Clara Zetkin issued this clarion call over the ruins of the International four months into the war.

‘Clara Zetkin Appeals to Socialist Women to Crush War’ from Labor Advocate (Providence). Vol. 3 No. 24. February 6, 1915.

The Gleichheit, the Socialist women’s paper of Germany, has been suppressed by the government for publishing an “Appeal to Socialist Women” by Clara Zetkin, international secretary of Socialist women.

The translation made by Theresa Malkiel, New York City, follows:

To the Socialist women of all countries:

Comrade Sisters: The protesting voice of women against the fearful blockade, created by the capitalist craving for universal dominion and world-wide power, rise louder and more numerous from week to week in the belligerent as well as neutral countries. It is almost four months since the battle between the allies and the entente began and as time goes on new parts of the world are becoming involved in the bloody struggle.

The war called into its service the physically, morally and spiritually finest forces of all the countries concerned. It likewise aimed at, and destroyed, industry, organization and co-operation for a common goal. It forcibly availed itself of the aid of science and all the wonderful inventions of the age.

The life of its ruins, mountains of dead and wounded were never known to exist in the history of mankind, though the latter is full of rivers of tears and blood.

It crushed under its feet the happiness of millions. It tore asunder the treaties of nations and commanded the people, at the point of the sword, to bow before what they despised and destroy what they mostly honored.

It defiled all the ideals for which numberless generations have worked amidst pain and suffering during the past ages.

What became of the commandments: “Thou Shalt Not Kill?” “Love Thy Enemy!”

Where are today the ideals of civilization, heretofore heralded by all modern nations of culture? What became of the International? What of the Socialist brotherhood of the proletarians of all lands of which we dreamt and for which we hoped?

The longer the war lasts the more will the high phrased platitudes with which capitalism hopes to blind the masses lose their effect. The mask and beautiful draperies of hypocrisy, by which so many were deceived, have fallen and the present struggle stands revealed in all its naked hideousness as a capitalist war of conquest and world- wide power.

In spite of the noise from the battlefield, the patriotic speeches and indiscriminate vote of the masses, we, Socialist women, carry the Socialist principles pure and undefiled into every land.

Unswervingly we offer our sisterly greetings to each across the rivers of blood and mountains of ruins and their sentiment is sealed with the old conviction and firm resolution–on to Socialism!

We Socialist women must send forth the clarion call to women of all lands to rally to us in our opposition to the madness of this world-wide war.

Irresistible and million-strong must our demand be: Enough of slaughter, enough of destruction; No war of exhaustion!

No bleeding of nations to death! Peace! Permanent peace. Therefor: No violation of the independence of any nation, no annexation of land, no humiliating-conditions that would fail to furnish security for the neighbors, but would, on the contrary, serve as a cause for future armaments and would provoke new conflicts. Make room for peaceful labor, for the brotherhood of nations and the development of international culture.

Comrade Sisters: While the men are busy killing each other, we women must fight for the preservation of life. It is our duty, since the men are silent, to raise our voice above the great tumult. We must keep our promise made by our representatives in the International congress at Basel:

We, Socialist women, will at all times be in the front ranks of those who are fighting against war.

PDF of original issue: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92063933/1915-02-06/ed-1/seq-1/