THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-01042R000600100010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 5, 2010
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 15, 1956
• Content Type: MEMO

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// - - - .r . ice v 1 ? --W r :. r .. r
STAT
StJB,JBcT : The International
DATE: 15 . ov amber 105b'
The Fourth International - r'ove=:ei t re-ore sent tho _ _ci siae .._..n
~.s se t cr cu-~,'
within the followers of I"arxist political ena. economic theory rho are, not
subject to the discipline of the Coninwiist Party, U '-)SR and a : patheti c
or allied Communist Parties in other nations. They fern the "splinter"
or Tw ots v'i.te groups, similar to the (`'ommunists in their 6:enunci atio- of
Capit~=_i s ~ but marked in their op.osition to the present ?us.sian nFJverr.-
r ent.
Prior to the actual esteb?is'1-env of the =curt- Intr?rnatim .1, t_'e
1 _5
a si S -for yS ?~$ ta7hC+4 ?-e S ' " ? i::0'^' the
created by the r ft t ex s in t''
II U:i.?___ =evo1ut' CIl of 191-7. Pre-re-volution r nuever the ,i_lz
ar:-=i s t s n c . ?7rcC:uced the ri- t T'^1 S _ v . _e an' t 1-'ft -
V3.l=s, =e cy _.e-nn. ih I C?l?
position Tact?-oan t ese extremes. in 1017 : e ~-li=ca h s.o r . .t'n _?
~ls'evi.-s, ltl-o'_1`h in offici L!:_ssian history ho is kne--n as
a
S3'_a_vik "count=Y'_~'evoitt'_o21 .r'r'.~~
in the neriod from 10'17 to lc2 r.'=; l e Leni r_ as in ro -er T ?o-,-'
ras in frecuen disagree-ent ~.ithl official ~nl_cies and had resod i-
sell a: be in idoolo -1 T-asitzon tc the ' a '
deve1om`_ent of international arxi f1. t''_:o?Z Lenin's c.?~^.th in 192., Wit.:- in
assn,.?'ed control. T rota'.y rem ino ;n or:osition a d race a corti_ r~
stru_vca_e "-rin:st that Stalin claimed to be the e=?-tension of T.:. 's
=r_-n
gram. a _. _ ove_:b ar, 1927, . t lip trier.~h ed :it _ the e c?-1'_ sicn of Bret>-
frcn the ;:ussi an government. in 19'29 he . e::i.ied :pro:.- the cc-T~h-tr- .
'b. difference Ct~~hv conCv`L'? ee the !' -
of the t:o C'6n to ota'_-v. 01i;-v^:: Cl S
r
the .:!10'.1._C.
ni ~?
C . t?'.l.L' :' tQO'?i G:7
1~. ,l..rvy'
Ci' to vi- r C-rt
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'~?,nr Trots:.,_t . :~- , ,; t"o .Lus_iar. Cor riuni.st Party his syrr a-
thizers r-ithin the v:'"ri ous national Communist Parties a t first gave no
indication of an cren break. o ever, as early fs 1927 there V".10 cl^.~' .a-.
Stine contact anion the Trots'hy di sci Ales, and there berran to anneaar
faetic~?:s thin the national taarti es and the Comintern This occasioned
expulsion fro.- the Gooruni st Party rrcner, a fact rhich as resists^ by
the : _~~nte tiered.. t c- selves a leftist on' rrou-s of
the parent body-. or e_?a n1-o, t :Oleri:cYns,col
CorW-ur_- =t r eag>we of r.rierica., -Left, Cpposition. of. the Cor^-?untst Party-."
The oscorr tri nls of 1936 and 1937 ruled out -any chance of-1'eccrc
tion betr;een the Uo rnuni Sts and the.. then G~isor ?L1i zed Tro slk- *itez,. T o - .
sky, branded as a traitor, fled to L'exico in January, 1937, There he
maintained contact with the various groups in agreement r'ith him. In
":e^ to -ber, 1938, the Fourth International ran proclaimed at a European
Congress. -
The Fourth In~ernational e sts as the only examols for a federation
?n T
I The
__ '' _ 4,_a.. J ' "-~ls? -i=i "'?
of no_t='~' -- ~ _ ar v sttes, o cal-' t. ,d fCr~ by .. :._Mr 4-n.
