Leon Trotsky

On the National Question

(1938)
Written: May or June 1938. Source: Fourth International [New York], Vol.6 No.8, Au u!t 19"#, $$.%#". Transcription/HTML Markup: &a'i( )alter!. Copyleft: *eon +rot!ky Internet Ar,hi'e -www..ar/i!t!.or 0 %118. +hi! work i! in the 2u3li, &o.ain
un(er the 4reati'e 4o..on! 4o..on &ee(. You ,an 5reely ,o$y, (i!tri3ute an( (i!$lay thi! work6 a! well a! .ake (eri'ati'e an( ,o..er,ial work!. 2lea!e ,re(it the 7n,y,lo$e(ia o5 +rot!ki!. 8n9 *ine a! your !our,e, in,lu(e the url to thi! work, an( note any o5 the tran!,ri3er!, e(itor! : $roo5rea(er! a3o'e.

+rot!ky elu,i(ate( the National ;ue!tion in hi! arti,le, A Fre!h *e!!on, $rinte( in 1938< An i.$eriali!t war, no .atter in what ,orner it 3e in!, will 3e wa e( not 5or =national in(e$en(en,e> 3ut 5or a re(i'i!ion o5 the worl( in the intere!t! o5 !e$arate ,li?ue! o5 5inan,e ,a$ital. +hi! (oe! not e/,lu(e that in $a!!in the i.$eriali!t war .ay i.$ro'e or wor!en the $o!ition o5 thi! or that =nation>6 or, .ore e/a,tly, o5 one nation at the e/$en!e o5 another. +hu!, the Ver!aille! treaty (i!.e.3ere( @er.any. A new $ea,e .ay (i!.e.3er Fran,e. Ao,ial $atriot! in'oke $re,i!ely thi! $o!!i3le =national> $eril o5 the 5uture a! an ar u.ent 5or !u$$ortin =their> i.$eriali!t 3an(it! o5 the $re!ent ... In reality all !$e,ulati'e ar u.ent! o5 thi! !ort an( rai!in 3o ie! o5 i.$en(in national ,ala.itie! 5or the !ake o5 !u$$ortin thi! or that i.$eriali!t 3our eoi!ie 5low 5ro. the ta,it reBe,tion o5 the re'olutionary $er!$e,ti'e an( a re'olutionary $oli,y. Naturally, i5 a new war en(! only in a .ilitary 'i,tory o5 thi! or that i.$eriali!t ,a.$6 i5 a war ,all! 5orth neither a re'olutionary u$ri!in nor a 'i,tory o5 the $roletariat6 i5 a new i.$eriali!t $ea,e .ore terri3le than that o5 Ver!aille! $la,e! new ,hain! 5or (e,a(e! u$on the $eo$le6 i5 un5ortunate hu.anity 3ear! all thi! in !ilen,e an( !u3.i!!ion C then not only 4De,ho!lo'akia

or Eel iu. 3ut al!o Fran,e ,an 3e thrown 3a,k into the $o!ition o5 an o$$re!!e( nation -the !a.e hy$othe!i! .ay 3e (rawn in re ar( to @er.any0. In thi! e'entuality the 5urther 5ri ht5ul (e,o.$o!ition o5 ,a$itali!. will (ra all $eo$le! 3a,kwar( 5or .any (e,a(e! to ,o.e. 85 ,our!e i5 thi! $er!$e,ti'e o5 $a!!i'ity, ,a$itulation, (e5eat! an( (e,line ,o.e! to $a!!, the o$$re!!e( .a!!e! an( entire $eo$le! will 3e 5or,e( to ,li.3 anew, $ayin out their !weat an( 3loo(, retra,in on their han(! an( knee! the hi!tori, roa( on,e alrea(y tra'elle(. I! !u,h a $er!$e,ti'e e/,lu(e(F I5 the $roletariat !u55er! without en( the lea(er!hi$ o5 !o,ial9i.$eriali!t! an( ,o..uno9,hau'ini!t!6 i5 the Fourth International i! una3le to 5in( a way to the .a!!e!6 i5 the horror! o5 war (o not (ri'e the worker! an( !ol(ier! to re3ellion6 i5 the ,olonial $eo$le! ,ontinue to 3lee( $atiently in the intere!t! o5 the !la'ehol(er!, then un(er the!e ,on(ition! the le'el o5 ,i'iliDation will ine'ita3ly 3e lowere( an( the eneral retro re!!ion an( (e,o.$o!ition .ay a ain $la,e national war! on the or(er o5 the (ay 5or 7uro$e. Eut then we, or rather our !on!, will ha'e to (eter.ine their $oli,y in relation to 5uture war! on the 3a!i! o5 the new !ituation. +o(ay we $ro,ee( not 5ro. the $er!$e,ti'e o5 (e,line 3ut that o5 re'olution. )e are (e5eati!t! at the e/$en!e o5 the i.$eriali!t! an( not at the e/$en!e o5 the $roletariat. )e (o not link the ?ue!tion o5 the 5ate o5 the 4De,h!, Eel ian!, Fren,h an( @er.an! a! nation! with e$i!o(i, !hi5t! o5 .ilitary 5ront! (urin a new 3rawl o5 the i.$eriali!t!, 3ut with the u$ri!in o5 the $roletariat an( it! 'i,tory o'er all the i.$eriali!t!. )e look 5orwar( an( not 3a,kwar(. +he $ro ra. o5 the Fourth International !tate! that the 5ree(o. o5 all 7uro$ean nation!, !.all an( lar e, ,an 3e a!!ure( only within the 5ra.ework o5 the Ao,iali!t Gnite( Atate! o5 7uro$e.