By Narayan Giri
Lenin made many changes to adapt Marxism to Russian conditions but he did not allow the spirit of Marxism to perish.
V. I. Lenin (April 22, 1870 – January 21, 1924) not only explained the theoretical principles of Marxism, but also gave them practical form. He also established a communist system through revolution in Russia. Lenin combined Marxism with practical innovation. Lenin explained the imperialist system in the same way that Marx explained the capitalist system. Thus, Lenin advanced Marxist theory and practice.
After Lenin’s death in 1924, Leninism was introduced as a doctrine by the Bolshevik Party. It was based on the analysis of imperialism, the highest and final stage of capitalism, the experience of applying Marxism to lead the struggle of the working class in the imperialist era, and the experience of the October Revolution to build the Soviet Republic and socialism. After this assessment, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Stalin came to the conclusion that the science of Marxism was further developed in Leninism. Thus, Leninism is defined as the Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution. This is the theory and strategy of the proletarian revolution in general and the theory and strategy of the dictatorship of the proletariat in particular. The theory and practice of Leninism is essential for those who want to oppose imperialism and fight for the liberation of the working class and the oppressed people from exploitation and oppression. The way of the October Revolution, which mobilizes the struggling peasants and other oppressed classes by the proletariat to defeat the dictatorship of the capitalist class and build a socialist system under the dictatorship of the proletariat, is the only solution to all the problems faced by the entire society and this is the only way to solve it globally.
Leninism is defined as the Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution. This is the theory and strategy of the proletarian revolution in general and the theory and strategy of the dictatorship of the proletariat in particular.
Leninism is a political ideology developed by the Russian Marxist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, who proposed the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat under the leadership of the revolutionary vanguard as a political prelude to the establishment of communism. The task of the Leninist vanguard party was to provide the working class with the political consciousness (education and organization) and revolutionary leadership necessary to defeat capitalism in the Russian Empire (1721–1917). Based on Leninist revolutionary leadership, the Communist Manifesto (1848) identified the Communist Party as “the most advanced of the working class parties in every country; Which category is the most advanced. ” As a vanguard party, the Bolsheviks viewed history through the theoretical framework of dialectical materialism, which affirmed their political commitment to successfully overthrowing capitalism and establishing socialism. And, as a revolutionary national government, it worked to realize socio-economic transformation by all means. Leninism worked to spread awareness of rejecting capitalism. Lenin’s concept of socialism was based on long-term thinking, which was based on practical coordination with current reality. It included sympathy for the peasants and elimination of the defects of the dictatorial system of government.
Theory of Capitalist Imperialism
Lenin gave a broad explanation of imperialism. In 1916, Lenin wrote a book titled ‘Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism’ about the end of capitalism. Karl Marx predicted the destruction of the bourgeoisie in the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the working class. But in many countries a peaceful relationship developed between the capitalists and the working class and the capitalist class began to develop. Seeing this situation, many thinkers started objecting to Marx’s theories. Being a true follower of Marx, Lenin worked to protect Marx from this criticism. Lenin said that capitalism has reached a new and final stage, which it is nurturing in the form of imperialism. Lenin made it clear that the various classes of all countries participating in the First World War of 1914 forgot their differences and conflicts and worked for national unity. The workers of all countries have forgotten that they have no country. Therefore, Marx’s concept of class struggle could not be implemented and other predictions of Marx also seemed to be untrue. Lenin said that the reason why the condition of the capitalist class like Britain did not deteriorate was because of the wealth obtained from colonialism and imperialism. Imperialism has changed the nature of the proletariat and exploitation. Lenin says, there is no opposition to imperialism in Marx’s principles, rather it will be strengthened. Although it is true that Marx never thought that the final stage of imperialism would lead to the destruction of capitalism. For this reason, Marx’s theory has been criticized.
Karl Marx predicted the destruction of the bourgeoisie in the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the working class. But in many countries a peaceful relationship developed between the capitalists and the working class and the capitalist class began to develop. Seeing this situation, many thinkers started objecting to Marx’s principles.
According to Lenin, capitalist development transcends national boundaries and takes the form of imperialism at the international level. Therefore, imperialism is the highest form of capitalism. Lenin tries to prove that just as capitalism is destroyed due to its contradictions, imperialism will also be destroyed due to its contradictions and thus the way will be paved for the establishment of communism at the international level. In the book ‘Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism’, he has tried to prove that the war of 1914 was an imperialist war from both sides. On the other hand, he wants to make it clear that imperialism is generally the liberation of the basic elements of capitalism. Communists take Lenin’s explanation of imperialism as an original explanation of Marxist philosophy. This theory of Lenin was a worthy complement and extension of Marx’s analysis of capitalism. Lenin explained on a theoretical level the development from capitalism to imperialism and from imperialism to socialism, which is certainly a fundamental work. Lenin explained the development of capitalism based on the dialectical system. According to him, the internal contradictions of capitalism give birth to imperialism and imperialism will collapse as a result of its internal contradictions and establish communism on a global level. Certainly, this is an original theoretical and explanatory view of Lenin. Where Marx left the analysis of capitalism, Lenin has extended this formula to the analysis of imperialism.
In capitalist imperialism, many countries start fighting each other to gain markets and colonies to protect their interests. Because of this many wars are going on.
When Lenin presented the theory of imperialism, he said that imperialism is the last stage of capitalism. Along with the development of capitalism, the tendency of centralization also increases and large organizations, trusts, etc. of various industries start to form. A handful of capitalists begin to monopolize all industries. A similar situation occurs in the financial sector. Centralization is encouraged by maintaining control of industrialists in banks. The natural tendency of such industries and financial capital is expansion. Capitalists establish industries by investing their capital in their own country and other countries. They want to make such huge profits that it leads to the export of capital and goods. This has three possible consequences – the first consequence is that capitalists want to achieve their goals by obtaining raw materials and selling them as finished goods to increase their profits in the countries where they invest their capital. For this, they try to exploit the people there by making various efforts to establish their colonies there. The second result is war. In this type of capitalist imperialism, many countries start fighting each other to get markets and colonies to protect their interests. Because of this many wars are going on. This is how wars are born because of capitalist imperialism. The third consequence of this is the birth of the contradictions of imperialism. The capitalist class tries to make the working class its scapegoat in the imperialist war fought for its own interests. They send them to other countries to fight in the name of the nation after giving them necessary weapons training. But this class soon realizes who its real enemy is and organizes and revolts against capitalism. In this, the victory of the laborers is inevitable due to the class organization. Thus, the war fought in the name of nationalism destroys capitalism by taking the form of class war.
