The inaugural issue of the relaunched theoretical magazine of the Socialist Workers Party after the split with Max Shacthman and others who retained ‘New International’ as the journal of their new Workers Party.

Fourth International (S.W.P.). Vol. 1 No. 1. May, 1940.

Contents: Why We Publish Fourth International. Editorial Comment, Industrial Unionism and Labor Unity, by Farrell Dobbs, Autopsy of the New Deal by George Novack, “Progressive Paralysis” – Second International and War by Leon Trotsky, The Convention of the SWP by James P. Cannon, The Algebra of Revolution by J. Gerland, Falsified Statistics – The Death Chart of Stalinism by John G. Wright, An Open Letter to Comrade Burnham by Leon Trotsky, California Agriculture – Ripe for Unionism Book Review by C. Curtiss, Quotation: A Number of People – by V.I. Lenin.

Fourth International replaced New International. The New International began as the theoretical organ of the Communist League of America, formed in 1928 by supporters of The International Left Opposition in the Communist Party. The CLA merged with the American Workers Party led by AJ Muste to form the Workers Party of the U.S. in Dec 1935 before intervening in the Socialist Party, at which time this magazine was suspended. After leaving the SP, the main Trotskyist forces formed the Socialist Workers Party in 1938 and resumed publication. In the split of 1940, the State Capitalist/ Bureaucratic Collectivist faction left the Party and held on to the magazine; the SWP then produced ‘The Fourth International’ as their organ of theory. Along with current debate, the New International regularly featured rare, or newly translated work from past figures of Marxism, as well as book reviews and official statements.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/fi/vol01/no01/v01n01-w01-may-1940.pdf