The fifth congress
[March 1934]
The outburst of the Great Depression 1929-1933 dramatically affected the capitalist economy in Greece as well. Venizelos applied a policy for the stabilisation of monopoly capitalism which was inter- related to foreign capital, combined with harsh reactionary suppressive measures especially against the CP. In such a situation, in March 1933, elections took place which the «Popular Party» won while great attempts were made for the restoration of monarchy.
So, the CP in its historic 6th Plenary Meeting of the CC, in January 1934, with the assistance of the Communist International, outlined the duties and tactics in the new situation. It concluded that «the forthcoming workers and farmers’ revolution in Greece would have a bourgeois-democratic character with the tendency of quick transition to proletarian-socialist revolution».It emphasised the duty for struggle for «the country’s liberation from the yoke of foreign capital and the dependence on the imperialist forces, the invalidation of foreign debts, the confiscation and nationalisation of foreign companies» and at the same time it formulated the demand for «expropriation, with no compensation, of big estates and monastery lands and allotment to the farmers, invalidation of usurious debts and working farmers’ exploitation debts, working people’s tax exemption and heavy and progressive taxation to all exploiters, nationalisation of big Greek Banks and monopolies, separation of the church from the state» etc.
The driving revolutionary forces in the struggle against the counter revolutionary bourgeoisie, being supported by the wealthy farmers, would be the working class and the poor middle class farmers. The meeting also dealt theoretically and practically, with the anti-fascist line considering as «substantial» the struggle against fascism, war and monarchy.
Three months after the 6th Plenary Meeting in March 1934, the 5th Congress of the party assembled. The congress virtually confirmed the 6th Plenary Meeting resolutions regarding the nature and the driving forces of the revolution in Greece. It assigned the CC with the task of elaborating and publishing a temporary constitution of the CP, to be finally approved by the 6th Congress, as well as of working out, along with the whole party, the party’s platform, also to be confirmed at the 6th Congress. The 5th Congress drew all its attention to the struggle against fascism and war. The revolutionary mass movement, the organisation of a united anti-fascist front-it was also stressed in the resolutions - «can deter the establishment of a fascist dictatorship and prevent the out-brake of an imperialist war ...» The congress also dealt with the duty of developing the party’s work in the trade unions, of selecting, educating and electing party cadres, as well as the inner-party Marxist- Leninist education and propagating the theory among the working class.
The outburst of the Great Depression 1929-1933 dramatically affected the capitalist economy in Greece as well. Venizelos applied a policy for the stabilisation of monopoly capitalism which was inter- related to foreign capital, combined with harsh reactionary suppressive measures especially against the CP. In such a situation, in March 1933, elections took place which the «Popular Party» won while great attempts were made for the restoration of monarchy.
So, the CP in its historic 6th Plenary Meeting of the CC, in January 1934, with the assistance of the Communist International, outlined the duties and tactics in the new situation. It concluded that «the forthcoming workers and farmers’ revolution in Greece would have a bourgeois-democratic character with the tendency of quick transition to proletarian-socialist revolution».It emphasised the duty for struggle for «the country’s liberation from the yoke of foreign capital and the dependence on the imperialist forces, the invalidation of foreign debts, the confiscation and nationalisation of foreign companies» and at the same time it formulated the demand for «expropriation, with no compensation, of big estates and monastery lands and allotment to the farmers, invalidation of usurious debts and working farmers’ exploitation debts, working people’s tax exemption and heavy and progressive taxation to all exploiters, nationalisation of big Greek Banks and monopolies, separation of the church from the state» etc.
The driving revolutionary forces in the struggle against the counter revolutionary bourgeoisie, being supported by the wealthy farmers, would be the working class and the poor middle class farmers. The meeting also dealt theoretically and practically, with the anti-fascist line considering as «substantial» the struggle against fascism, war and monarchy.
Three months after the 6th Plenary Meeting in March 1934, the 5th Congress of the party assembled. The congress virtually confirmed the 6th Plenary Meeting resolutions regarding the nature and the driving forces of the revolution in Greece. It assigned the CC with the task of elaborating and publishing a temporary constitution of the CP, to be finally approved by the 6th Congress, as well as of working out, along with the whole party, the party’s platform, also to be confirmed at the 6th Congress. The 5th Congress drew all its attention to the struggle against fascism and war. The revolutionary mass movement, the organisation of a united anti-fascist front-it was also stressed in the resolutions - «can deter the establishment of a fascist dictatorship and prevent the out-brake of an imperialist war ...» The congress also dealt with the duty of developing the party’s work in the trade unions, of selecting, educating and electing party cadres, as well as the inner-party Marxist- Leninist education and propagating the theory among the working class.
e-mail:cpg@int.kke.gr