The Great Rift Between Russia and the West

Abstract

The darkening clouds in the political horizon which is, in the opinion, of some observers, as grave as on the eve of Munich, has caused many people to ask why there cannot be peace in the world so soon after a terrible second world war. Now it is the Soviet Union that is a menace to peace and if Russia is smashed and the Communist influence broken, there will be peace and goodwill, if not for ever, at least for our time. So runs the imperialist argument which is not supported by history. The fact is that under capitalism war is inevitable; capitalism indeed means war. The defeat of Napoleon did not bring any lasting peace to Europe any more than the cry, “Hang the Kaiser” did in 1918.