ABSTRACT

This book analyzes the stance of international communism towards nationality, anti-colonialism, and racial equality as defined by the Communist International (Comintern) during the interwar period. Central to the volume is a comparative analysis of the communist parties of three British dominions, South Africa, Canada and Australia, demonstrating how each party attempted to follow Moscow’s lead and how each party produced its own attempts to deal with these issues locally, while considering the limits of their own agency within the movement at large.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

part I|59 pages

The context

part II|89 pages

Case studies

chapter 3|23 pages

A prioritized battleground

The Communist Party of South Africa and the Native Republic Thesis

chapter 4|25 pages

Correction and reminders

The Communist Party of Canada, Canada’s position in the world and ethnicity

chapter 5|24 pages

Showing initiative from the periphery

The Communist Party of Australia, White Australia, anti-imperialism and civil rights for Aboriginal and Melanesian peoples

chapter 6|10 pages

Conclusion

The communist parties of South Africa, Canada and Australia in comparison

chapter 7|5 pages

Epilogue

Echoes of the Comintern