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{{Infobox political party
The '''Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)''' was a ] ] in the ]. Its predecessor organization, the ], was founded in ] by several local groups, many of which had grown out of the radical student organization ] when SDS split apart in ]. The October League came out of the ] grouping in the SDS split.
| name = Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)
| colorcode = {{party color|Communist Party USA}}
| leader = ]
| founded = June 1977
| dissolved = 1982<ref>{{cite news |title=Lessons from the Collapse of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) |first=Carl |last=Davidson |newspaper=Forward |publisher=] |number=4 |date=January 1985 |url=https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/ncm-7/davidson-cp.htm |url-status=live |archive-date=October 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017052125/https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/ncm-7/davidson-cp.htm |access-date=May 1, 2023 }}</ref>
| ideology = ]<ref>{{cite book |first1=Janja |last1=Lalich |author-link=Janja Lalich |title=Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults |title-link=Bounded Choice |year=2004 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24018-6}}</ref><br>]<br>]
| youth_wing = Communist Youth Organization
| position = ]
| country = United States
}}
{{Maoism sidebar}}


The '''Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)''' was a ] ] in the United States.
In ], the ''October League'' transformed itself from an organization into a party, declaring itself the ] of the U.S. proletariat. This is when it changed its name to the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist). ], who had been a national leader in SDS in the late 1960s, was the main leader of the CP(M-L). The CP(M-L) has a very multi-national or multi-racial membership compared to other organizations that were part of the ] of the 1970s. Longtime Black communist ] became a CP(M-L) member near the end of his life, and the CP(M-L)'s press, Liberator Press, published Haywood's book ''Black Bolshevik: Autobiography of an Afro-American Communist'' in 1978.


== History ==
After the death of ] leader ] in 1976, the CP(M-L) became the main U.S. group that the post-Mao Chinese leadership recognized as something of a U.S. fraternal party. As the Chinese Communist Party moved away from Maoism, this moved the CP(M-L) away from other Maoist groups, such as the ], who opposed the post-Mao Chinese leaders. The CP(M-L) published ''Class Struggle'' and ''The Call''.


=== The October League ===
The group disbanded in ] soon after Klonsky resigned from the leadership.
The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)'s predecessor organization, the '''October League (Marxist–Leninist)''', was founded in 1971 by several local groups, many of which had grown out of the radical student organization ] when SDS split apart in 1969. ], who had been a national leader in SDS in the late 1960s, was the main leader of the CP(M-L).<ref>Chronology of Political Events, 1954–1992, Max Elbaum. Retrieved from Revolution In The Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che, March 18, 2010. "1977 August 12–18: Eleventh Congress of the ]. Mao and the ] are given positive assessments but the Congress officially declares the Cultural Revolution ended. That same month, CPC chair ] and U.S. CP(M-L) chair Mike Klonsky exchange toasts at banquet for CP(M-L) leaders in Beijing; this is effective recognition of the CP(M-L) as the semi-official pro-China party in the U.S."</ref>


The October League came out of the ] grouping in the SDS split. During the early 1970s the OL took positions that were at odds with most of the US Left, including opposition to ] and support of the ], whose regime they saw as a bulwark against Soviet ].<ref>Alexander, Robert J. ''Maoism in the developed world'' Westport, Conn. Prager 2001 p.31</ref>
]

The OL established influence within some of the established ], including the ] and the ], which had been under the influence of the Moscow-oriented ].

In late 1975 they organized a "National Fight Back Conference", which drew 1,000 participants and was attended by representatives of the ], the ] and the ]. They also had a youth group called the Communist Youth Organization.<ref name=":0">Alexander, p.32</ref>

=== The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist) ===
In June 1977, the October League transformed itself into the Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist), with Klonsky as chairman and ] as vice-chairman.

The CP (ML) supported the Chinese government's purge of the ].<ref name=":0" /> It was subsequently recognized by the ] as their de facto ] in the US. Klonsky and Klehr visited ] in July 1977 and met with ]. Longtime Black communist ], who had become a CP(M-L) member, also visited with Chinese leaders in June 1978.<ref name=":0"/>

In 1978, Daniel Burstein, the editor of the CP (ML) central organ ''The Call'', and three others made an eight-day tour of ]-ruled ], then a Chinese ally. He visited ] as well as ], ], ] and ] ] and had an interview with ]. In an op-ed he wrote in '']'' he claimed that there was no evidence of genocide, claiming that that was part of a propaganda campaign orchestrated by the regime's enemies. He did concede, however:

<blockquote>The new government has had to deal with many forces that oppose the revolution—former Lon Nol officials, as well as organized networks of American, Russian and Vietnamese agents trying to overthrow the Government. Such sabotage has undoubtedly been met with violent suppression. In the course of this, there may even have been some excesses, which no revolution is immune to.<ref>{{cite news|author=Daniel Burstein|date=November 21, 1978|title=On Cambodia: But, Yet|work=The New York Times|page=A21|id={{ProQuest|120965532}}}}.</ref></blockquote>

In early 1980, the CP (ML) condemned the ] and called on President Carter to give aid to the Afghan forces opposing the Soviets, end its arms embargo on China and refrain from selling the USSR any "]s".