.,h or its
' 1 the.. t- rourtuh o 'o_ry ~'o' -ec_ :~.i1c
~at~ cr_al, or t.~':!in=arr., fro': :-.-~z~.c_i fcrna ?.tt:r__ of o ""wn? ti_ c- w r 1" s..i . in L ay
by av~e~ ='_u.,~_ ~
1943 irila'-'i t`? net.:eer. the or -ni Latin r_ of the rival 'rc :.rs can be
see-, in a ? rE.zteife. T- of the .n ~ar1run ;_ntQrn_ ~ i s truct_ t ure, ? s T)--3er vv_,
:..-?is= ~ _a .t_one-_ U?_
C:
A
A
by J. Peters in ...-v^_ .??m ...J LI OJG:..:IZ
The follor-in!- bodies con-nri se the Fourth International:
? orld on - ess
Poi^1d C nfererce
Live Con--'ittee
International "ecretari at
Continental Conferences
Continental --_xecuti v e Coi?,'i.ttees
Iational Grou^s
The :':orld Congress consists of at ? ^a st one delegate fror.! each
n i Ona c'rour?, t lie n -fibers of 'i. e --ntsrr.aticr. l ~ti"ecntive `C ? i tt~e, ~' C
t Pr for e
Ot'- M,r`,b 1rZ3 '' t L:r'-'C ""'o ~. to c^.t --- " . r'sid~.rr O t 'wCCr S _ O_`
^ s' 'i~ ore o oeted of ?:'"_^ cc"". ^ s . o'_1^ so'rvo only Ol'.ri nr- its durot o^
Its r'?.;?ctaona a- -e to .. _ ~.ft t-2, n Y: yr-_n r^ i-?l_ 9 i t?
a -o ?".va' n
r.^~ rrnrr^ ^r =r "2 r- to -f' D-4
Ccr i tt:,e, "nCt at r_"?:'cas it -'tor el r?ra e:.:~
CO s e rve h--on' hold
in =4cam, -
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Number of eleg tes to the congress is determined by a system of
grouping of individual countries, denending on irnuortance. In the first
category 13 allowed three delegates. The second category, allowed two
delegates, includes Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the i?etherlands,
Greece, Canada, - `exico, -'rani 1, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and In do-
China. The thrill cate-ory, on includes, I;orray,
Australia, and the Union, of South ~Xrica.
The 7orld confer^'.nce is civil-r to:.t e "'.orl.r? r'er
excen t`, t o;-' y?, _ _ _u:...~
tinent, ih l ]1e 1- the conference is held is lT_`
national _xecutive Co"r-ittee e.nd the - International Secretariat rru3 t be
present. ~'a'he ,purrose of the conference -is. to _sdr 1nister and i rapl e lent: -.:.-
the program adopted by the 7orld Congress.
The Intr,~rn_ational Executive Committee administers the affairs of the
Fourth International between international meetings, and is accountable
to the I:'orld Congress or the %:orld Conference. Irumber of members
varies with the strength of the entire movement. the highest position of
the committee is the Secretary-General, formorl;; held by Trotsky him-
self'. Heady uarters of the group is believed to be in Paris. They meet
about once every six months to discuss problems and actions, within the
instructions of the international bodies.
The international Secretariat, rith headcuarters in Paris and a sub-
head.r_uarters in London_., handles the dayr-to-:,ay business of the International
v. j th a group of full-time salaried emnioyees. F-ere details of adr.inis--
tr_tion; press policy, and education are organized.
17-
The Continental Conference consists of representatives of the :
.4.t-onal
Groups of the particular co ntir_ent concerned, the members of the Conti--
nental Executive Committee, and one member of the International ';xecutive
Committee 'Ihe group convenes to or.--enize i^ulerent tition of the decisi on.s
of the Torld Congress and to consider domestic problems.
The Continental Executive Corm-:ittee is said to exist only where the
International Executive Committee is unable to exert full control over a
particular continent or is not evuip:oed to meet the needs of the area.
it is possible that the international Executive Committee concentrates
-n Asia and the Ameri cs end l en :es a local group, such as the E?lro pan
xecutive Committee to handle its on ef{'a.irs, frith guidance.
The affiliates of the Pour th international r: ithin ..the- individual
77
countries co;^orise the . ationa-l Groups.. In- some .-ceaes-rore than one '--a-
ti oriel Grog., sta in o'T -CCL'nt n Th ..l J 4 5..on e.-? ^p _n of fY
ilnst--n2?ce8, p?r t"! cs in .ever a-1-.Qovn7 rieS':h'?V~ common.?ile?.dcua tern. '..`'tltc_?
has control over the g-roues in those countries.
Heading the _"aticnal Groun3 is a unit '_shor-n variously as the rati o_ al,
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Central, or Poli4Rcal Committee, elected at IIat l Congresses or.
Conferences.
The PTational Groun may consist of a I"ai ority and a i ority, the
latter rerareso:. tin" e:x-ressed disapnroval of the policy set up by the
International xecu rive Con~-i rtes . Their minority status is aatern 5 r_cd
not by nunbers, but by their onrosition to official policy. Statutes of
the Forth International require that the L'inority have at least one re-
presentative in =?ational Headquarters.
