Historija tajne diplomacije 18. stoljeća

The book is, in fact, arranged as a collection. That is why in addition to the main title — Karl Marx, History of Secret Diplomacy of the 18th Century — there are two subtitles. The first - On the Asian origin of Russian despotism - is not Marx's, but was added by a German publisher (Verlag Olle & Wolter, Berlin 1977) and is part of a certain ideologized and politicized interpretation. The second — comments by B. Rabehl and D. B. Ryazanov — points to two important texts: Bernd Rabehl, Controversies within Russian Marxism on the Asian and Western Capitalist Origins of Society, Capitalism and the Czarist State in Russia (93-149); Karl Marx on the origin of Russia's supremacy in Europe. Critical discussion by N. Ryazanov (151-212). In addition, the book has "Introduction to the Yugoslav edition" (1-4) written by Branko Caratan and "Note of the publisher of the German edition" (5-18) written by Ulf Wolter, and is equipped with a series of notes (16-18). Composed in this way, the book is multi-layered. Among other things, we find in it an interesting and multi-layered critical relationship: Marx's text is an integral part of his and Engels' permanent critical reckoning with imperial Russia and with some forms of English politics; Ryazanov has a critical attitude towards some of Marx's theses in that text; Rabehl criticizes Ryazanov's critical attitude towards Marx's theses, because Rabehl himself has a completely affirmative attitude towards them. For him, Marx's theses are a function of an ideological-political confrontation with Stalinism — with a scientific cover, and a global anti-Bolshevik, anti-October, anti-Soviet basis. In this Rabehl relies especially on K. A. Wittfogel, R. Dutschke and I. Deutscher. Wolter is sharper on that line. Caratan gives a very concise and measured critical assessment of their theses from the point of view of Yugoslav Marxist thought.