Reply to the Editors of the Sächsische Arbeiter-Zeitung

An article in which Engels resolutely fought back against the petty-bourgeois semi-anarchist faction the Jungen (“The Youth”) who used the press to attack the Party’s leadership and line, and profoundly clarified how to deal with Marxism and how proletarian party leaders should improve their own qualifications. Written on September 7, 1890, in Der Sozialdemokrat, No. 37, September 13, 1890, and in the supplement to the Berliner Volksblatt, No. 214, September 14, 1890.

In 1890, the Socialist Workers’ Party of Germany won a great victory in the February elections, the result of the elections actually declared the bankruptcy of the Anti-Socialist Laws (although it was still in force formally), marked the end of the Bismarck era. But, the Jungen, who held a “Left” stance in the Social Democratic Party of Germany at that time ignored the changes in the objective situation, denied the importance of making use of parliamentary activities, accused the Party of believing in “petty-bourgeois parliamentary socialism” and imposed an adventurist tactic on the Party. They published an article in the Sächsische Arbeiter-Zeitung, a publication in their possession, attacking the Party leadership and the Party line, and claiming that Engels supported their views. Based on this, Engels wrote the article, Reply to the Editors of the Sächsische Arbeiter-Zeitung and severely refuted the erroneous thoughts of the Jungen. In the Reply to the Editors of the Sächsische Arbeiter-Zeitung, Engels first profoundly criticized the theoretical and practical errors of the Jungen. He pointed out that, theoretically, their viewpoint was “a frenziedly distorted” “Marxism”; and practically, “a ruthless disregard of the actual conditions of party struggle, a death-defying ‘surmounting of obstacles’ in the imagination”. He pointed out that risky tactics that ignored actual conditions “would be sufficient to bury the strongest party of millions under the well-earned laughter of the whole hostile world”. Next, Engels put forth the qualities that should be possessed by leading cadres of proletarian political parties. He said: “Positions of trust in the party are not won simply through literary talent and theoretical knowledge, even if both are undoubtedly present, but that this also demands familiarity with the conditions of party struggle and adjustment to its forms, proven personal reliability and constancy of character and, finally, a willingness to join the ranks of the fighters.”

Reply to the Editors of the Sächsische Arbeiter-Zeitung exposed the standpoint of the petty-bourgeois semi-anarchist opposition of the Jungen, unified the thought and knowledge of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, and promoted the development of the workers’ movement in Germany.