Left Communists

A left-wing opportunist group in the Russian Communist Party (B) that emerged in January 1918, got its name because it called itself "Left Communists". The core figures mainly include N. I. Bukharin, G. L. Pidakov, K. B. Radek, and others.

The Left Communists strongly opposed Lenin's proposal in early 1918 to make peace with Germany as soon as possible. They argued that peace with an imperialist state was inadmissible in principle, and urged this principle also for the young Soviet Republic, which did not have an army at that time to continue to fight against Germany. They assumed that the German revolution would be about to break out in some short period of time and that the German government would soon be overthrown by the revolution. In criticizing the adventurous claims of the Left Communists, Lenin repeatedly pointed out that it is quite different to believe that the German revolution is mature and to declare that it is. Lenin said, "we place our hope on the victory of socialism in Europe", which is our great slogan. “If, however, we determine our tactics for today in the struggle against the imperialism of today in the hope that Liebknecht will probably be victorious within the next few weeks, we shall deserve nothing but ridicule. In this way, we shall turn the greatest revolutionary slogans of the present day into an empty revolutionary phrase.”

In April 1918, the Left Communists led by Bukharin published “Theses on the Current Situation” against Lenin's theses on “The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government”. They denied the necessity of a transition period, advocated immediate "implementation" of socialism by "cavalry raids on capital", the enactment of corresponding decrees and the "communalization of life", opposed the use of state capitalism and the use of bourgeois specialists, suggested the complete destruction of bank and credit institutions and the accelerated abolition of money. In his article “Left-Wing ‘Childishness’ and the Petty-Bourgeois Mentality”, Lenin criticized the errenous views of the Left Communists. At the end of the summer of 1918, the Left Communists admitted their mistakes and took an active part in the work of the party and the state.