The argument that the war in Ukraine is a war of national independence has been central to the argument of the social imperialists of the USC. It is exactly the same argument, and in pretty much identical conditions to those in relation to the Sudetenland, and the German invasion of Czechoslovakia. Benes was leader of the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party, and Prime Minister. His reactionary nationalism is akin to that of Zelensky, today. Note that Trotsky describes the state as a thoroughly imperialist state, because, in line with Lenin's analysis of imperialism, “monopoly capitalism reigns there”. That, of course is true of Ukraine, today. Moreover, the war is not one of national independence, as Ukraine is already an independent, imperialist state, closely tied to NATO, but is one about its maintenance of its borders, and continued exploitation of the majority ethnic-Russian regions of Eastern and Southern Ukraine, not to mention its extensive natural resources, heavy industry, and, in the case of Crimea, strategic importance on the Black Sea.
“We have repeated hundreds of times the priceless thesis of Clausewitz that war is but the continuation of politics by other means. In order to determine in each concrete case the historic and social character of the war we must be guided not by impressions and speculations but by a scientific analysis of the politics which preceded the war and determined it. These politics from the very first day of the creation of Czechoslovakia had an imperialist character.
One can say that besides the partition of the Sudeten Germans, Hungarians, Poles, and possibly the Slovaks too, Hitler will not stop before the enslavement of the Czechs themselves and that in this case their struggle for independence will have every claim upon the support of the proletariat. To pose the question in this manner is nothing but social-patriotic sophistry. What concrete roads further development of imperialist antagonisms will take we do not know. Complete destruction of Czechoslovakia is possible, of course. But it is also possible that before this destruction will have been accomplished a European war will break out and Czechoslovakia will find itself on the side of the victors and participate in a new dismemberment of Germany. Is the role of a revolutionary party then that of nurse of the “victimized” gangsters of imperialism?”
(ibid)
The arguments of the social-patriotic sophists, attacked by Trotsky, here, are precisely the arguments used by the Ukrainian social patriots, and western social-imperialists of the USC, today, in relation to Ukraine. And, whilst Czechoslovakia was dismembered, it was not just at the hands of Germany, but also, Poland and Hungary. WWII did break out, and Czechs were aligned with the Allies, so that, at the end of the war, not only was Czechoslovakia re-established, but it was indeed, Germany that was, in turn, dismembered, by the allies.
Similarly, in relation to Ukraine, although the corrupt oligarchical regime of Zelensky, and his NATO backers claims that Russia's intention is to occupy the whole of Ukraine, not only is such a task beyond the capacity of Russia, but there is no indication they have any desire to do so. The experience in Georgia and elsewhere, is that, having secured the majority Russian regions of those states, they consolidate their position in them.
Had NATO not continually provided weapons to the Zelensky regime, to keep the war going, just as they have continued supplying weapons to the Zionist regime, whilst professing a desire for peace, a ceasefire, and end to hostilities could have been negotiated months ago, saving thousands of lives on both sides. Indeed, that was what Russia agreed to, even on the basis of autonomy, rather than independence, for Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and Crimea, in The Minsk Accords. The forces mobilised in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, were smaller, even than those of Ukraine, whilst military theory requires an attacking force to have around a 4:1 advantage over the defending force.
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