ABSTRACT
Of all the underlying factors which have contributed to the polycentric phase of the communist movement, nationalism, a reactionary force in the communist lexicon, has figured most decisively. As with traditional nationalism, historical conditions and national character have played a role—witness the Polish popular support of Gomulka in his confrontation with the Russians in 1956. In terms of Soviet direction of the international communist movement—the problem of authority and control—the establishment of a dozen communist countries after World War Two qualitatively changed the nature of the movement. National sovereignty and proletarian internationalism are, however, incompatible on many levels of action. The positions of the national communist parties have been strengthened in the process, with Moscow and China soliciting their support. The People's Republic of China, from its creation in 1949, has occupied a special status within the international communist movement. In sum, postwar nationalism has infected the communist movement, eroding its vaunted internationalism.