The CP (ML) also claimed the ] was evidence that the USSR and ] had "betrayed" the ].<ref>Alexander, pp.32–33</ref>

== Further reading ==
* New York: United Labor Press, 1976

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* a film produced by the October League
* by ]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) (United States)}}
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Latest revision as of 02:42, 10 January 2025

Political party in United States
Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)
LeaderMichael Klonsky
FoundedJune 1977
Dissolved1982
Youth wingCommunist Youth Organization
IdeologyNew Communist Movement
Maoism
Anti-Revisionism
Political positionFar-left
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The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist) was a Maoist political party in the United States.

History

The October League

The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)'s predecessor organization, the October League (Marxist–Leninist), was founded in 1971 by several local groups, many of which had grown out of the radical student organization Students for a Democratic Society when SDS split apart in 1969. Michael Klonsky, who had been a national leader in SDS in the late 1960s, was the main leader of the CP(M-L).

The October League came out of the Revolutionary Youth Movement II grouping in the SDS split. During the early 1970s the OL took positions that were at odds with most of the US Left, including opposition to gay liberation and support of the shah of Iran, whose regime they saw as a bulwark against Soviet social-imperialism.

The OL established influence within some of the established civil rights organizations, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Southern Conference Educational Fund, which had been under the influence of the Moscow-oriented Communist Party USA.

In late 1975 they organized a "National Fight Back Conference", which drew 1,000 participants and was attended by representatives of the August 29th Movement, the Congress of Afrikan People and the Marxist–Leninist Organizing Committee of San Francisco. They also had a youth group called the Communist Youth Organization.

The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)

In June 1977, the October League transformed itself into the Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist), with Klonsky as chairman and Eileen Klehr as vice-chairman.

The CP (ML) supported the Chinese government's purge of the Gang of Four. It was subsequently recognized by the Communist Party of China as their de facto fraternal party in the US. Klonsky and Klehr visited Peking in July 1977 and met with Hua Guofeng. Longtime Black communist Harry Haywood, who had become a CP(M-L) member, also visited with Chinese leaders in June 1978.

In 1978, Daniel Burstein, the editor of the CP (ML) central organ The Call, and three others made an eight-day tour of Khmer Rouge-ruled Cambodia, then a Chinese ally. He visited Phnom Penh as well as Siem Reap, Kompong Thom, Kompong Cham and Takéo provinces and had an interview with Ieng Sary. In an op-ed he wrote in The New York Times he claimed that there was no evidence of genocide, claiming that that was part of a propaganda campaign orchestrated by the regime's enemies. He did concede, however:

The new government has had to deal with many forces that oppose the revolution—former Lon Nol officials, as well as organized networks of American, Russian and Vietnamese agents trying to overthrow the Government. Such sabotage has undoubtedly been met with violent suppression. In the course of this, there may even have been some excesses, which no revolution is immune to.

In early 1980, the CP (ML) condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and called on President Carter to give aid to the Afghan forces opposing the Soviets, end its arms embargo on China and refrain from selling the USSR any "strategic materials".

The CP (ML) also claimed the Mariel exodus was evidence that the USSR and Fidel Castro had "betrayed" the Cuban Revolution.

Further reading

Footnotes

  1. Davidson, Carl (January 1985). "Lessons from the Collapse of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)". Forward. No. 4. Marxists Internet Archive. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  2. Lalich, Janja (2004). Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24018-6.
  3. Chronology of Political Events, 1954–1992, Part Four 1975–1980. Max Elbaum. Retrieved from Revolution In The Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che, March 18, 2010. "1977 August 12–18: Eleventh Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Mao and the Cultural Revolution are given positive assessments but the Congress officially declares the Cultural Revolution ended. That same month, CPC chair Hua Guofeng and U.S. CP(M-L) chair Mike Klonsky exchange toasts at banquet for CP(M-L) leaders in Beijing; this is effective recognition of the CP(M-L) as the semi-official pro-China party in the U.S."
  4. Alexander, Robert J. Maoism in the developed world Westport, Conn. Prager 2001 p.31
  5. ^ Alexander, p.32
  6. Daniel Burstein (November 21, 1978). "On Cambodia: But, Yet". The New York Times. p. A21. ProQuest 120965532..
  7. Alexander, pp.32–33

External links

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