Marx’s and Engels’ attitude towards the national question
Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to determine how Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels treated the national question. Proclaiming the class as the main historical player, Marx and Engels used to pass easily over the importance of a nation’s player potential. However, practical-political reasons forced them to deal with topics related to the nation. First of all, they were aware of the explosive power of nationalism and because it could significantly influence the initiation of social revolution, but also its inhibition. Due to this fact, it was important for them to make the most of their political activities, but also to control the strength of the national feeling of different peoples. One could say that Marx’s and Engels’s attitude towards the nation was instrumental, i.e. it was seen as a potential tool in the revolutionary struggle. Marx and Engels described the peoples they perceived as the bearers of social revolution as a positive and progressive social force. On the other hand, Marx and Engels treated peoples who had a “reactionary historical role” with contempt and denied their right to exist.
References
Banac, I. (1988). With Tito and Stalin: Coninformist Splits in Yugoslav Communists. London: Cornell University Press.
Connor, W. (1984). The National Question in Marxist-Leninist Theory and Strategy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Engels, F. (2010a). The Magyar Struggle. In: Marx, K., Engels. F, Marx/Engels Complete Work. Vol. VIII (227-239). London: Lawrence & Wishar.
Engels, F. (2010b). Democratic Pan-Slavism. In: Marx, K., Engels. F., Marx/Engels Complete Work. Vol. VIII (362-379). London: Lawrence &Wishar.
Gleason, J. H. (1950). The Genesis of Russophobia in Great Britain: A Study of the Interaction of Policy and Opinion. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Haralambos M., Holborn M. (2002). Sociology-Themes and Perspectives. Zagreb: Golden Marketing. [In Serbo-Croatian]
Hegel, F. W. (1989). Philosophy of Right. Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša. [In Serbian]
Hobsbawm, E. (1996). Peoples and Nationalism Since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. Beograd: Filip Višnjić. [In Serbian]
Hobsbawm, E. (2000). Age of Revolution, 1789-1848. New York: Vintage Books.
Marković, S. (1923). National Question in Marxist Perspective. Beograd: Centralni odbor NPRJ. [In Serbian]
Мilanović, B. (2016). Global Inequality: A New Approach for the Age of Globalization. Cambridge: Belknap Press.
Milošević, Z. (2019). Marx and Engels about Slavs. Nacionalni interes, (3)/2019, 215-229 https://doi.org/10.22182/ni.3632019.10 [In Serbian]
Marx, K. (1947). Wage labour and Capital. Beograd: Kultura. [In Serbian]
Marx, K (1969). A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. Beograd: Kultura. [In Serbian]
Marx, K. (1974). Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol. I. Beograd: Prosveta. [In Serbian]
Marx, K (1977). Pre-capitalist Economic Formations. New York: International Publishers.
Marx, K,. (1988). Marx to Ludwig Kugelmann. In: Marx, K., Engels. F Marx/Engels Complete Works, Vol. XLIII (389-392). Moscow: Progress Publishers.
Marx K., Engels, F. (1974). German Ideology. Beograd: Prosveta. [In Serbian]
Marx, K., Engels, F. (2009): The Communist Manifesto. Beograd: Centar za liberterske studije. [In Serbian]
Pleterski, J. et al. (1985). History of League of Communists of Yugoslavia. Beograd: Izdavački centar Komunist. [In Serbian]
Šutović M. (2019). Friedrich Engels, South Slavs, Democratic Pan-Slavism and Counterrevolution. Sociološki pregled, Vol. 53 (2), 467-487. DOI: 10.5937/socpreg53-21606
Šuvar, S. (1988). Socialism and Peoples. Zagreb: Globus. [In Serbo-Croatian]
Wallerstein, I. (1995). After Liberalism. New York: The New Press.
Wallerstein, I. (2005). World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction. Cetinje: Otvoreni kulturni forum. [In Serbian]