In the second part of Capital, Marx analyzes the principles which govern the accumulation of all social capital and also presents a study of the conditions under which the extended reproduction of consumer goods is achieved. According to Marx, in a capitalist society, capital is continuously accumulated, economic crisis occurs due to excessive production, and then the class struggle becomes intense. But events from 1871 to 1914 did not confirm these predictions of Marx. In this period, apart from the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the workers, the capitalist class provided political and social rights to the proletariat, and the economic status of the workers improved. And, when the war started in 1914, socialist leaders and supporters did not condemn capitalism and war, they drifted into the stream of patriotism and betrayed the labor movement by supporting the national government. Therefore, Lenin considered it necessary to clarify the direction of future development by explaining it on the basis of the dialectical system of development. Against this background, Lenin tried to confirm that imperialism is the highest state of capitalism. Lenin called this theory by the name of imperial capitalism. He firmly expressed that Marx’s theory of capitalism is completely correct and there is no need for any change or amendment in it. Lenin takes two steps forward from this position and says that the conclusions that Marx made about the development of capitalism are basically correct, only because of some events, those results have been different. Monopoly financial capitalism and the origin of imperialism are such phenomena. According to Lenin, imperialism is ultimately an extension of capitalism, and like capitalism, its destruction is also inevitable, and after that destruction, socialism will emerge. Lenin has described in detail how and in what manner imperialism emerges from capitalism. Lenin presents the development of imperialism from capitalism in the following words – “Imperialism is that capitalism in the state of development, in which monopolistic hegemony and financial capital prevail, in which the division of the world by international trusts begins and in which all the territories of the world are divided by the big capitalist countries.”
According to Lenin, imperialism is ultimately an extension of capitalism, and like capitalism, its destruction is also inevitable, and after that destruction, socialism will emerge. Lenin has described in detail how and in what manner imperialism emerges from capitalism.
What this means is that the first stage of industrial or enlightened capital gives way to a second stage of death due to its inherent opposition, in which it passes from the hands of the industrialists to the hands of the big banks and financial communities. The first stage of development is free competition. But in the second case, monopoly control goes into the hands of cartels, syndicates and trusts. According to Lenin, such a situation occurs in capitalist development, when the export of capital outside the country is mandatory. Then the capitalists build trusts, cartels and syndicates together and make the backward countries of the world their colonies and export capital to those countries. Initially, these monopolistic economic powers begin to divide the world among themselves in harmony, but eventually they become embroiled in mutual conflict. Then only through war is that division reversed. This is how imperialism or monopoly capitalism is born. According to Lenin, this kind of development of imperialism is the final stage of capitalism, before which no further development is possible.
Lenin said that there are many such contradictions in capitalist imperialism. When the whole world is divided between capitalist imperialists, it is natural that capitalism will be destroyed due to these contradictions. Various contradictions are found in this system. The contradiction between capital and labor is a contradiction. In this, Lenin said that the first contradiction of the capitalist system is found in the form of labor and capital. The goal of the capitalist is to make profit from labor. For this, they increase the profit by paying less wages to the workers. In this way, due to the exploitation of the workers, they start moving towards revolution. Another is the conflict between the imperialist powers. According to Lenin, every imperialist power is trying to find new markets, new territories and sources of raw materials. At the national level, this struggle takes place between the capitalists and at the international level, its form becomes imperialist. Likewise, the opposition between colonialism and the ruling class is another contradiction. According to Lenin, the people of the areas under colonial control are always looking for an opportunity to be freed from the colonial tyranny. On the other hand, the colonial powers try to strengthen their grip. Therefore, the struggle starts between the two.
According to Lenin, every imperialist power is trying to find new markets, new territories and sources of raw materials. At the national level, this struggle takes place between the capitalists and at the international level, its form becomes imperialist.
In this way, imperialism will be destroyed in a dialectical form and will give place to socialism. When industry units automatically increase in size and become monopolistic, a situation arises where monopoly significantly affects the entire economy. At this time the market is global and the prices of goods and wages are determined in the world market. Competition within national units often ceases, and capitalism as free competition ends in a way. But in addition to this, there is more and more competition and competition among national monopolies. Import and export duties cease to nurture new industries and they become a weapon against national commercial industries. With the formation of industrial unions, the control of the industry is transferred from the hands of the producers of goods to the hands of capital investors and banks. Commercial capital is now united with banking capital and is monopolized by a few financial rich. Capital itself becomes an important item of export. Now, on the one hand, it is necessary to get raw materials. Fulfillment of both these requirements can only be possible from backward countries and colonies. As a result, various developed countries of the world compete to gain power over underdeveloped countries and backward countries. Now the most important question of international politics is how to divide exploitable territories and people. In internal politics, capitalist politics establishes direct control of institutions and parliamentary liberalism is only a deception. From this point of view, the imperialist war that started in 1914 was a struggle for the control of Africa between the syndicates of German capitalists and the syndicates of France and England. Monopoly and financial capitalism are natural consequences of free competitive capitalism. Political imperialism is a natural consequence of monopoly capitalism and war is a natural consequence of capitalism. Imperialism is the highest form of capitalism. This is part of the process by which a more advanced non-capitalist or communist society and economy is being built.
