became ever more pronounced. The working class stood divided and helpless. The bourgeoisie kept the upper hand with the help of the reformists. It was then that the political and economic offensive of capital really began. It took two full years of defeats and of the blackest betrayals on the part of the reformists to convince the leaders of the Centre, under the pressure of the masses, of their irreparable error, and induce them to draw the consequence of their actions.
It was not until October, 1921, at the Congress of Rome, that the reformists were expelled from the Socialist Party. It had come so far that the most prominent leaders of the reformists were boasting openly that they had been able to sabotage the revolution by remaining in the Socialist Party of Italy, and forcing it to inactivity at every decisive moment. The reformists went openly from the ranks of the S.P.I. into the camp of the counter-revolution. They left the masses powerless, discouraged, and greatly weakened the Socialist Party, both numerically and politically.
These sorry, but instinctive examples of Italian history must convince the class-conscious workers of every country that—(1) reformism is their chief enemy; that (2) the oscillations and hesitations of the Centrists are dangerous to the existence of a working-class party; and that (3) the existence of a determined and alert Communist Party is the first condition for the victorious struggle of the proletariat. These are the lessons of the Italian tragedy.
Considering the resolutions of the S.P.I. in Rome (October, 1922), expelling the reformists from the Party, and declaring itself ready to adhere unconditionally to the Communist International, the Fourth World Congress of the Comintern resolves:—
(1) The general situation of Italy, especially since the victory of the Fascist reaction, requires imperiously the rapid union of all revolutionary forces of the proletariat. The Italian worker will come to his feet again when, after the many defeats and splits, a new rallying of all revolutionary forces is started.
(2) The Communist International sends its brotherly greeting to the hard-pressed working class of Italy. It is thoroughly convinced of the honest revolutionary spirit of the Socialist Party of Italy, now it is freed from its reformist elements, and resolves to admit the S.P.I. to the Communist International.
(3) The Fourth World Congress regards the fulfilment of the 21 conditions as something which is self-understood, and in view of events in Italy, charges the Executive Committee to insist upon their being carried out with the utmost rigour and with all resulting consequences.
(4) The Fourth World Congress resolves that, after his speech at the Congress of Rome, the representative Vella and
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