This remarkable statement had clear implications for revolutionary
strategy. The sense of ‘nationality’ might already be ‘dead’ among the
most enlightened members of the proletariat, but humanity was still
divided into nation-states and national bourgeoisies remained in control
of state structures which they used to promote allegedly national interests.
Marx and Engels believed that each proletariat would first have to settle
scores with its own national bourgeoisie, but revolutionary struggle
would be national only in form. It would not end with the capture of
state power because the proletariat’s political objectives and aspirations
were international (1977: 230, 235).