Just as Marx drew some conclusions about capitalist development, so Lenin also drew some conclusions about imperialism. Lenin also presented the ideas related to imperialism and drew some major conclusions based on them. These views of Lenin on imperialism can be clarified here –
In imperialism, there is a continuous accumulation of capital. The reason for this is that imperialist countries sell their manufactured goods to backward countries and at the same time get raw materials from these countries at cheap prices. In this situation, the economic conditions of the workers in the imperialist countries will improve somewhat and this is contrary to Marx’s prediction. According to Lenin, by exploiting the people of backward countries, capitalism creates a new and prosperous proletariat in the country. This increase is not the fate of the entire proletariat but the fate of a few elite workers. Some of the spoils of imperialist profits are given to these workers in the form of higher wages. The purpose of which is that these prosperous workers make an agreement with the bourgeoisie and turn away from the revolutionary movement.
Another of Lenin’s conclusions about imperialism is that it is full of contradictions and will therefore end more quickly. There is a struggle for the world market. The countries of the world are divided into exploiters and exploited. As a result of this new change in the productive power, there will be a change in the productive relationship and a new proletariat will emerge from among the working laborers of the backward countries. Because of this, the revolutionary struggle is not limited to one country and spreads between the exploiting and exploited countries of the world. In addition to this, whether the industrial development of a backward country is mature or not, that country suffering from capitalist exploitation is ripe for revolution.
Lenin concludes that imperialism gives rise to war. According to him, war is a logical consequence of imperialism. Lenin evaluated the First World War from this point of view and his followers also consider the Second World War as an inevitable consequence of imperialism.
In socialism, the law of uneven development is more intense. In capitalism, manufactured goods are exported, but capital is not exported. The relative power of capitalist countries is often permanent. But with the rise of financial capitalism, some countries become more powerful than others. Because they have colonies and new markets under their control. Due to this competition, the capitalist camp will not remain stable and world peace will be threatened.
Based on the above analysis, Lenin concludes that imperialism gives birth to war. According to him, war is a logical consequence of imperialism. Lenin evaluated the First World War from this point of view and his followers also consider the Second World War as an inevitable consequence of imperialism.
Based on this analysis, Lenin announces the end of imperialism. Just as the contradictions of capitalism necessarily destroy it, so imperialism is destroyed because of its contradictions. Lenin discusses the contradictions of imperialism and says – it is the opposition of capital and labor. In imperialism, the dominance of banks, trusts and syndicates increases on the one hand, while on the other hand, the poverty and exploitation of workers and the mutual rivalry of imperialist industrial countries give rise to conflict and this is the natural result of imperialist war. Another contradiction of imperialism is between the exploiting country and the exploited country. This also creates conflict. Colonialist exploiting countries establish means of transportation and factories, etc. for exploitation in their colonies. These changes give strength to the national movement in the colonies and lead to revolution against the imperialist countries. According to Lenin, the workers of the world will be organized in this way and will destroy imperialism through revolution. Socialism will be established on the international level only after the destruction of imperialism. According to Lenin, socialism will not be established with the end of capitalism but after the end of imperialism.
In this way, Lenin has made it clear that capitalism will self-destruct due to its internal contradictions. Lenin’s description of the imperial phase of capitalism is a development of Marx’s theory of capitalist accumulation. Lenin tried to explain with this theory that the results that Marx expected from capitalism were actually achieved by some events that he could not foresee. These events were the birth of monopoly capitalism, finance-capitalism and imperialism. Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalist development. This is part of the process by which the economy of a more advanced non-capitalist or communist society is being built. Today in the world, there is a struggle between two opposing forces, the imperialist and the revolutionary proletariat. From the point of view of resources, capitalists and imperialists are ahead, but there can be no unity between them. Instead, the unity of the proletariat will definitely be established. It will end capitalist imperialism and establish socialism. The characteristics of Lenin’s imperialism can be further clarified as follows –
Birth of Monopolistic Tendency – Lenin said – the centralization of production and expansion of capital in capitalist imperialism reaches such a stage that monopoly is born and its interference in economic life increases. Capitalists always benefit because of open competition in this system. Small capitalists are left behind in open competition. As the capital increases, production also starts to increase. When capitalist powers start looking for international markets to sell their products, then imperialist competition begins. This competition takes place only between large capitalist countries that have complete monopoly over capital and means of production. Integration of bank capital and industrial capital – Lenin says – financial capitalism and capitalists develop after merging with industrial capital. Industrialists and bankers being the most influential class, lend capital abroad to local capitalists on the condition that they buy all finished goods and machinery from them. After earning double profit in this way, industrialist and banker share it among themselves. In this way, due to the integration of industrial capital and bank capital, capitalist imperialism has developed extensively.
Export of capital – According to Lenin, capitalists initially export only manufactured goods, but gradually start exporting capital as well. By investing capital abroad, they establish industries there and produce raw materials from there. Lenin wrote – “Capitalists earn a lot of profit on the one hand from interest and on the other from the investment of their capital. European countries – England, France and Germany established their capitalist imperialism by exporting capital.
ormation of Capitalist Group – Lenin said that big industrialists will work together to reduce the competition of production and establish their monopoly on a particular product by producing different products. Thus, after making a lot of profit, they make more profit by reinvesting their capital. As profit increases, so does capital, and as capital increases, so does monopoly. In this way, due to monopolies, the world is divided into an international market.
After making a lot of profit, they make more profit by reinvesting their capital. As profit increases, so does capital, and as capital increases, so does monopoly.
Economic and geographical division of the world – According to Lenin, big industrialists divide their markets on geographical basis to prevent mutual competition. In the 19th and 20th centuries, China, Africa and the nations of Asia were divided by America and Russia on this basis.
In this way, Lenin has made it clear that this system of capitalist imperialism will not last for long. The opposite of imperialism will surely destroy capitalism one day. The temporary unity of the capitalists will end and the proletariat will unite and destroy capitalism.
