Communist International

The Communist International, often called the Comintern, was a global political organization. It functioned from 1919 until 1943. The group was also known as the Third International. Its primary mission was to advocate for world communism. This meant they wanted to overthrow the system of capitalism everywhere. They believed workers should own property and industry collectively.

To understand the Comintern, one must look at its predecessors. The First International emerged in 1864 under Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It aimed to unite the proletariat, or the working class, against capitalism. Later, the Second International formed in 1889 as a looser federation. This group included various socialist factions like centrists and reformists. However, the Second International collapsed during World War I in 1914. Most member parties chose to support their own national governments. Vladimir Lenin called this a betrayal of socialist values. He believed a new, more disciplined international was necessary.

The Comintern was officially founded in March 1919 in Moscow.

Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party, or Bolsheviks, convened the first congress. At this meeting, fifty-one delegates gathered in the Kremlin. Because of an Allied blockade, only nine delegates came from abroad. Most attendees were already living in Soviet Russia. Leon Trotsky presented a famous manifesto during this time. He argued that workers' councils, called soviets, were the best way to achieve unity. The group elected an Executive Committee to lead its operations.

Membership in the Comintern required following strict requirements. These were known as the Twenty-one Conditions.

These rules were designed to ensure all parties followed the Bolshevik model. Members had to remove any reformist leaders from their ranks. They also had to combine legal work with illegal revolutionary activity. Every member party had to show iron discipline. Crucially, all decisions made by the central committee were binding for every member. This created a highly centralized and disciplined global network.

As time passed, the organization underwent a process called "Bolshevization." This meant the structure became more centralized under Soviet control. The Russian Communist Party gained dominance over all other members. This trend intensified when Joseph Stalin rose to power in the Soviet Union.

During the period from 1928 to 1933, known as the Third Period, policies became even more rigid. The Comintern began calling democratic socialist parties "social fascists." This meant they viewed moderate socialists as enemies of the revolution.

The Comintern's strategy shifted again in the mid-1930s. In 1934, they adopted the Popular Front policy. This approach encouraged broad alliances with socialist and liberal parties. The goal was to unite against the rise of fascism.

The Comintern helped organize support for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. This included the formation of the International Brigades.

However, this era also saw the Great Purge in the Soviet Union. During this time, many Comintern officials were arrested or executed.

Geopolitics caused another major change in 1939. After the German–Soviet Non-aggression Pact was signed, the Comintern changed its stance. It stopped fighting fascism and called the war an "imperialist war." This lasted until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Finally, on May 15, 1943, Joseph Stalin dissolved the Comintern. He did this to show support for the Soviet Union's Allies during World War II. Although the formal organization ended, Soviet influence on communist movements continued for many years.