11'n-r7_-.. nr
s of 1947, the . o 'th !nternati onal, 'o ff its o, stater ent; fie d
-affiliates in- more .tan thrity countries in Furone,: Asa, and' tmerica<
Follcr n~Vis~a list of countries ..:ere a revolutionary party has be en
identified as an affiliate of the 'Fcurth international: i z r'entira, -_u--
stralia, Bel giuri, Bolivia, Brazil, British Guinea, Canada, Ceylon,
Chile, Chir_a. en.~ark, Ecuador, _g nt, France, wrench Pat_istan, Palestine
(prior to creation of Israel), r=ru, Portugal, Spain, Sv:itzerland, Union
r USA, of South ~LriCa, LUru.Tuay.
Co,,'*?tries There affiliates are knovtn to exist but rherp only
i nco :fete i n fc rmatioI t-c r or-a--izs-t' cn is available include:
Bu! g ria, J a.ne_n, and Leal.-nd.
Countries vAnere he -mein tion l claims affi' fates but
rhere no in_forination is avail able include: ustria, Colombia, Cuba, -i- e,
array, Panama, Paraguay, Polnnd, and the US:~ t.
PCLIC~
The single, most sirnifi cant element of tine noli cy of the Fourth
International i s its co:r!^lete =''T nns:'ei in? devotion to eventual revolu-
tionary overt;.'_'o - c _-F' cani tal i sm. Its intentions are fully as orninons, -
in notentiai, as those of the Come. -unist Party nropcr. Danger to the ca,
is r i -^i ze - prar1 this rarti eul~r qu?.rter because of the
tat;st society is ~
-n.:.._ .. -- -
relative imroterce of th? -rcu.o in its comnetition r-ith its _"arxi st rj'. el
exi stn -- t._-'c o-,_wort of t,-,.e :3cviet Union. ! e
as , _ does . -
ter C' S to 0' $CnU.nL
l - mited size oI te=a 2,x11. at^[7 n, tin' 71 rortic also
the nolit-cal influence of the :?v =ent. T orovar, their numerical insi-r__
cane o - - r_t the Trots y it38 from cn?ratinr as e. d .sruntirg fr.-
'?ence bet: to Cam' .o 1= t m.,..- o t - c o' o7-iuns_st, far out of. n:oror t1Dn
to y .~~= .,tea co t.
.r, ?-?~ ~" -' 'il as r it as alrs' -r state Co:".C^r'
ed the r -fin C. s C^," 0:1' _'0. L e t': o1'lCG.- ide rc' c)1_! V-o
ry 'the 'i^r , r bu"CaLucratiC 1Ct"tors Z -o
--)es is
The Trot
w
resit ~C stn 3 C__ S_` y'1y eT - .. ES the Lus ien nconl e an!
~_ ~C 11Z
t 3C!'_i~n c^'_'!? st the !
tiry... of c4C~tor7i1-n o'Tr: ole _ -z?? , ~4
tree.; `L r, oP yensj r o --- _ - '
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Despite tWTr.ot.-'-yit arainstUe Russian government
it is a consistent element of their policy to defend the. soviet state.
Although Russia exists as sornethin,r less than their idea of a 1 arxi st
socity, it still represents a gain in the class struggle-and must be de-
fended against the greed and ambition of reactionary canit. listic r.eic -
bor states.
A paradox j the f-rouc's policy exists in the tole ration of
t"minority factions. i.s the s" pro:?. t -us iol c- 1:rs c" _'a ;they ?; ,_ = ~~? _-
the -.-Iati cn of theory and action. First develop a --theory, then follo::r .-
b _ cevi. tion wr -tne action to achieve it. Desrite this Purist approach..
1
the "o=_ International does til101-t dls^ nt; O' ec"~
i4 ~'r1 f
role .ns--the factiona:li-st-in his- da-rs rith ri t+re-;Soviet hiera cry -
Briefly, the Trotsky-'to considers himself as the only folloro.r of
true rarxist doctrine, the potential savior of the misled :iussian people;
and the continuing exponent of the r'orldiride corker's revolution.
HISTORY r.'ITRI!T ""* D ST' ^'~",
Trotsky had his sympathizers among American Communists prior to the
actual forr..~ati on of a lrots_ v~t,e Party. James G. Carron in October,
lc2w, r_ublicly en_nouned his suppcrt of "Trotsk nd, along rith hi,s S'ollz::-
ers ras expelled from the (;7i_ S=_. Ir_ January, 1929, he orra