Theory of Dialectical Materialism
Lenin as a practical leader has promulgated various principles. He has also explained various philosophical questions. Lenin reinterpreted Marx’s dialectical materialism in his book ‘Materialism and Empirical Criticism’. In it, he has explained and analyzed various questions of philosophy. Marx’s dialectical materialism has been given a new form by Lenin. Lenin described Marx’s dialectical materialism as a higher knowledge capable of understanding the most profound questions of all sciences. Lenin himself admitted that the philosophy of Marxism is like a solid mass of steel, from which not a single part of it can be separated. Lenin agreed with Engels’ view that philosophy would be either idealistic or materialistic. He called idealistic philosophy a pretense and showed the reality of materialistic philosophy. Explaining the dialectical method, Lenin said that truth is relative as well as absolute. In other words, what is partial truth is not the complete truth, but it is close to the truth. Science related to inanimate objects can also be understood in a materialistic way. Physics seems complicated because physicists have not tried to understand it physically. Dialectical methodology is such a universal tool that can be used in every field of science. It does not mean that it should be used only in social sciences.
Lenin’s philosophical arguments are simple. According to him, every philosophy should be either idealistic or materialistic. Apart from this, there is no other third option.
Lenin analyzed the dialectical system in accordance with the dialectical materialist system presented by Marx. What is the dialectical system, how does this system work, what is its form, what is its relationship with social and natural science, etc., are philosophical questions, which Lenin has tried to answer in his book. Lenin made the theoretical differences clear in his time.
Lenin’s philosophical arguments are simple. According to him, every philosophy should be either idealistic or materialistic. Apart from this, there is no other third option. The third option is only an excuse or an illusion. Idealism is another name for religionism because supernatural imaginations are created by religious leaders to deceive the masses. Lenin’s aim was to refute the scientific positivism of the scientific philosopher Ernst Mach. Similarly, materialism and idealism were to prove different theories. Lenin declared scientific positivism a philosophy following the tradition of Hume and Kant. By refuting these ideas, Lenin further developed materialism. According to Lenin, reality or physical power is independent of our perception. Physical matter affects our senses. Our thoughts are reflected by physical matter, i.e. the shadow of physical matter or its image is created in our mind. Material matter is primary and human consciousness is only a shadow of that material matter. According to Lenin, any philosophy that does not emphasize the objective existence of physical matter can never be completely materialistic. Denying the existence of physical matter means denying the truth. According to Lenin, human consciousness is not the origin of the mind, so assuming this will give unnecessary primacy to the self-essence. The reality is that human consciousness is only a reflection of physical elements. In summary, Lenin’s opinion was that by following Marx’s materialistic theory, we can get closer to the objective truth. Following any other path will lead to falsehood and confusion.
The theory of dialectical materialism was used by Marx for social studies. Lenin did the same but with a difference. He made an innovative attempt to demonstrate the relation of dialectical materialism to science.
What is clear in this way is that Marx’s materialism has been repeated in Lenin’s materialism. In some areas, Lenin used this dialectical materialism with expansion and innovation. The theory of dialectical materialism was used by Marx for social studies. Lenin did the same but with a difference. He made an innovative attempt to demonstrate the relation of dialectical materialism to science. While criticizing Ernst Mach’s theories, Lenin also needed to consider modern physics, non-Newtonian science and non-Euclidean geometry. According to Lenin’s argument, these sciences seem complicated because physicists and mathematicians have not educated themselves through the dialectical materialist system. If the scientist learns that the dialectical system makes all differences relative, then they will not be surprised and confused when they learn that sometimes matter turns into energy and sometimes energy turns into matter. In short, Lenin’s dialectical materialist conception is accepted by his followers as a guide as an accepted public method in every field of science. Dialectical materialism can correct a mathematician’s knowledge of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry and educate a physicist about the correct relationship between matter and electricity. Lenin’s theory of dialectical materialism was applied to the laws of biology and accepted as a standard for evaluating even the aesthetic qualities of art and literature. The relationship of dialectical materialism is very close to the study of social issues. According to Lenin, philosophy and sociology are necessarily biased. According to him, professors of economics are efficient salesmen of capitalist class ideas and professors of philosophy are good salesmen of theology. The scientific theory of society can only do so much that it presents a general outline of the laws of economic and historical development.
According to Lenin, dialectical materialism has a closer relationship with natural science than with social science. Philosophy and sociology are one-sided. The teachers of economics are only scientific salesmen of the bourgeoisie and the teachers of philosophy are theology. Most of all, any scientific theory of society is the search for economic and historical development. Only dialectical materialism has the ability to do all this. In philosophy, economics and politics, scientific accuracy and impartiality are the only excuses through which secure interests are fulfilled. Under dialectical materialism there are two systems of social science – one for the welfare of the middle class and the other for the welfare of the proletariat. The superiority of the proletariat lies in the fact that dialectic proves that the proletariat is the awakened class and the vehicle of social progress. On the contrary, the exponents of such actions that prevent capitalism from turning into socialism are the middle class. In the dialectical system, development does not occur in a harmonious manner from the lower level to the higher level. It is the result of mutual contradictions inherent in objects and institutions. Therefore, each person should always adopt a policy of no compromise for the development of socialism instead of adopting a policy of coordination and compromise for the development of the interests of the working class and the capitalist class. Thus, Lenin tried to protect Marx’s theory through this theory.
Dialectics proves the proletariat as the vanguard class and the leading class in the field of social progress. On the contrary, the middle class stops the progress cycle of socialism by resorting to capitalism. Therefore, middle class science is stagnant, decadent and reactionary.
Scientific neutrality or impartiality is not possible in economics, philosophy and political science. They only confirm selfish interests. Under dialectical materialism there are two systems of social science, the first system is built for the interests of the middle class and the other system for the interests of the proletariat. A similar division is also found between capitalist and proletarian art. Proletarian social science and art are superior and more certain than bourgeois social science. The reason for this is that dialectic proves the proletariat as the vanguard class and the leading class in the field of social progress. On the contrary, the middle class stops the progress cycle of socialism by resorting to capitalism. Therefore, middle class science is stagnant, decadent and reactionary.
