Thread by @MattheusWehowsk

The Western Left is struggling to emphasize with #Ukraine. The rift between the socialist parties of Western and Eastern Europe has deep historical roots. So lets take a look at British #Labour and Polish "PPS" in 1920 - how was their perception of #Russia/#Ukraine? 🧵Thread/1

In 1920 #Labour send a delegation to revolutionary Russia to take a closer look on #Lenin/s politics. They recognized the "terror" of the Bolsheviks but justified it with the circumstances (civil war). Even so, they were concerned by the complete lack of civil rights in Russia/2

They also recognized the "danger of militarism" in Russia but blamed it entirely on their own government. In their perception it was "western policy" that forced revolutionary Russia to expand. #Lenin did "great service to diplomacy" and "has shown a genuine will to peace"/3

The Polish socialists (PPS) wrote a letter to their British comrades in response to the delegations visit to Russia. On of the authors was Hermann Liebermann (1870-1941), Polish socialist of Jewish origin. He told #Labour that his party was not only struggling with Bourgeoisie/4

but also with the failed recognition by the socialist parties of the West and the vicious attacks by the German and Russian Socialists. The Bolsheviks launched a big offensive against the newly emerged Polish state and the German USPD looked forward to the eradication of Poland/5

But Libermann also encouraged #Labour to recognize the independent socialists movements of #Belarus and #Ukraine. He reminded the Brits about the struggle for self determination by this countries, while the Bolsheviks didn't recognize them and "considered them to be Russian"/6

Its uncanny how similar the discourses are today: Many Western Leftists, especially the Marxists, fail to recognize nationalism and (neo)imperialism in Russia. They still blame "the West" and even Ukraine for the failure of a "diplomatic solution"/End @EFDavies @Fabian__Baumann

*empathize!!!