Notes on Eurocommunism

The term “Eurocommunism” is an invention of non-Communist Western journalists. It has not been used by spokesmen for Communist governments or by Communist parties East or West. By their own members, the Italian, French, British, and Spanish Communist parties continue to be called “Communist” parties.

2. The decisive and distinguishing ingredient of Leninism as a political tendency is its theory of the party. Lenin rejected not only the kinds of organization developed by conservatives and liberals during the nineteenth century but also those of the socialist parties adhering to the First and Second Internationals. He insisted that the socialist transformation of society (“the revolution”) could be accomplished only through “a new kind of army.” Its active cadres would be, not part-time volunteers and amateurs, but full-time professional revolutionaries. As in an army, there would be binding, centralized discipline. Its leaders would constitute “the General Staff of the Revolution.” A member working in a factory, office, government bureau, or parliament would be a soldier of the revolution, assigned to a post of duty and subject to the orders of the party.

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James Burnham

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The term “Eurocommunism” is an invention of non-Communist Western journalists. It has not been used by spokesmen for Communist governments or by Communist parties East or West. By their own members, the Italian, French, British, and Spanish Communist parties continue to be called “Communist” parties.

2. The decisive and distinguishing ingredient of Leninism as a political tendency is its theory of the party. Lenin rejected not only the kinds of organization developed by conservatives and liberals during the nineteenth century but also those of the socialist parties adhering to the First and Second Internationals. He insisted that the socialist transformation of society (“the revolution”) could be accomplished only through “a new kind of army.” Its active cadres would be, not part-time volunteers and amateurs, but full-time professional revolutionaries. As in an army, there would be binding, centralized discipline. Its leaders would constitute “the General Staff of the Revolution.” A member working in a factory, office, government bureau, or parliament would be a soldier of the revolution, assigned to a post of duty and subject to the orders of the party.