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People have learned by bitter experience that the "European fraternal union of peoples" cannot be achieved by mere phrases and pious wishes, but only by profound revolutions and bloody struggles; they have learned that the question is not that of a fraternal union of all European peoples under a single republican flag, but of an alliance of the revolutionary peoples against the counter-revolutionary peoples, an alliance which comes into being not on paper, but only on the battlefield.
Friedrich Engels
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True unity among nations requires action and struggle rather than just good intentions or words.

Friedrich Engels emphasizes that achieving unity among European nations cannot be done through mere dialogue or aspirations; it necessitates significant revolutions and often violent conflicts. The quote suggests that real alliances among peoples are forged in the struggles against oppressive forces, indicating that the historical context of revolutions plays a crucial role in the formation of genuine solidarity and cooperation among nations.

Themes

UnityRevolutionStruggleActionSolidarity

In practice

Example use cases

During a talk on international relations, one can reference this quote to illustrate that words alone cannot foster true partnerships between nations.

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The slave frees himself when, of all the relations of private property, he abolishes only the relation of slavery and thereby becomes a proletarian; the proletarian can free himself only by abolishing private property in general.
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