irish Times, 26 Sept. 1930.

74 Ibid., 29 Sept. - 2 Oct. 1930; Workers’ Voice, 27 Sept. - 11 Oct. 1930.

75 Workers’ Voice, 15 Nov. 1930.

76 McDermott & Agnew, Comintern, p. 65.

77 Workers’ Voice, 8 Nov. 1930.

78 R.W.G., notice to members re Dublin conference, 10-11 Jan. 1931 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/67-12/13); conference of R.W.G. in Dublin, 10-11 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/104-190/91); ‘Ireland, report from secretariat’, 31 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-1/4).

79 Report from Ireland, Mar. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/67-51/55). Bell had already been recalled to Moscow, where he continued to work for the Comintern until his death in 1940.

80 Report of Dublin organisation, June 1931 (ibid., 495/89/67-60/62).

81 Conference of R.W.G. in Dublin, 10-11 Jan. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/104-190/91).

82 Resolutions on the political situation in Ireland’, 7 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/67-14/16a).

83 To secretariat, Ireland, 26 Feb. 1931 (ibid., 495/89/65-19/23).

84 McDermott & Agnew, Comintern, p. 65.

85 Report of R.W.G. meeting, Dublin, 5-6 Nov. 1932 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/89/82-14/15).

86 English, Richard, Radicals and the republic: socialist republicanism in the Irish Free State, 1925-1937 (Oxford, 1994), p. 178CrossRefGoogle Scholar. See also Patterson, Henry, The politics of illusion: republicanism and socialism in modern Ireland (London, 1989), pp 26–68.Google Scholar

87 Report on the situation in Ireland, 10 June 1932 (R.G.A.S.P.I., 495/72/188-138/92).

88 To [secretariat,] Ireland, 23 Sept. 1932 (ibid., 495/20/251-89/98).

89 I am grateful to the British Academy for providing financial support for the research on which this article is based.