Karl Kautsky and the Second International on the Colonial Question
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Kautsky in this important article of 1907 answers the authors of a draft resolution introduced to the Stuttgart International Congress that stated "congress does not in principle reject all colonial policy for all time, as it could have a civilizing effect under a socialist regime." Kautsky defends the orthodox social-democratic line of unconditional opposition to colonialism.
[...] the end of the present-day capitalist colonial policy will mean the end of all colonial policy. The victory of the proletariat will of course find the most various kinds of cultural stages in existence in the world, and this victory will not make the spread of European technology, of European science and thought amongst the peoples of the tropics unnecessary--rather will it create the soil there for the most rapid dissemination of these things. But from this cultural mission no new relations of domination will arise. The victorious proletariat will not be the ruling class in the countries now possessed as colonies, but will forego all foreign domination. The proletariat cannot free itself without freeing the whole of mankind. In this lies its greatness, its power of attraction, because of which its struggle for emancipation, its class struggle, has from the beginning drawn to it the greatest and most far-seeing spirits of all classes. This is the sign under which we will be victorious. Socialism and Colonial Policy (1907) Karl Marx on India and Colonialism Friedrich Engels on Colonialism and Revolution in India Lenin on the Colonial Question anti-caste: links anti-caste home