During World War II, the alliance between the Soviet Union and the Western capitalist powers led the Communist Party, USA to promote a political line that was predicated upon continuing cooperation and good relations between the war-time allies into the post-war era. Earl Browder, General Secretary of the CPUSA, was the chief author of this line, as spelled out in his book: Tehran, Our Path in War and Peace (1944). For Browder, the collaboration of the USSR, Britain and the U.S. internationally in the war needed to be matched by the collaboration of American capitalists and communists in a “national unity front” to defeat fascism and insure international cooperation in the postwar world. As the Communist contribution to this “national unity front” Browder successfully promoted the dissolution of the Communist Party and its replacement by a “non-partisan” Communist Political Association in 1944.
The breakdown of the wartime alliance and the beginnings of the Cold War in 1945-46 resulted in a major shift in international communist strategy and tactics. Soviet intervention (via the French Communist Jacques Duclos) took aim at Browder and resulted in the reconstitution of the Communist Party, USA and the repudiation of the Browder line in 1946. Browder himself and a handful of his family and friends were expelled, but the leadership which reconstituted the Party in 1946 was by and large the same leadership that had approved Browder’s Tehran line in 1944.
Across the United States, a number of rank and file communists, veteran Party leaders and returning war vets were dissatisfied with the way the reconstitution of the Party was handled. They accused the leadership of continuing revisionism, the betrayal of Marxism-Leninism, and of practicing “Browderism without Browder.” Some of these dissidents voluntarily quit the Party; others were expelled for “ultra-leftism” and “sectarianism.” During the period 1946-1948, a variety of small groups and little publications were created around the country by these “anti-revisionists.” A few well-known leaders, including Harrison George and William F. Dunne, even published books spelling out their critique in detail. However, efforts to unify these disparate groups failed and most of these initiatives disappeared as the Cold War intensified. Only one publication Turning Point, continued appearing until 1962.
On the Roots of Revisionism. A Political Analysis of the International Communist Movement and the CPUSA 1919-1945 by the Bay Area Study Group
The Road Ahead to Victory and Lasting Peace, Earl Browder
The Heritage of the Communist Political Association by Robert Minor
Constitution of the Communist Political Association
Concerning a Charge of Betrayal, Hans Berger [The Communist, May 1944]
From a Convention Notebook [on the CPA founding convention] by Joseph North
Appeal to Latin America, Earl Browder [New Masses, June 6, 1944]
Economic Problems of the War and Peace, Earl Browder
America's Elections and the Teheran Concord, Earl Browder [The Communist, December 1944]
Communists in the Struggle for Negro Rights, [Earl Browder, James W. Ford, Benjamin J. Davis, Jr., William L. Patterson]
November 7 and the Future, Earl Browder [New Masses, December 26, 1944]
November 7 and the Future: II, Earl Browder [New Masses, January 2, 1945]
America's Decisive Battle, Earl Browder
Defeatist Trends on the "Left", Earl Browder [New Masses, April 3, 1945]
On the Dissolution of the Communist Party of the United States. Jacques Duclos
A Foreword to the Article of Jacques Duclos, Earl Browder [The Worker, May 27, 1945]
The Present Situation and the Next Tasks Draft Resolution of the National Board, CPA, adopted June 2, 1945
CPA National Board also decides upon discussions on resolution
Gilbert Green [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Morris Childs [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Roy Hudson [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Doxey A. Wilkerson [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Samuel Donchin [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
Carl Winter [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
V.J. Jerome [Political Affairs, July, 1945]
William Z. Foster [On the Question of Revisionism]
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The Present Situation and the Next Tasks Draft Resolution of the National Board as amended and approved by the National Committee, C.P.A., June 20, 1945 [Political Affairs, July 1945]
The Reconstitution of the Communist Party John Williamson [Political Affairs, September 1945]
The Present Situation and the Next Tasks Resolution of the National Convention of the Communist Party, USA, adopted July 28, 1945 [Political Affairs, September 1945]
Telegram to Comrade William Z. Foster Mao Zedong
Australian Communists Reject Browder's Revisionism L.L. Sharkey [Political Affairs, November 1945]
Open Letter from Earl Browder in Yonkers, NY, to the Yonkers Club, CPUSA, 1946
Marxism-Leninism vs. Revisionism William Z. Foster, Jacques Duclos, Eugene Dennis and John Williamson
On the Struggle Against Revisionism [Prepared by the National Veterans Committee of the Communist Party for free distribution to Communist ex-servicemen of World War II]
The Path of a Rengade. Why Earl Browder Was Expelled from the Communist Party Robert Thompson
On Guard Against Browderism, Titoism, Trotskyism John Gates
Letter to the Editor: We Are Tolerated
Duclos on the American Communists
The Editors: The Communists Take Stock
Letter to the Editor: Marx, Duclos and NM
The Editors: The C.P.A. Evaluates Its Course
An Editorial: NM Evaluates Its Course
Letter to the Editor: The Marxist Road Today
Letter to the Editor: Answering F.J. Meyers
The Editors: The C.P.A. Strengthens Its Policy
Letter to the Editor: Marxist Problems Today
The Editors: A Letter to Our Readers
Letter to the Editor: A Critic of NM
Letter to the Editor: “Devoutly Thankful”
The Editors: The Communists Clear the Decks
Letter to the Editor: How Could It Happen?
