Figure 1.--This Soviet propagand poster attacks the "war mongers". The poster reads, "Accursed be the war mongers. Mothers of the workld fight for peace." The Soviets while building a huge military which would be used to invade neighnoring states, railed against the "warmongers". Note the reference to mothers "of the world" and a depiction of a generalized European mother and child--a clear expression of Socialist unity. NAZI propaganda was centered on Germany, although the NAZIs did try to portray the invasion of the Soviet Union as a European struggle against Bolshevism. Interestingly after the NAZI-Societ Non-Aggression Pact (ASugst 1939), Communist parties in Europe and America were ordered to oppose military preparation and armaments spending. After the NAZI invasion (June 1941), Stalin complained that his Allies were not doing their share.

The socialist movement which developed in the 19th century became anti-militaristic and strongly pacifist. This was in part an ideological and socialists argued that war was essentially governmental coercion of the working class. War was seen as the end result of copetitions between capitalist dominated states and ultimately it was workers who would have to fight and die in wars which they had no real interests. Despite these strongly held attitudes. Socialist parties had becoe major forces in many European countries by the early 20th century. European workers and even Socialist parties, however, sided with their national goverments as Europe descended into war (1914). French socialist leader Jean Jaurès's was assasinated just before war was declared (July 31, 1914). The Second International failed to effectively oppose World War I. The War in fact became seen as a great failure of the Socialist movement. The War was a huge shock to Europe. Many believed that war was a thing of the past. And World War I was a war that essentially destroyed an entire generation of Europe. Antiquated tactics and increasingly deadly weaponry resulted in battlefield deaths beyond comprehension. After the War there was a general relusion against war which resulted in the growth of pacifist thought. Peace of course became a major factor in the Bolshevick seizure of power. Pacifist sentiment was especially pronounced within the Socialist movement, but was notable even in America without a strong Socialist party. There were exceptions to the rising pacifist sentiment. First the Italian Fascists began to promote the miliitary after seizing power. And the Japanese military began to dominate the government. Pacifist thought was strong in Germany during the 1920s, but so were highly politicized paramilitary groups. The NAZIs were only one such group. This of course changed when Hitler and the NAZIs seized power (1933). Military combat became the highest embodiment of human behavior. The situation in the Soviet Union was more complicated. Stalin built the largest military establishment in the world and any talk of limiting military spending was prohibited. And as the Soviet agressions early in World War II showed, Stalin was willing to use his military as brutally (if more cautiously) as Hitler to invade neighboring states. Yet the Soviet Union portrayed itself as the the leader of the world Socialist and actually controlled Communist parties in most country. Thus ideologically it could not portray war and military service in the same way as the Fascists. .

Created: 6:35 AM 6/12/2006
Last updated: 6:35 AM 6/12/2006