To the socialist youth of all countries!

The Bureau of the International Union of Socialist Youth Organizations wrote in the first issue of „Jugend-Internationale“...

Friends! Comrades! In all countries a part of the socialists are agitating to end this most terrible of all wars through the resumption of class struggle actions. A part of the comrades in Germany are, tirelessly and with astounding endurance, working under the most difficult conditions to realize this goal. We all vividly remember the heroic struggles of the Italian comrades against the war, struggles which belong to the most important acts of the proletarian movement. And now the Italian proletariat is re-arming itself, using its power and unity to make the butchery of its sons more difficult or if possible stop it completely. In France, Russia, Poland, Austria, England, Serbia and all other countries there are loyal comrades working with the same enthusiasm and self-sacrificing commitment on the great project of the understanding between peoples and the fraternization of humanity.

Comrades! Young Socialists! With all kinds of raw, brutal violence the reactionary governments of all countries, drunk in a blood frenzy, supported by the social patriotic workers’ leaders, are trying to prevent the heroic struggles of our comrades and suffocate their cries for peace in the dungeons. In Germany as in Italy, in Russia as in France mass arrests of our comrades and friends have taken place. The governments of all countries are now competing amongst each other in the murder of “the country’s children” and the brutal surpression of any move towards peace. The sacrifices that our comrades make at the alter of freedom are without name. In the current situation we must urgently and immediately help and support the comrades in struggle, lest the governments be victorious despite all courage and self-sacrifice and drown the last remains of humanity and freedom in a sea of blood.

This help, comrades, must come from you, the young socialists of all countries, for our oppressed friends. You, who with the conference in Bern at Easter 1915, with the unbroken communication between you and with other things have proven that in your hearts and souls the liberating thought of the international socialist fraternization of workers is alive. You must now intervene actively in the revolutionary struggle for peace and freedom.

We call on you, everywhere and in all countries to effectively and strongly support the attempts to resume revolutionary class struggle actions.

Participate as speakers in the meetings and assemblies, distribute leaflets and papers that call on international class struggle actions, agitate tirelessly from mouth to mouth amongst your work colleagues, friends and relatives. The governments of all countries and a press which is entirely devoted to them are trying to cover up the movements for peace and the revolutionary work of our comrades, with lies and distorting reports to throw the peoples into a deepening spiral of hate and blind rage. Comrades, tear up this net of lies everywhere! You friends in Italy, France, Russia and England, tell that a part of the German and Austrian comrades are doing for peace. You comrades in Germany and Austria, tell in your circles of the terrible struggles that the workers in Italy, Russia, France, England and other countries are carrying out for peace. Comrades! The current situation of our class ist serious, but not hopeless. The resumption of decisive, determined class struggle by the majority of the socialist-thinking workers makes even our victory seem possible.

Now is the time for action. A second winter offensive will increase the suffering and the misery of the working masses in all countries incalculably. The ground is ready for revolutionary anger – let us sow the seeds!

The young socialists must in all countries become the avant garde of the fighters for peace. We will dedicate ourselves to the proletarian liberation struggle restlessly. It is a hundred times better to bleed to death in the dungeons as a victim of revolutionary struggle than on the battlefield in a struggle with our class comrades from other countries.

Bourgeois peace conferences will never prevent wars, even if they wanted to, even if they are organized in the most impressive way. Only the strength of the proletariat and its revolutionary actions can tame the exploiters’ greed for profit and blood.

Comrades! Socialist youth organizations of all countries! We call on you to make known your unshakable will to work against militarism and for socialism with powerful demonstrations in all countries. On one day, October 3, 1915, we want to protest together at one time. The comrades in Copenhagen, Christiana, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin should know that at the same time they demonstrate for peace and socialism, their friends in Amsterdam, Vienna, Bern, Bucharest, Rome and other cities are doing the same.

We make an urgent appeal to the socialist trade union and party groups to support this action of the youth in all countries with a mass participation. We expect a big participation of the wives and mothers of the young people who are condemned to be butchered.

Forwards, young socialists of all countries, let words follow your thoughts, let deeds follow your words!

Long live the international young generation of workers, who will one day bring peace and freedom to the peoples. Love love the struggle against genocide and hatred, long live the struggle for humanity’s highest ideal, socialism.

Source...

First published: Jugend-Internationale, #1, September 1915, Zurich
Copied from: Jugend Internationale: Die elf historischen Nummern der Kriegsausgabe 1915-1918, Verlag Neuer Kurs, 1972, Berlin
Translation: Wladek Flakin