Register to the Charles Wesley Ervin collection

Finding aid prepared by Dale Reed

Hoover Institution Library and Archives

434 Galvez Mall

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305-6003

hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu

URL: http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives

Title: Charles Wesley Ervin collection

Date (inclusive): 1927-1973

Collection Number: 97049

Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives

Language of Material: Mainly in English

Physical Description: 3 manuscript boxes, 1 microfilm box (1.3 Linear Feet)

Abstract: Internal bulletins, minutes, other internal documents, pamphlets, and serial issues, issued by Trotskyist organizations in India, Sri Lanka, the United States and elsewhere, and by the International Secretariat for the Fourth International, relating to international Trotskyism. Includes some minutes of the Workers (Communist) Party of the United States.

Creator: Fourth International

source: Ervin, Charles Wesley

Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

The Hoover Institution Library & Archives acquired the collection form Charles Wesley Ervin in 1997, with subsequent increments following.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Charles Wesley Ervin collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Charles Wesley Ervin Collection consists of internal documents and publications of Trotskyist and Trotskyist-related organizations. It is especially strong in issuances of Trotskyist organizations in India and to a lesser extent Sri Lanka, and was used as research material for the book by Charles Wesley Ervin, Tomorrow Is Ours: Trotskyism in India and Ceylon, 1935-48 (Colombo, 2006). The collection also contains rare issuances from Trotskyist groups in the United States, especially early splinter groups from the Socialist Workers Party and its predecessors. There are also minutes and other internal documents of the Workers (Communist) Party from 1927-1928, just before the party's expulsion of the pioneering American Trotskyists. Completing the collection are rare issuances from the 1930s of the international movement for the Fourth International and single items from British and German Trotskyist groups of this period.

The collection is arranged as a single series by country of issuing organization. Issuances of the international organization of the Fourth International movement precede those of national parties.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Communism -- United States

Communism

Communism -- India

Communism -- Sri Lanka

Ervin, Charles Wesley

Movement for the Fourth International issuances

box 1, folder 1

Bulletin intérieur international (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 1-3 (1937 April-1938 early May)

box 1, folder 2

Bulletin international (International Youth Secretariat for the Fourth International). Unnumbered (1937 November 10), no. 3 (1938 February)

box 1, folder 3

Circulaire (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 1 (1938 April 1)

box 1, folder 4

Service d'information et de presse (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 8-11 (1936 September 13-October 2), no. 13-21/22 (1936 November 4-1937 early August)

box 1, folder 5

"Report of Conference on Sections for the Fourth International" (report by British delegate to the conference), 1936

box 1, folder 6

Germany. Mitteilungsblatt der I.K.D. (Internationale Kommunisten Deutschlands). No. 3 (1938 September)

box 1, folder 7

Great Britain. National Bulletin (National Conference of the Bolshevik-Leninist Organisations in Britain). 1938

India

Marxist Outlook (Socialist Workers Party)

box 1, folder 8

1966. Vol. 1 no. 1-5 (February-May)

box 1, folder 9

1966. Vol. 1 no. 6-11 (June-December)

box 1, folder 10

1967. Vol. 1 no. 12 (January), vol. 2 no. 1-10 (February-November)

box 1, folder 11

1968. Vol. 2 no. 11/12 (January or February [conflicting dates]), vol. 3 no. 1 (March), vol. 3 no. 5/7 (October)

box 1, folder 12

1970. Vol. 5 no. 1-7 (February-August)

Red Spark (Socialist Workers Party/Communist League of India)

box 1, folder 13

1970. Vol. 1 no. 1 (December)

box 2, folder 1

1971. Vol. 2 no. 1 (March), vol. 2 no. 3/5 (November)

box 2, folder 2

1972. Vol. 3 no. 1/2 (February), vol. 3 no. 5/6-7/9 (June-October)

box 2, folder 3

1973. Vol. 4 no. 3/6 (August), vol. 4 no. 9/12 (December)

Pamphlets

box 2, folder 4

Communist League of India and Bangla Desh. 1972

box 2, folder 5

Draft Policy Statement(All-India Mazdoor Kisan Party). 1955

box 2, folder 6

Election Manifesto of the Socialist Workers Party. 1970

box 2, folder 7

Hutheesing, Sarojini. The Tibetan Struggle (Revolutionary Communist Party of India). Undated

box 2, folder 8

In Defence of Socialism: Why We Condemn the "Merger" with the Praja Party (Socialist Party). 1952

