The Young Communist International created a specific department to coordinate anti-war/anti-militarist activities.

‘The War Peril and the Duties of the Communist Youth International’ from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 4 No. 26. April 24, 1924.

Resolution of the Communist Youth International concerning the War Peril and the Duties of the CYI. Adopted at the Session of the EC. of the CYI., March 17th 1924.

The EC. of the CYI. has considered the question of the growing preparations for war on the part of the capitalist countries and the imperialist conflicts of the last months. It has come to the conclusion that the consolidation of the forces which are centred around the two giants of militarism, England and France, the strengthening of American imperialism in China, South America and Mexico and the preparations for renewed armed disputes have not slowed down, but, on the contrary, have enormously increased in the last half year and have thus renewed the necessity of the Communist Youth Leagues and the Communist Youth International taking up a redoubled struggle against militarism.

The past few months have clearly shown, how illusory are the “disarmamants” which have been sought after by the League of Nations. This body is powerless. It does not care to interfere in that imperialist conflict which attracted the attention of the whole world (the Conflict between Italy and Greece). Also the Washington agreements over the reduction of naval forces have suffered a complete bankruptcy. Armaments are increasing in all countries, now as heretofore. The number of troops already exceeds the number of 1914 by about 700.000. The strengthening of air forces has reached unheard of dimensions. New naval bases are being created (Singapore). Gigantic war credits are being voted, the term of military service is being lengthened, new establishments for manufacture of instruments of murder, which are technically more complete, and for the building of new warship and submarines are being erected.

The imperialist conflicts follow each other uninterruptedly: Ruhr, Corfu, Fiume, Morocco, Yavorina (between Czecho-Slovakia and Poland), England and Afghanistan, the Balkans and the Far East. France has practically obtained control over all the coal and iron resources of Middle Europe and over a large part of the railways, and has created a chain of vassal states. The policy of France in the Ruhr, her war-credits to the vassal states and the agreement with Czecho-Slovakia clearly show the true goal of French imperialism which is ensuring its hegemony in Europe and brings us every day nearer to the fateful catastrophe.

The power standing opposed to France British imperialism has by no means withdrawn into the background, since the Labour Party has taken over the government, but, on the contrary, has taken up the most prominent position. For the Labour government is actually carrying out the plan of the British bourgeoisie, which is the sharpening of the antagonism with France, increased military preparations for war against that country and at the same time the maintenance of the imperialist policy in the colonies. (Extension of the submarine and air fleets, correspondence between Macdonald and Poincaré, Henderson’s speech over the Treaty of Versailles, and the policy of force of the Labour Government in the colonies.)

In the same way as France is grouping Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland as vassals around her, so England is seeking to create a reliable support by linking together Spain, Italy and Yugoslavia in a military ring and is at the same time striving against the domination of Germany by France, in order to bring the former country under English domination. The struggle which is being conducted by England and France for influence in the Balkan Peninsula and in Turkey merely completes the picture of the strenuous preparations for the deciding struggle between the two imperialist rivals; a struggle which will surpass everything which humanity has ever seen in the way of bloody wars not excluding the World-War of 1914-1918.

The Parties of the Second International have not fulfilled any of the promises that were made by them at the Hague, they have on the contrary obediently followed the imperialist policies indicated to them by the bourgeoisie of their countries. That is proved by the declarations of Vandervelde against Macdonald and vice versa, the declarations of the Marseilles congress of the French Socialist Party and the attitude of the Czech social patriots of the Franco-Czech alliance.

There therefore lies before the Communists of all lands, and especially before the Communist Youth, the task of renewing the struggle with double energy against the war peril and against bourgeois militarism. The danger of a new mass murder which will claim even more victims from among the working people than did the world war, can only be warded off by real intense work solidarity of the revolutionary proletariat.

In the period between the Third Congress and the Fourth Session of the Bureau of the CYI. (December 1922—June 1923) the antimilitary work of the Communist. Young People’s organizations and the whole of the Youth International made considerable progress and brought, especially in the Ruhr district, great success. Later, however, this work fell off as a result of the political events in Germany, Bulgaria and England, and was only continued with its former intensity in France, the Ruhr and in the occupied area among the French soldiers of occupation. In view of the sharpened international situation, the struggle of the CYI. against the war peril and bourgeois militarism must be taken up on a larger scale. This struggle must be closely linked up with the general political tasks, which lie before the Communist parties and the Youth organizations of all lands at the present moment. It must be brought into close connection with the actual political questions.

The struggle against the military interference in the domestic affairs of Germany, against the militarist attacks of the vassal states of France against Soviet Russia and against the militarist imperialist policy of the great powers in the colonies and in the Far East, must form the central point of international anti-militarist work.

The guiding lines of the practical work of the Communist Youth Leagues in the field of the struggle against war peril and bourgeois militarism must be those which were laid down at the Fourth Bureau Session of the CYI. At the present moment the EC. of The CYI. emphasises the following points as the most important:

The anti-military work must in no case be confined to a general agitation among the workers; it must be carried on among the soldiers of the standing armies as well as among the professional armies. That is only possible where a firm apparatus exists within the army and a regular connection exists with the barrack and military formations. For this reason special attention must be given at present to the formation of nuclei within the army.

The question of anti-military work must also receive more attention in the press of the Youth organizations. The collection and publication of anti-militarist material is to be continued, and the anti-military press propaganda is to be conducted, not only on a legal basis, but illegal methods are also to be used. The struggle for the improvement of the economic position of the soldiers must be strengthened and in the countries where enlistments or calling to the colours is about to take place, special anti-militarist campaigns are to be organized.

Practice has shown that anti-military work is only successful, when it is performed equally by the Party and the Youth. As the immediate danger of imperialist wars confronts the Communist Party with the necessity of increased anti-military struggles, the Communist Youth Leagues must redouble their co-operation with the CP. in this field. For this purpose the EC. of the CYI. decides to raise the question of the struggle against the war peril and bourgeois militarism before the EC. of the CI. and holds it to be necessary that the CI. shall see to it that the Communist Parties strengthen their anti-military work.

The EC. of the CYI. expects that the Communist Youth Leagues of all capitalist countries will take up their tasks in the field of the struggle against the war peril and bourgeois militarism with a renewal of their former energy and authorises the anti-military department of the CYI. to strengthen the practical work in the direction above indicated.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecor” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecor’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecor, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1924/v04n26-apr-24-1924-inprecor.pdf