Theory and Strategy of Revolution
Lenin has given ideas related to revolution in his famous book ‘State and Revolution’. Although a true follower of Marx, Lenin held a different view of the evolutionary theory of socialism. Even though he works against Marxism, he has maintained the spirit of Marx in his thoughts. His theory of revolution is a practical aspect. Lenin denied that socialism could be gradually established through the evolutionary process of Bernstein and Britain’s Fabian Party. Explaining the theory of revolution, Lenin made it clear that socialism can be established only through revolution. Lenin wrote in his book ‘State and Revolution’, ‘Now the revolutionary aspect of Marx’s theory has been forgotten in the working class movement. This has dimmed the revolutionary spirit of Marxism. In such a situation, our first duty is to restore the original teachings of Marxism with its revolutionary aspects. “Some people have misinterpreted Marx’s idea of the gradual end of the state, what Marx said does not mean the gradual end of the capitalist state, but the end of the dictatorship of the proletariat. Engels said – the capitalist state should be destroyed not slowly but forcefully through revolution. Therefore, the correct interpretation of Marx’s teachings is the abolition of the state through revolution.
In his work ‘Two Strategies’, Lenin proposed a revolutionary democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasants. According to Lenin, anyone who adopts the path of socialism without political democracy will inevitably reach inappropriate and reactionary conclusions. According to Lenin, an opportunity should be found as soon as possible to transform the bourgeois-democratic revolution into a proletarian revolution. After the failure of the 1905 revolution, Lenin recognized its importance. What he declared in his work ‘Left Communism’, the success of the October Revolution would have been impossible without the rehearsals of 1905. Therefore, after learning important lessons from the revolution of 1905, he made some conclusions based on that for future guidance. According to his conclusion, something can be achieved only through the revolutionary struggle of the people, the work of the proletariat during the revolution was excellent, but still less. If the need for a developed labor force was to weaken the tsarism, it was absolutely necessary to destroy it. The peasants also supported the revolution but it became loose and this was their weakness, the liberals maintained their loyalty to both camps but they betrayed the workers during the fighting. But in the end the power of the proletariat awakens and it gets proper support, then no power in the world can resist it.
Lenin was completely opposed to the parliamentary system and advocated the transfer of ‘all power to the Soviets’. Later, at the Sixth Party Congress of 1917, Lenin changed it and gave the slogan of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the poor peasantry.
The Bolsheviks took power from the Provisional Government after the March 1917 revolution on 25 October 1917 (7 November 1917 according to the new date) and this is largely attributed to Lenin’s Daupheche. Arriving in Petrograd from exile on April 16, 1917, Lenin dictated the April Theses – not to support the revolutionaries in the Provisional Government and to establish a Soviet Republic, which would eventually become a government of the proletariat, which would nationalize the land for the peasants. Through this directive, Lenin advocated the principle of handing over “all power to the Soviets” if they opposed the parliamentary system. Later, at the Sixth Party Congress of 1917, Lenin changed it and gave the slogan of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the poor peasantry. Lenin declared that revolution was possible when the lower class did not want the old way and the upper class could not follow the old way. This situation had already arrived on October 25, 1917, when power passed from the Provisional Government under Lenin to the Bolsheviks in a bloodless revolution.
During this event, Lenin presented his theories and built a theoretical position that gave reality to the original principles of Marxism in Russia. According to Marx, the modern social and economic system must first be completely destroyed and then the dictatorship of the proletariat must be established. Lenin confirmed his views on the basis that Marx’s goal was to destroy capitalism in Western industrial societies. According to Lenin, Marx did not forbid revolution under different circumstances.
Marx did not believe that revolution is necessary in all countries, but he believed that revolution is not necessary in democratic countries. But Lenin said that monopoly capital, imperialism and world war had changed the situation. Today even democratic countries like Britain and America have become imperialist and militaristic. Therefore, their only solution is for the workers of these countries to move towards the revolution.
In the context of the specific revolutions of 1905 and 1917, the ideas that Lenin has presented are based on the theoretical concepts related to the revolution. As a practical politician, he always tried to show that he did not leave the original Marxism by changing the theoretical ideas according to the occasion and situation. According to Lenin, the capitalist system will be destroyed by forceful revolution. The end of the state will be through revolution, not through the process of development. If the labor movement is not revolutionary, it is nothing. Capitalism will be destroyed only through revolution and socialism will be established by the workers. According to Lenin, he who waits for the socialist revolution to mature will miss the opportunity. Therefore, Leninism is called the theory of tools and methods of proletarian revolution. While Marx’s theories of revolution were concise, Lenin explained them in detail.
Practical aspect of Lenin’s theory of revolution – Lenin wrote books like ‘Two tactics of Social Democracy in Democratic Revolution’ in 1905 and ‘State and Revolution’ in 1917 to give practicality to his theory of revolution. Lenin also led the labor revolution of 1905. In its failure, he prepared the basis for the revolution of 1917. Lenin overthrew the tsar by organizing the people suffering from the tsar’s dictatorship. Lenin challenged the pacifist Marxists that instead of establishing socialism in an evolutionary way, they should also support the revolution. Many such Marxists also participated in the revolution of 1917, who talked about bringing socialism in a peaceful manner. He gave a broad base to his theory of revolution by introducing ‘Party Theory’. He prepared a group of some capable and skilled revolutionaries to awaken class-consciousness in the proletariat, prepare them for revolution and call for revolution. Lenin believed that only the necessary organization could overthrow the tsarist regime in Russia and establish the dictatorship of the working class here. Therefore, he ended the tsarism through the revolution of 1917 and established the dictatorship of the proletariat in Russia.
