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against military ventures of every sort. This co-operation has hitherto done much to safeguard international peace, which is being threatened by ever greater dangers. The fear of the ruling class that a proletarian revolution might break out as the consequence of a world war has turned out to be a material guarantee of peace.
Therefore, the Congress proposes to the Social-Democratic Parties to continue this activity, to make use of every means which they consider expedient. In indicating this general activity it outlines the special task of each Socialist Party.
The Social-Democratic Parties of the Balkan Peninsula are faced by a difficult problem. By systematically hindering every reform the Great Powers of Europe have, in a large measure, furthered the establishment in Turkey of an unbearable economic national and political system which was bound to lead to insurrection and war. To prevent this situation from being exploited in the interests of dynasties and the bourgeoisie, the Balkan Social Democratic Parties have put forward, with heroic courage, the demand for a Democratic Federation. The Congress proposes that they maintain their former position, which is worthy of admiration; it expects that Balkan Social Democracy after the war to make every effort to prevent dynasties, the military caste, and the bourgeoisie, of the Balkan States―which thirsts after expansion―from exploiting in their own class interests the results of the Balkan war bought at such a cost. And the Congress calls especially upon the Balkan Socialists to prevent the old enmity between the Serbs, Bulgarians, and Rumanians and Greeks from re-appearing, and to prevent all oppression of these Balkan peoples which at the present time are in the military camp of the opposite side—that is to say, of Turkey and Albania.
Therefore it is the duty of the Balkan Socialists to wage a struggle against these people being deprived of their rights; it is also their duty to oppose to the nationalist jingoism which is rampant, the brotherhood of all the Balkan nations, including the Albanians, Turks, and Rumanians.
It is the duty of the Social-Democratic Parties of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina to continue with all their strength their fruitful activity against any attempts on the part of the dual monarchy to encroach upon Serbia. To-day, as has been the case in the past, and will be again in the future, their task is to resist the plan of Serbia being deprived, by force of arms, of the fruits of the war, of being turned into an Austrian colony, and of the peoples of Austria-Hungary itself, as well as all the European nations being exposed to the greatest dangers for the sake of dynastic interests. In an equal manner the Social-Democratic Parties of Austria-Hungary must, in the future, wage a struggle to secure for that portion of the Southern Slav people, which is under the domination of the House of Hapsburg, the right of democratic self-government within the limits of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
The Social-Democratic Parties of Austria-Hungary, as well as the Socialists of Italy, must give their special attention to the Albanian question. The Congress recognises the right of a nation to its independence. It does not, however, admit that under the cloak of independence Albania should become the
