Originally published by the International Federation of Resistance Fighters – https://fir.at/en/
In view of the growing danger today of the war in Ukraine escalating into a European war with the direct involvement of NATO troops, this newsletter reminds us of the prehistory and the beginning of the First World War on August 1, 1914, 110 years ago, which resulted in millions of deaths in all countries involved.
As we know, this war was the result of increasing imperialist competition. Great Britain wanted to defend its world domination, which was based on its overseas possessions; France wanted to secure its hegemony on the European mainland after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71; like Austria-Hungary, the Russian Tsarist Empire hoped to consolidate its internal political instability by military means. The German imperialism claimed its “place in the sun” as a “belated nation”.
The narrative that the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo caused the world to “slide into war” or even “sleepwalk” is devoid of any historical fact. The assassination of the Archduke provided a welcome pretext for the long-planned and strategically prepared opening of the war.
It is not only since Fritz Fischer’s historical study “Der Griff nach der Weltmacht” that historical sources have shown how the German General Staff and German foreign policy systematically increased the German Empire’s ability to wage war. It had also been decided long before the start of the war with the Schlieffen Plan of 1905 that a war against France should be started and waged in violation of Belgium’s neutrality and territorial integrity.
The consequences of this war for soldiers and civilians were devastating, even if there was no widespread bombing. A “war of position” in which many thousands of soldiers were burned to death in the trenches. A war that used poison gas, long-range guns and armored vehicles, which brutally demonstrate the “technological progress” in extermination technology.
As the drums of war were beating loudly in all the major European states, the international workers’ movement, the social democratic parties and trade unions of the Second International responded with peace activities in the capitals of the countries concerned. An extraordinary International Socialist Congress, the “Peace Congress of the Second International”, was held in Basel, Switzerland, on November 24 and 25, 1912. Concerned about an imminent war between the main imperialist powers, the workers’ movement demonstrated its desire for peace and adopted a manifesto against war. The statements were clear: No to the approval of war credits, because this not only increases the danger of aggression, but also because this money is lacking for the social care of working people and their families. It also stated: “If war threatens to break out, the working classes and their parliamentary representatives in the countries involved are obliged … to do everything in their power to prevent the outbreak of war by the means they consider most effective. (…) If war should nevertheless break out, it is their duty to advocate its speedy termination and to strive with all their strength to exploit the economic crisis brought about by the war to rouse the people and thereby accelerate the elimination of capitalist class rule.”
Despite this clear message, in August 1914 it became apparent that there was no serious resistance to the war from the socialist parties and that the parties were instead backing the policies of their respective governments “because of national responsibility”. Antimilitarist resistance only developed towards the end of the war.
The FIR and its member federations are called upon to do everything in their power to develop a broad social peace movement that does not allow itself to be harnessed to the ruling military policy by nationalist and right wing populist propaganda, considering these historical experiences. Internationalism and peace belong together. The slogan “Never again fascism! Never again war!” remains the guiding principle of anti-fascist action even in times of escalating military conflicts. The perspective is not the expansion of military alliances and arms deliveries, but non-military conflict solutions, diplomacy and negotiations, as well as strengthening the United Nations as an international structure.