Practical aspect of Lenin’s theory of revolution – Lenin wrote books like ‘Two tactics of Social Democracy in Democratic Revolution’ in 1905 and ‘State and Revolution’ in 1917 to give practicality to his theory of revolution. Lenin also led the labor revolution of 1905. In its failure, he prepared the basis for the revolution of 1917. Lenin overthrew the tsar by organizing the people suffering from the tsar’s dictatorship. Lenin challenged the pacifist Marxists that instead of establishing socialism in an evolutionary way, they should also support the revolution. Many such Marxists also participated in the revolution of 1917, who talked about bringing socialism in a peaceful manner. He gave a broad base to his theory of revolution by introducing ‘Party Theory’. He prepared a group of some capable and skilled revolutionaries to awaken class-consciousness in the proletariat, prepare them for revolution and call for revolution. Lenin believed that only the necessary organization could overthrow the tsarist regime in Russia and establish the dictatorship of the working class here. Therefore, he ended the tsarism through the revolution of 1917 and established the dictatorship of the proletariat in Russia.
The Inevitability of Revolution – Lenin clearly knew that the situation in Russia was different. Industrial development in Russia has not been so far that the working class can organize itself and raise its voice against the capitalists. Workers are blocking the path of revolution by misinterpreting Marxist theory and education. Socialism cannot be established gradually. Looking at the situation in Russia, the monarchy should be removed from the revolution so that the dictatorship of the working class can be established there. Therefore, Lenin considered the communist revolution in Russia as inevitable and successfully conducted the Russian revolution of 1917 and established the dictatorship of the working class by uprooting the tsarshahi.
Strategy of Revolution – After studying many revolutions of the world in depth, Lenin presented his ideas about the strategy of revolution. After the failure of the Russian Revolution of 1905, Lenin began to oppose senseless violence. Lenin recognized that revolution was an art and could be taught. He who knows the art of revolution becomes a successful revolutionary. The technique of a successful revolution is based on the following things – Revolution should not be taken lightly, it should be started only by thinking and should be continued until the objective is achieved. If the revolution is left in the middle, all the objectives of the revolution will automatically end. Before starting the revolution, you should estimate your situation and time correctly. If all the power cannot be used in a certain place and at a certain time, the opposition party can suppress the revolution. The revolutionaries should attack the enemy side suddenly when they are dispersed, that is, the revolutionaries should attack only by ambushing so that the enemy side does not get a chance to be handled.
Revolution should not be thought of as a matter of thought, it should be started only with thinking and should be continued until the objective is achieved. If the revolution is left in the middle, all the objectives of the revolution will automatically end.
Importance of an organized party of revolutionaries – To make the Russian revolution of 1917 practical and successful, Lenin himself formed a group of professional revolutionaries. He believed that only professional revolutionaries would play a leading role to make the revolution successful. Therefore, he presented the idea of an organized group of professional revolutionaries. Lenin took the meaning of a professional revolutionary from a person who considers it his business to make the revolution a success. Just as the police and army are trained, professional revolutionaries should also be properly educated and trained. According to Lenin, a handful of trained revolutionaries can do much better than thousands of workers. Lenin made this clear in his book ‘What is to be done?’ He said that the group of trained and organized revolutionaries should be bound under strict discipline and all its activities should be kept secret. This party must have deep knowledge of communist principles. Lenin wrote – “Only a party that operates on the basis of highly advanced principles can play the role of a militant vanguard.” “Lenin talked about building a special kind of communist party to make the communist revolution fruitful and he proved the importance of an organized party of professional revolutionaries by making the communist revolution of 1917 successful by binding the communist party itself under strict discipline. Taking advantage of the favorable situation in Russia during the First World War, Lenin succeeded in the communist revolution without developing capitalism. Lenin believed that Russia would definitely be defeated in the First World War. Therefore, he paved the way for the revolution by establishing a strong Communist Party. In this way, Lenin has done a great job by opening the way for socialist revolution even in Russia, an industrially backward country. Therefore, Lenin is also considered as the master of revolutionary science. The coordination between the theoretical and practical aspects of his revolution is rarely found elsewhere. His ideas about the party of professional revolutionaries are an invaluable contribution to the history of political thought.
Communist Party Strategy
Lenin was a revolutionary thinker as well as a skilled organizer. As an organizer, he explained well the question of what the strategy of the Communist Party should be. Lenin’s aim was not only to organize the communist movement in Russia. As a revolutionary leader, his vision was broad. Therefore, he planned the establishment of the Communist Party in other countries of the world and felt it necessary to guide the strategy and tactics of the party in order to make the revolution a success there. Lenin’s aim was to attack the right wing with the ideas presented in Lenin’s famous work ‘State and Revolution’. But with the ‘April thesis’ he also managed the leftists. Through Lenin’s efforts, the World Communist Party Organization was established as the ‘Third International’ and it was recognized that a true revolutionary organization was needed for the world labor movement. Whatever was Lenin’s indirect aim, in the absence of an international revolutionary organization, he would try to suppress the revolution in Russia by reactionaries. However, his direct aim was to direct the policies of the Communist Party spread throughout the world and to instruct them on how to act in order to complete the revolution in their own country.
On the question of what kind of tactics and strategy the Communist Party should have in order to achieve its objectives, Lenin gave various instructions to the party members. Giving such instructions, he says – Communists should give up their narrow-mindedness. They should be on the lookout for every opportunity, through which the party’s relationship with the people can increase and power can be gained. This work becomes possible when they enter the government and join organizations like trade unions. According to Lenin, communists should not be limited to abstract communists, rather they should enter bourgeois politics and take their government into their own hands and defeat the bourgeoisie. Lenin acknowledges the utility of compromise. He says – Rejecting the name of the principle of agreement is childish. Movement and propaganda alone are not enough to bring the revolution closer. People need political experience.
According to Lenin, revolutionaries who are not ready for these compromises are very bad revolutionaries. When the revolution begins, it is easy to become a revolutionary and join the movement, but creating the ripe conditions for the revolution is a difficult task and for this it is necessary to do all kinds of work.
