11855 (a) from the German

Kup. la.

14 December 1935.

Dear comrades,

I am rushing to write this short letter immediately upon my return from vacation without having looked at the materials that have arrived in my absence. Such haste is caused by the following two reasons: 1.) Two leading comrades in the CI informed me during a discussion about my future work that my position before and during the Congress (as well as com. Gross's behavior during the Congress) has caused doubts within the CI leadership as to whether the proper attitude of the CC CP Hungary toward the new CI leadership has been guaranteed. Naturally, from this follows the suspicion that an incorrect attitude by the party leadership toward the new CI leadership [provides] no guarantee of consistent implementation of the Seventh Congress line in the party and its work. 2.) Comrade B. [Imre Komor]

The Hungarian CP delegation to the Seventh Comintern Congress consisted of six people. Five had deciding votes: János (Z. Szántó), Róbert Györi, Karoly Kovács, Béla Kun, and János Nagy (Gross). Éva Lakatos had a consultative vote.

informed me that a certain member of the delegation to the Congress,

In December 1934 the CC CPH suggested to the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Trade Union Council in Hungary that they cooperate in common action and common struggle in defense of the trade unions with the goal of broadening democratic rights and freedoms and that they unify forces to support the activities of the SDP. The CC CPH invited the SDP leadership to speak out in support of common action with the then illegal CPH. The SDP leadership declined these suggestions. In spring 1935 the CC CPH suggested conducting a meeting with the SDP leadership. The SDP leadership again refused.

whom he had talked to in person, did not fully understand the line of the Congress and the political and organizational aspects of the resolution regarding the work of the CP of Hungary. He also informed me that all of the other delegation members were also dissatisfied with the work of the delegation and with the failure of the delegation leadership to adequately apply the Congress line in practice to the situation in Hungary and to the work of the CP of Hungary.

These two factors, which compelled me to write this letter, are closely related. The reservations that the CI leaders have about the future work of the party leadership and the dissatisfaction of the comrades who have recently arrived from the country with the performance of the delegation undoubtedly have the same roots. My attitude toward the new CI leadership, before and during the Congress, prevented us from discussing all the [relevant] issues with the delegation at the time of the Congress. We also failed to properly inform the CC members, so that the party, by implementing the correct political line, would promptly accomplish the turn that is consistent with the Congress resolution and, in particular, with com. Dimitrov's report. Neither the written report of the delegation nor the prompt delivery of the minutes of the Congress to the [party] organizations can [by themselves] guarantee the turn in party policy and organizational work that, according to the resolutions of the Seventh Congress, is necessary in Hungary as well. Suggestions regarding negotiations in Prague and the creation of the Popular Front that were sent from here are just preparatory steps.

F. 495, op. 18, d. 1097, ll. 21–25. This unsigned, typed document was designated “top secret” and written in Russian. It is unclear whether it was originally written in Russian or whether it was translated from the Hungarian.

They are not yet sufficient to assure [proper] understanding by the party members of the necessity of a radical political turn nor to explain the historical significance of the resolutions of the Seventh Congress either to the party members or to all Hungarian workers.

Any attempt to base relations between the party CC and the CI leadership on the recent mistakes that I committed while in the CI, which caused my erroneous attitude toward the new CI leadership, would cause immeasurable harm to the party.

I most firmly declare that only that leadership which has been formed from the best representatives of the Communist Parties of capitalist countries, with com. Dimitrov at its head, and which fully enjoys and deserves the confidence of all Communist Parties, especially of the VKP(b), can guarantee the implementation of the line of the Seventh Congress. In general, the CC CP of Hungary has not contradicted, before, during, or after the Congress, the new CI leadership or the policy initiated at the Congress by com. Dimitrov. My erroneous attitude toward the new CI leadership formed independently of the CC as a whole, without its knowledge, and, no doubt, in defiance of its line.

Wishing to avoid, at any cost, further harm to the party as a result of my mistake (of which the comrades have been informed), I make the following suggestion. If, within a month, we are not able to call a broader meeting, we call an enlarged plenum of the CC with the participation of several comrades who occupy the most important positions in the leadership. At this meeting we will discuss the question of making even more concrete the resolutions of the Seventh Congress. The plenum should also express its opinion regarding the performance of the delegation and criticize my behavior, which led to the well-founded doubts of the CI leadership about the party leadership, Be assured that neither personal relations in the CC nor my work as the party representative will be affected by even the harshest criticism, but, on the contrary, will only benefit from it.