And Not a Shot is Fired (a Review)
Click to Purchase from Amazon.com
I cannot recall how I was first introduced to And Not a Shot is Fired and when I attempted to purchase the out of print book, a used copy cost $120 on-line. Finally back in print I recently purchased a new copy for a much more reasonable $20. The book is written by Jan Kozak as a first-hand account of the communist revolution of Czechoslovakia during the late 1940s. Kozak was a member of the Communist Party Central Committee and the Party’s official historian which makes his unapologetic observations quite credible. The manuscript was originally titled “How Parliament Can Play a Revolutionary Part in the Transition to Socialism and the Role of the Popular Masses.” That abandoned title should give you a good idea as to its content.
The book is a relatively easy read, meaning it is not filled with left-wing utopian jargon which would often force a reader to study the text for clarity as opposed to more simplified comprehension. Kozak does not include unfamiliar terms or dialectic slogans; it is a straight-forward account. In essence, the account of Kozak describes the use of communist ideas and revolutionary tactics, not as a staunch belief system, but simply as a means to an end. The objective was to obtain power. As Thomas Eddlem points out in the introduction, “There is no concern for the poor, or the conditions of the laborer, or even the wealth of the industrialist evident in this manuscript; power is the one and only goal.”
Kozak suggests a required condition for such a fundamental social change to take place and for Parliament to be integral to that change, is two-fold:
1.“To fight for a firm parliamentary majority which would ensure and develop a strong pressure ‘from above,’ and
2.To see to it that this firm parliamentary majority should rely on the revolutionary activity of the broad working masses exerting pressure ‘from below.’”
Kozak continues by providing the specific steps utilized in the revolution: Step One: Isolating the Bourgeoisie, Step Two: Popularizing Revolutionary Demands, Step Three: Nationalizing the Economy, and Step Four: Using Power to Silence Opposition. To fulfill these steps, as well as the tactic of pressure “from below,” the communists used mass organizations, protests, demonstrations and strikes to all but force reactionaries (or those opposed to the communist ideas) to comply simply to protect their personal political fortunes. Pressure “from above” would be used to incite the people to action through the use of straw-man arguments or other agitating rhetoric.
The key to the success of this revolution, in my view after reading Kozak’s account, was the ability of those in Parliament to effectively agitate the people. The people, in turn, demanded exactly what those “from above” wanted by providing pressure “from below.” The Parliament would shift the cultural normalcy and the people would respond accordingly; manipulation, plain and simple.
One can read this book from the perspective of 21st century America and feel quite comfortable replacing the players with Democrat, mass media, Occupy, etc. An anonymous on-line editorial review summarizes the content very well;
“Grassroots revolutionaries whip up the appearance of popular support for the revolutionary agenda through strikes, rallies, petitions, threats, and – sometimes – sabotage. The ‘pressure from below’ by the small number of revolutionaries and their larger number of dupes is then used to ‘justify’ the centralization of power in the hands of the executive branch of the state. Wishy-washy politicians are intimidated, and the ‘pressure from above’ intensifies.”
A satisfying read.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=11481
