Revolutionary Workers' League
57 pp. mimeographed booklet, not illustrated. Quarto (11 x 8 1/2 inches). Original stapled self-wrappers. Some light soiling and age-toning along edges, a few small tears to back cover which is loose and around one of the staples at front, old staples removed and replaced, internally clean, overall very good. Chicago: Revolutionary Workers League U.S.A., 1939. The Revolutionary Workers League, or RWL, was a radical leftist group founded in the United States in 1935, which was active through 1946. It was led by trade unionist Hugo Oehler and published a newspaper called The Fighting Worker. Its origins were within the Workers Party of the United States, and became an independent faction when Oehler and others opposed merging with the Socialist Party of America.
This program is one of numerous booklets and pamphlets published by the RWL during their short life. It articulates the ideology of the RWL, including its Marxist and anti-Stalinist as well as anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist viewpoints. The RWL also supported the Spanish Republic as well as the Black working class in America. And although they were critical of Stalinism, the RWL stated that the working class should support the USSR in the event of war.
The opening statement calls this booklet a "Draft Program" which is "submitted by the Political Committe of the Revolutionary Workers League U.S. It is the result of more than 2 years work. The 2nd Convention of the organization in Chicago December 1937 accepted the outline for this document. Since then a special committee of the Central Committee has worked on the document. In its present form it is still subject to the final approval of the Central Committee and membership...The Program is an International Program which gives special consideration to the problems of the working class under American Imperialism. It is not in its present form a specific U.S. program, although American Imperialism is dealt with at some length not only because the R.W.L. is located in the United States, but because of the importance of the U.S. in world politics."
The various chapter headings are as follows: "World Capitalism - Its Growth and Decay"; "Wars and Revolutions"; "Capitalist Agents in the Ranks of the Working Class"; "The Communist Fourth International"; "The Social Revolution"; "Strategy and Tactics of the Class Struggle"; "The Revolution in the United States"; and "The Transformation of Society". This booklet was published in January 1939, just nine months before the outbreak of World War II.
Very scarce; as of February 2026, OCLC locates four holdings in North America of a similar but not identical item, titled "Draft Program of the Revolutionary Workers League of the United States", with similar pagination (60 pp.), and only one holding of this particular title with the same pagination.
This program is one of numerous booklets and pamphlets published by the RWL during their short life. It articulates the ideology of the RWL, including its Marxist and anti-Stalinist as well as anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist viewpoints. The RWL also supported the Spanish Republic as well as the Black working class in America. And although they were critical of Stalinism, the RWL stated that the working class should support the USSR in the event of war.
The opening statement calls this booklet a "Draft Program" which is "submitted by the Political Committe of the Revolutionary Workers League U.S. It is the result of more than 2 years work. The 2nd Convention of the organization in Chicago December 1937 accepted the outline for this document. Since then a special committee of the Central Committee has worked on the document. In its present form it is still subject to the final approval of the Central Committee and membership...The Program is an International Program which gives special consideration to the problems of the working class under American Imperialism. It is not in its present form a specific U.S. program, although American Imperialism is dealt with at some length not only because the R.W.L. is located in the United States, but because of the importance of the U.S. in world politics."
The various chapter headings are as follows: "World Capitalism - Its Growth and Decay"; "Wars and Revolutions"; "Capitalist Agents in the Ranks of the Working Class"; "The Communist Fourth International"; "The Social Revolution"; "Strategy and Tactics of the Class Struggle"; "The Revolution in the United States"; and "The Transformation of Society". This booklet was published in January 1939, just nine months before the outbreak of World War II.
Very scarce; as of February 2026, OCLC locates four holdings in North America of a similar but not identical item, titled "Draft Program of the Revolutionary Workers League of the United States", with similar pagination (60 pp.), and only one holding of this particular title with the same pagination.
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Title
Revolutionary Workers' League
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