Letter to the Editor: Back to Fundamentals
Letter to the Editor: Background to Error
What the Communists Did by Joseph North
The Persistence of Error by Joel Bradford
The Editors: Report To Our Readers
Letter to the Editor: Neither Head Nor Tail [and Editors’ response]
Letter to the Editor: Browder vs. Browder
Letter to the Editor: National Wars [and Editors’ response]
Letter to the Editor: Psychology in the CP
Browder: Renegade's Road A.B. Magil
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Anti-Revisionist Communism in the United States, 1945-1950 by Paul Costello
In Memorium – Ellwood Griest by Paul Costello
The CPUSA’s Liberal-Labor Approach to the Critique of Browder
What happened to the Anti-Revisionists in the CPUSA after World War II?
William F. Dunne and the Fight Against Revisionism in the CPUSA
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The Minton-McKenney Flight by the Editors of the New Masses
The Struggle Against Deviations and Factionalism in San Francisco by Oleta O’Conner Yates
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Two Writers Ousted by Communist Party [from N.Y. Times, September 13, 1946]
Dunne, A Founder, Ousted by Communists on 4 Charges of Opposing Party Line [from N.Y. Times, September 28, 1946]
Communist Party Explains Ousters [from N.Y. Times, October 1, 1946]
11 Rank-and-File Communists Ousted by Party for Rebellion [from N.Y. Times, November 6, 1946]
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CP Expels Two Editors Of “New Masses”
Labor Action Editorial: The Case of McKenney and Minton
Wm. Dunne Expelled By Stalinist Party by Carl Davis
Profound Crisis Inside the Communist Party Revealed In Wave Of Expulsions For “Leftist” Opposition
Labor Action Editorial: Rank and File Dissent in the CP
On the Group Recently Expelled from the Communist Party: Ex-CPers Indict Their Party as Anti-Socialist by Carl Davis
Ex-CPers Expose Stalinist Party Role as Strikebreaker by Carl Davis
New Opposition in Stalinist Party
Why McKenney-Minton Quit CP, Part 1 by Carl Davis
Why McKenney-Minton Quit CP, Part 2 by Carl Davis
Expulsions Fail To End CP Crisis
Opposition Hits CP Anti-Socialism
Internal Cracks in a Totalitarian Structure: Critical Opposition Rises in the Stalinist Party by Carl Davis
Crisis In Communist Party: Dissidents Hit CP Election Policy
Crisis In Communist Party: Line Of CP Dissidents On War
Crisis In Communist Party: Aims Of Dissident Leaders
An Analysis of the CP Oppositionists: The Fantastic Nature of the Fight in the American Stalinist Ranks by Carl Davis
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The Ruth McKenney-Bruce Minton Report by Ruth McKenney and Bruce Minton
The Struggle Against Opportunism in the Labor Movement – For a Socialist United States by William F. Dunne
The Crisis in the C.P.U.S.A. by Harrison George
Supplement to “The Crisis in the C.P.U.S.A.” by Harrison George
Statement from the Maritime Committee for a Communist Party
13 Years of CPUSA Misleadership on the Woman Question by Mary Inman
This Is The Truth about the San Diego Hearings of the Tenney Committee by the Frontier Club (Expelled)
New Committee for Publications
The No. 1 Problem of the Labor Movement in the U.S.
The Struggle for Socialism in the U.S. and the Elections
Practical Suggestions... Planning Bolshevik Work
Problems of Pre-CP Groups... Mass-Action Campaigns
An SOS to All Communists from the P.R. Club, C.P.
Towards A Marxist Party – A Draft Transitional Program
Spark: Declaration of Intentions
Towards A Marxist Party – Spark’s Reaction to N.C.P.’s Letter and Dunne’s Pamphlet
Towards A Marxist Party – An Analysis of NCP’s Position
Towards A Marxist Party – Magic Caps and Monsters
Towards A Marxist Party – Magic Caps and Monsters (II)
The Fight Against Opportunism in the C.P. of North Carolina
Letter to Communist Information Bureau
Foster’s New Route To Socialism
The Fight Against Revisionism in the U. S. Communist Party
Correspondence with Homer Mulligan
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