740.00119 Control (General)/12–2945: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 30—3:42 p.m.]
1356. KPD organ Deutsche Volkszeitung and SPD organ Das Volk for December 23 feature identical articles both, headlined “the second phase of unity” reporting joint conference of central committees together with provincial representatives from Russian zone held Berlin December 20 and 21 concerning following agenda:
Unity of working class; elections in American zone; and manner in which workers parties should help in creation free trade unions.
Lengthy resolution3 was approved and signed by those present without distinction as to party affiliation. After stressing accomplishments to date since Hitler’s downfall towards working class unity, resolution warns that power of trusts still unbroken and consequent dangers of reactionary influences can only be guarded against by United Workers Party in alliance with peasantry and creative intelligentsia. Further steps towards unity must therefore be taken. Wherever elections take place combined election programs shall be drawn up. Members of both parties will agree in comradely fashion on political positions to be filled within local governments on basis of equal qualification. In this way elections will become not a contest between SPD and KPD, but a united fight of both workers parties for workers majority. Organizations of both parties throughout Germany are called on to carry this out.
This shall be first step towards political and organizational unification of workers movement. Historic moment to prepare for this has now come. Conference has, therefore, established joint committee to study program of such a united party. Minimum program should be completion of democratic reconstruction of Germany through creation of anti-Fascist democratic parliamentary republic with farreaching political industrial and social rights for workers. Maximum program should be realization of socialism through establishment of working class political rule in sense of teachings of developed Marxism as laid down Communist manifesto, Eisenach program of German social democracy and Kritik of Marx and Engels of Gotha program.
This united party shall stand for protection of all truly national interests of German people which is possible only through their being led back to community of peace-loving nations. Party shall be true [Page 1083] to idea of proletarian internationalism and promotion of fast ties with workers’ movements in bourgeois countries as well as Soviet Union.
Resolution also emphasizes further development of unity of action on all questions and joint and active discussion of ideological question among all groups and local organizations. A joint journal on “unity” will be published under direction central committees of both parties.
December 24 issues of both newspapers carry supplementary articles giving text of special section of same resolution regarding coming elections in American zone, announcing that SPD and KPD have agreed to put forward joint election program and to use basis of equal qualification for offices to be filled. This joint program will include land reform, nationalization of concerns belonging to war criminals and of public utilities and educational reform to give equal opportunity to all.
- Text of the resolution of the conference of the central committees of the SPD and the KPD, Berlin, December 20–21, 1945, is printed in: Institut für Marxismus-Leninismus beim Zentralkomitee der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands, Dokumente und Materialien zur Geschichte der Deutschen Arbeirterbewegung, Reihe III, Band 1 (Mai 1945–April 1946), p. 346.↩