Mishra, Anand

box 2, folder 9

East European Crisis of Stalinism: Berlin, Poznan, Hungary (Communist League). 1957

box 2, folder 10

Stalinism: What It Means: A Critical Appraisal of the 20th Congress of the C.P.S.U. 1956

box 2, folder 11

The Programme for a Socialist Revolution in India (Socialist Workers Party). 1968

box 2, folder 12

Programme of the Communist League. 1954

box 2, folder 13

Roy, Lily. Socialism Reaffirmed: A Reply to Mr. Masani. 1944

box 2, folder 14

Sen, Indra. Communist Policy Today: A Marxist Analysis. 1952

box 2, folder 15

Shukla, Chandravadan. Socialistic Pattern? 1955

Tagore, Saumyendranath

box 2, folder 16

Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution and India. 1939 (reprint 1946)

box 2, folder 17

Congress-Socialism. Bengali edition 1936 (2nd English edition 1946)

box 2, folder 18

The Hour Has Struck. 1949

box 2, folder 19

Leftism and Leftist Unity. 1946

box 2, folder 20

Permanent Revolution. 1944 (2nd edition 1948)

box 2, folder 21

Stalin, Truman: Hands Off Korea. 1951

box 2, folder 22

Tactics and Strategy of Revolution. 1948

box 2, folder 23

The Treacherous Marsh. 1948

box 2, folder 24

Leaflet. "Open Letter to All Congress Socialists by Mazdoor Trotskyist Party of India." Undated

Indian languages material

box 2, folder 25

Vishwa Kranti. No. 1-8

box 2, folder 26

Four pamphlets

box 2, folder 27

Leaflets

box 2, folder 28

Typescript English translations of passages from publications in Indian languages 1939-1952

Microfilm

box 3, folder 1

Reel 1. For a Workers' and Peasants' Government in India (Revolutionary Workers Party of India), 1958; Bolshevik-Leninist-Trotskyist Draft Provisional Programme, undated; Draft Programme (Mazdoor Trotskyist Party of India), 1942; Socialist Workingmen's Fortnightly, 1948 April 25-August 1; New Spark, 1952 November 7; Militant (Revolutionary Workers Party of India), 1959 April 5-1961 January; New Spark (Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India), 1948 January 3-September 4; Indian languages material; New Spark, 1947 April 26-December 20

box 3, folder 2

Reel 2. Spark, 1946 early March-late July (not in order); Permanent Revolution, 1943 July/September; C. R. Govindan, First Round of European Socialist Revolution 1945

Sri Lanka. Pamphlets by Colvin R. de Silva

box 4, folder 1

Left Disunity: A Reply to a Critic. 1950

box 4, folder 2

Outline of the Permanent Revolution: A Study Course (Lanka Samasamaja Party). 1955

box 4, folder 3

The Present Political Situation in India (Bolshevik-Leninist Party parliamentary fraction, Ceylon). 1948

box 4, folder 4

Their Politics--And Ours (Lanka Samasamaja Party). 1954

United States

box 4, folder 5

Communist League of Struggle (Albert Weisbord group). The Struggle for Communism: The Position of the Internationalist-Communists of the United States. 1935

box 4, folder 6

International Workers School (New York; Communist League of America). "Organization Principles" course outline. Undated (1930s)

box 4, folder 7

Marx-Lenin School (Chicago; Communist League of America). "Imperialism and the Proletarian Revolution" course outline (Albert Glotzer, instructor). Undated (1930s)

Revolutionary Workers League (Hugo Oehler group; includes predecessor caucus within Workers Party of the United States)

box 4, folder 8

International News. Unnumbered (1935)

box 4, folder 9

Internal Bulletin. No. 3 (1935)

box 4, folder 10

Minutes 1935 October 3-1936 January 28

box 4, folder 11

Internal documents. Resolutions and circular letters 1935-1936

box 4, folder 12

Leaflets 1935-1936

box 4, folder 13

Socialist Union of America (Bert Cochran/George Clarke group). The Educator. Vol. 1 no. 1-7 (1953 December-1954 December), vol. 2 no. 1 (1955 October), vol. 3 no. 1 (1956 June)

box 4, folder 14

Spartacus Youth League (Workers Party of the United States). International Bulletin vol. 1 no. 6/vol. 2 no. 1 (1934 December/1935 January); Organizational Bulletin (1935 January); Educational Bulletin on the Paris Commune (1935 March)

box 4, folder 15

Workers (Communist) Party. Political Committee minutes, 1927 March 22-August 12; internal documents, including resolutions, motions and circular letters 1927-1928