Therefore, the Communist Party should continue to strive to gain power and in achieving this goal, they should know tactics and strategies such as how to acquire the ability to make practical compromises, how to strike, how to compromise, and how to withdraw from them while keeping complete loyalty to the communist idea. According to Lenin, revolutionaries who are not ready for these compromises are very bad revolutionaries. When the revolution begins, it is easy to become a revolutionary and join the movement, but creating the ripe conditions for the revolution is a difficult task and for this it is necessary to do all kinds of work. To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the Communist Party must participate in the elections, raise its candidates and build a united front, through which the leaders and followers of other parties can be influenced by the party. Regarding the adoption of this kind of strategy in the economic sector, what Lenin recommends is that communist workers should organize themselves into trade unions as much as possible and take control of them. We should take full advantage of the incomplete demands of the workers from the trade union. Even if their demands and complaints are few, they should be increased and presented publicly and if not, they should be built. If the other party does not support them, then that party should be made to look bad in the public. It is necessary to organize the front in the non-political sector as well. A front organization should be formed among writers, scientists, lawyers, women, youth, etc., through which progressive public opinion can be attracted in the society.
The above thought shows the practical wisdom of Lenin. Along with improving the condition of the workers, Lenin emphasized on creating revolutionary conditions. Therefore, Lenin can be called a revolutionary theorist as well as a labor leader.
Principles of Party Organization
Lenin’s theory of party organization is the basis of his theory of communist revolution. Lenin emphasized the need for an organized party for the success of the communist revolution. While revising Marxism, Lenin said party organization was more important than class consciousness. According to him, no revolution will succeed without a strong and organized party. He believed that capitalism could forcefully suppress the revolutionary consciousness of the working class, because it had an armed force. Therefore, in order to make the proletarian revolution successful, to guide the proletariat, to prepare it for revolution and struggle, and to train it, an organization of some professional people is necessary. A party is a well-organized group of people of certain intellectual and moral character. It is a group of intellectuals chosen in the sense that the knowledge of Marxism maintains the purity of Marx’s principles and guides the party’s policy. After the party comes to power, it directs the state’s policy. It is an organization of selected moral people in the sense that these people are completely loyal to the Party and the Communist Revolution due to elections and strict party discipline and training. Lenin made it clear that the party cannot develop without discipline, organization, leadership and strength. A party can be formed only by people who are loyal to the revolutionary goal. Unless the party is organized through unity of will, unity of action and unity of discipline, it cannot play the role of the leading force of the working class. In this way, Lenin made his party’s theory based on democratic centralism.
Lenin was not a leader who believed in gradualism. According to Lenin, revolution does not follow gradual development. A centralized and disciplined party is needed for revolution.
Lenin developed Marx’s ideas and added them to innovation. The question of the party is also one of his special ideas. Lenin was not a leader who believed in gradualism. According to Lenin, revolution does not follow gradual development. A centralized and disciplined party is needed for revolution. According to Lenin, the party should be the vanguard of leading the proletariat. The party has a central place in the struggle for the proletariat’s power. As a leader, Lenin believed from the beginning that for the success of the revolutionary movement, there must be a combination of rigorous organization and a clear Marxist ideology. In his work ‘One step forward, two steps back’, Lenin expressed his views on the need and nature of the party as follows – In the struggle for power, the proletariat has no weapon other than organization. Divided by the anarchic competition of the bourgeois world, utterly oppressed by the capitalists, bound together in slavery to capital, perpetually in the abyss of industrialism and savagery, the workers can and certainly will assume the form of an invincible force. When, based on the principles of Marxism, their ideological unity will also be strengthened by physical unity and they will assume the form of an army of numerous workers.
In this way, this resolution about the party was accepted at the convention of the Communist International, which expresses the spirit of Lenin’s thoughts about the party – the Communist Party is a part of the working class. It is his most progressive, most class-conscious and therefore most powerful organ. The Communist Party is the organization of the best, most intelligent, most selfless and visionary workers. The Communist Party is a political system which leads the more advanced part of the working class in the right direction of the entire proletariat and semi-proletariat.
What is clear from this is that Lenin considers the party as the basis for achieving the goals of the revolution. According to him, the party is an organization of carefully selected intellectual and moral class of people. What he believes about the party organization is that membership should be limited and not open to everyone. The party to achieve the purpose of the revolution should be small, intelligent and full of discipline. He has the right to control and guide the revolutionary movement. The party leads the revolution and propagates the ideas of the revolution. It teaches the art of revolution and makes the workers successful in achieving their goals. Not only this, he should get this privilege even after the revolution. What is the meaning of Lenin’s idea about the party is that the form of the communist party is under the communist dictatorship. Lenin laid the foundations of the Communist Party’s doctrine of totalitarianism. For the internal organization of the party, Lenin advocated the principle of democratic centralism, which meant that the lower-level organs of the party should remain subordinate to the upper-level organs. Once party policy is determined, it must be strictly implemented.
What is the meaning of Lenin’s idea about the party is that the form of the communist party is under the communist dictatorship. Lenin laid the foundations of the Communist Party’s doctrine of dictatorship.
According to Lenin, the work of the party is to lead the socialist movement, to make the proletariat aware of the socialist principles, to spread the ideas of the revolution, to train in the techniques of the revolution and to lead the proletariat. A powerful party organization is an invincible force. This is necessary not only before the revolution, but also to destroy the capitalist state and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. If the party is to play the leading role of the working class, it must have knowledge of revolutionary principles and rules of revolution. The purpose of the party is to promote the welfare of the proletariat and the entire people, so it must be bound by strict discipline. Its organization should be done by excellent, selfless, diligent, full of consciousness and visionary people. Lenin said that party members should stay away from disputes because they voluntarily become friends with each other and their special goal is to defeat the enemy. He said that for the success of the party, iron discipline is necessary in the party. Pure and high-class people who are bound by the party’s strict discipline throughout their lives and who have complete loyalty to Marxism and are ready to sacrifice everything for the party can join the party organization. It becomes the ultimate duty of all party members to implement the decision. Lenin said that membership of the party should be given to those who can prove themselves to be communists and who are ready to sacrifice everything for the party. Lenin emphasized the party’s decision to base military discipline and destroy the enemy completely during the revolution.
