This was not the first time that the oppressed raised the red flag as a symbol of their revolutionary aspirations. Historically, classes rebels have raised the red flag when they have rebelled. For example, the slaves of Rome struggles hoisted when shaken empire, which finally succumbed after. The red flag was the symbol of the slaves who had no choice but to revolt. During the great peasant rebellions that swept Germany, the legions of peasants were carrying the red flag.
With the rise of the bourgeoisie, and capitalism, arose necessarily the modern national state, or nations. As they struggled to break down the barriers imposed by the feudal system to create favorable conditions for developing a market for their goods, and freedom of trade and transport, the countries formed capitalism as we know today, each with its own national flag that represents the class every capitalist nation.
As he was knocking down the barriers imposed by the feudal society was emerging alongside the bourgeoisie a new class, the proletariat: a kind of highly socialized but lacking property. The rise of the capitalist class has ruined many farmers and urban smallholders, who were forced to work in the factories of the capitalists. And for the 19 th century, the class struggle in the world was a very different character than it was during the German peasant wars. Since then every major social movement would be influenced in one way or another by the struggle of the proletariat. The red flag is hoisted by new class, acquire a new meaning: the historical mission of the proletariat to emancipate themselves and all humanity.
working class raised the red flag on many occasions. For example in 1831 during the rebellion of Merthyr in south Wales, when between 7,000 and 10,000 workers took control of Merthyr for four days. It is said that marched under the red flag when the soldiers shot them, crushed the rebellion and massacred many.
In 1848, the year he left the Communist Manifesto, in fact a few months before the red flag was the precursor of the proletarian struggle which was throughout Europe. In France, 16 years earlier, the Paris workers hoisted the red flag in the insurrection to overthrow the power of Louis Philippe and again in February 1848 when they returned to the barricades.
In the days that followed, the question arose of choosing the national flag of France. Workers demanded that was red, but the sections of the bourgeoisie, who had taken part in the struggle to transform the state of monarchy bourgeois bourgeois republic, wanted the national flag was the tricolor of the bourgeois revolution.
The struggle of the workers was crushed and the only concession to their demands that the flag was red was the red rose on the pole of the flag.
In 1871, the red flag waved once again to Paris in a statement of the conquest of power by the working class and the establishment of the Paris Commune. This was the first time the red flag represented not only the rebellion, not only the insurgency, but the revolution and the world-historical struggle of the proletariat and the establishment of the proletarian state.
was during the Paris Commune that the red flag came to represent and be the symbol of the aspirations of the international proletariat and its historic mission of emancipating all humanity. In a tribute to the Commune, Lenin said: "The memory of the fighters of the Commune is honored not only by the French workers, but also the proletariat of the world, because it did not fight for a narrow national or local target, but to emancipate all toiling humanity, of all the humiliated and offended. As a leading fighter for social revolution, the Commune has won sympathy in all places where suffering and struggle of the proletariat. "
Commune fighters clearly understood that rejected the nationalism of their own bourgeoisie and the red flag was the symbol of the emancipation of the peoples of the world. Proclaimed: "The flag of the Commune is the flag of the Republic world!". Years later, Frederick Engels said of the Commune: "It was a bold challenge to all expressions of bourgeois chauvinism. The proletariat of all countries accurately understood this. "
late 19th century capitalism was transformed into imperialism in several European countries, USA and Japan. This broke the first imperialist war. The imperialist countries entered World War I national chauvinism proclaiming "my country first" and "homeland defense." The ruling classes saw the importance of eliminating the red flag and promote the national flag. This sparked much debate and the Communists took part. It was a question of whether he would defend the flag of national chauvinism or the red flag of proletarian revolution and the communist future. The international grouping of organizations and Communist parties of the time, the Second International, fell apart in the debate on nationalism and internationalism.
Workers in many countries raised the red flag. In the army and navy of France and Germany were major rebellions. In the U.S., Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, for short) and others waved the red flag. But it was only in Russia, where the working class party and its leader, Lenin, had a consistently revolutionary position with respect to the government, the working class was able to take advantage of the severe crisis that caused the war, launching an armed insurrection and seize power. Only in Russia fell to the ground the national flag and hoisted the red flag of communism.
The Bolsheviks convinced the people of the justness of its political program and called for an uprising on 25 October 1917. They raised the red flag in the Winter Palace and arrested the provisional government. Days later, thousands took to the streets in droves to Red Square, singing the Internationale, the anthem of the international proletariat, from atop the Kremlin was unwrapped giant red flags. Speaking of the importance of the October Revolution, Lenin said: "We have never made secret of the fact that our revolution is just the beginning, that his victorious conclusion will only be achieved when we have enlightened the world with the same flames of revolution. "
For the first time in history the proletariat and its vanguard party took power and began the socialist transformation of society. It was a milestone for the cause of the international proletariat and the historic mission of the proletariat.
socialist revolutions in the Soviet Union and China backed down, in these countries is restored capitalism. However, the red flag history is inseparable from the struggle of the oppressed and exploited, the goal of proletarian revolution and world view of proletarian internationalism.
In today's intense struggle to understand there is a flag that represents the fundamental interests of the people, but not the flag of the nation. It is the red flag of proletarian revolution. This is the flag that unites the exploited and oppressed, rather than divide them. Is the flag that represents the historic mission of the working class to liberate itself and all humanity. That flag is asking us to lift up the front and look beyond the interests of a nation and that we imagine that another world is possible and necessary. The red flag is the flag they have nothing to lose and have a world to win. Increasingly, where people fight and revolt, should do with the red flag high!
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