Deep dive podcast: What Pierre Frank's history of the Comintern tells us about revolutionary strategy

In this episode, we dive into the history of revolutionary strategy through Pierre Frank's Histoire de l'Internationale Communiste. Published in 1979, the book offers a detailed account of the Communist International, or Comintern. Rosa Luxemburg famously stated that the International was where the "centre of gravity of the class organisation of the proletariat is situated."

Founded in the wake of the October Revolution, the Comintern aimed to unite national sections to lead revolutionary struggles worldwide. We’ll examine why such an international organisation was seen as essential for the working class. The collapse of the Second International in 1914 underscored the need for a truly revolutionary alternative. Despite its tragic decline, the Comintern’s story is that of an organisation that set "gigantic goals" and sought to be the global centre of the workers' movement. According to Frank, it was grounded in revolutionary Marxism and marked progress in theory, tactics, and global reach compared to its predecessors.

We'll also explore key strategic debates that shaped the Comintern, especially the united front tactic developed in the early 1920s. This strategy aimed to unite the proletariat across deep internal divisions by working with "left reformist" currents and revolutionary syndicalists on shared goals. The debates centered on how to engage with reformist leaderships versus mobilising the masses directly—sometimes framed as united fronts "from above" or "from below." Ernest Mandel links the united front to the “affirmation, extension and generalization of dual power.”

Lastly, we confront the Comintern’s decline. Frank addresses its bureaucratic degeneration, as its policies increasingly served Kremlin diplomacy. He argues that while the accusation of the Comintern becoming a Kremlin agency "later became a truth," this degeneration stemmed from deeper crises within the Soviet party and state from the mid-1920s. Still, Frank insists that its failure doesn't negate the need for an International. Rather, any future organisation must learn from both the Comintern’s achievements and its errors, adapting to new historical conditions.

Join us as we explore these vital elements of revolutionary strategy through Pierre Frank’s powerful historical lens.