“Under the Shadow of the Revolution: Berlin, Warsaw, Ankara 1920”

UNDER the SHADOW of the REVOLUTION Berlin, Warsaw, Ankara 1920 

Preface to the English Edition 

The fate of the whole 20th century was decided upon between 1917 and  1923. The greatest leap towards the world that humanity longs for, a  world without classes and exploitation, was made in this period. The Oc tober Revolution was an unparalleled achievement of humanity. How ever, the same years also bore witness to great disappointments, which  had historical impacts on the process of world revolution. 

It is without doubt that the defeats suffered by world communist move ment, or its shortcomings, between 1917 and 1923 have a bearing –even  though an indirect one– on the gradual decline of the Union of Soviet  Socialist Republics, which had been the most concrete achievement of  the socialist revolution in Russia, to a point where it was no longer able  to defend itself, and its eventual collapse. 

The difficulties that would face a socialist foundation process confined  to a single country, even one with a massive amount of resources, should  be obvious. The resolution of Lenin, and Stalin after him, in facing these  difficulties and directing the toiling classes of the Soviet Union towards  the goal of constructing the socialist order, apart from being an im 

mense success, also meant embracing the only revolutionary alternative  as the revolutionary wave had started to recede. 

If one has to give an exact date for the withering away of the revolutionary  wave, one must mark the year 1920. This was the year in which capitalism  was finally able to pull the reins on the crisis in main countries and deliv er staggering blows to the revolutionary front in the course of relentless  class struggles. It was without a doubt that the revolutionary situation  was still making itself felt, but the optimism of 1917 and 1918 had been  replaced with a cautious anticipation. And, it was also without doubt that  all eyes were on Germany, where the flame of the revolution began to rise  by the middle of 1918 and sputtered out as 1923 came to a close. 

We have to discuss the Germany of that period further. Just as we have  to evaluate the historical confrontation between the revolution and  counter-revolution on the stage provided by the Warsaw of 1920 fur ther. Just as we have to investigate the struggle of the eastern peoples  for national liberation that conduced to a great congress at Baku, and  the war in Anatolia, which was the critical front of that struggle, further. 

And, we have to be courageous in doing all these. There is no reason for  the communists to shy from truths. Our mistakes and shortcomings are  an inseparable part of our glorious history. They would become a weap on in the hands of our enemies if we fear them and think that we can  erase them from history. Moreover, this courage is also what we need to  save ourselves from repetition, mechanical interpretation of history and  theoretical sterility. 

The foundations of Marxism-Leninism, which are never outdated, are  our only compass in investigating historical events, and the source of  courage we need. If this book, which I wrote with confidence in this  source, makes a contribution to our evaluations of the period I mentioned, I would be more than happy. 

With feelings of respect and gratitude to the militant communists of a  century ago…. 

September 2020