Lenin has depicted the party as an organization that continues to walk as a well-organized community holding each other’s hands on a dangerous and difficult path. Communist parties in many countries of the world, including Russia, considered the concept of the Communist Party as an ideal and built the Communist Party based on those principles. Lenin’s ideas about the party became the basis of the organization of the Communist Party. His ideas about the party are complementary to the ideas of Marxism. Lenin’s party theory determined the political philosophy of the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Importance of party theory – Lenin’s party theory is an important contribution to the history of political thought. Lenin’s party theory is the basis of his theory of communist revolution and party dictatorship. The main leaders of the Russian Revolution adopted this principle of Lenin and organized the Communist Party. The success of the socialist revolution is the result of the efforts of the organized Communist Party. If Lenin had not bound his Communist Party to party discipline, the proletarian revolution of 1917 would have been easily suppressed by the Czar. Today, Lenin’s party theory is the main element of the governing system of all communist countries. Mao also linked the policy of the Chinese Communist Party with Lenin’s party discipline. Therefore, Lenin’s contribution to the communist ideology of the party is invaluable.
Leninist Organizational Theory and Its Foundations
Lenin created the organizational principles of the Communist Party. On the basis of the same principle, the communist parties are now being operated and operated. This organizational theory or method is also known as Leninist organizational theory. The organizational theory put forward by Lenin at that time has the same importance even today. This principle emphasizes the belief that the Communist Party should be militant, creative and revolutionary. Leninist organizational theory emphasizes strict implementation along with the interpretation of the issues of democracy and centralism. It is also seen as a strict discipline. The democratic centralism advocated by Lenin becomes more clear in this way – the individual is subordinate to the organization. The minority is subordinated by the majority. The lower committee is subordinate to the upper committee. All the committees of the party are subordinated to the central committee. The Central Committee is subordinate to the Congress. The convention is governed by all party members.
The organizational theory put forward by Lenin has the same importance even today. This principle emphasizes the belief that the Communist Party should be militant, creative and revolutionary.
Lenin laid down certain conditions for the membership of the Communist Party as an organizational principle. Lenin’s party was called the Bolshevik Party because of its strict and iron discipline. There are minimum requirements for members of the Communist Party and it is also linked to discipline. Adhering to the policies and programs of the party, working in certain organizations of the party and paying regular levies to the party are among the minimum conditions of the Communist Party members.
According to Lenin, the foundations of organizational theory can be explained as follows –
Principle of Democratic Centralism – This is the first condition of Leninist organizational theory. There are mainly two things in it namely democracy and centralism. It emphasizes that centralism without democracy will be despotic and without centralism democracy will fall into anarchism. This principle makes it clear that both these principles have the same importance in the organization of the Communist Party. Party organizations cannot function properly without centralization, because centralization is also the discipline of the Communist Party. Therefore, while demanding independence, discipline must also be followed, while democracy must be used in the question of centrality. Therefore, in the Communist Party, the individual always remains subordinate to the organization, while the decision of the majority is unconditionally enforced.
Democracy – It is a democratic right for the members of the Communist Party to freely express their thoughts and expressions and make them the subject of discussion. Democracy gives all members the right to express their opinions in the party organization. Every member of the Communist Party has the right to keep his vote. In the event that the ideas presented by him are rejected by the majority, democracy has provided a method of taking the matter to the committee he is in and the committee above him or to the national conference or convention for discussion. But it is a violation of party discipline to take your ideas below the committee you are sitting on, except for the party’s decision or in special cases. The special situation here is the party convention itself. Democracy has reserved the right to elect any member of the party and to be elected. Party members openly practice democracy in the party convention and national conference. If he is not satisfied with the candidates nominated by the party, democracy has given him the right to choose and be elected by taking a supporter and a proposer.
Centralism – the minority is under the rule of the majority. In the party meeting or conference, one should try to reach a unanimous decision as much as possible. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, then the minority members have to accept the decision made by the majority until another decision is made. The minority should continue to implement the decisions of the majority in order to preserve their votes. Today’s minority may be tomorrow’s majority. Today’s majority may be a minority tomorrow. But everyone should accept the decisions of the majority of the party. The opinion and line of the majority is the opinion and line of everyone and it should be applied in practice. The lower committees are under the authority of the upper committee. Decisions of higher level committees should be implemented by lower level committees. All the committees are subordinate to the central committee and the decisions made by the central committee must be accepted by all the committees. The person is the essence of the organization. Every member is subject to the decisions made by the meeting, conference, congress or party committee. Every member must follow the decision of the party unconditionally and actively implement it. Party decisions should not be violated under any pretext. If you are not satisfied with the decisions of the party, you should keep your comments in the committee you are sitting on and at the higher level and implement the decisions of the party unconditionally. All members should speak and act according to the policies, decisions and instructions of the center. The decisions made by the party must be followed. All the decisions of the party should be accepted from one convention until the next convention. No member has the right to delay or oppose the decision made by the Centre. The Central Committee should be accountable to the Congress. The Central Committee should work according to the policy passed by the Congress. The Center has no right to violate any decision of the Congress.
The minority should continue to implement the decisions of the majority in order to preserve their votes. Today’s minority may be tomorrow’s majority. Today’s majority may be a minority tomorrow.
The principle of criticism and self-criticism – It emphasizes the belief that the shortcomings of the Communist Party organization, leaders and workers can be improved through the method of criticism. When criticizing, attention should be paid not to anger and vindictiveness, but to increase motivation to improve weaknesses. In the Communist Party, the method by which party members review their own weaknesses and problems and put them in the meeting is called the principle of self-criticism. This recognition emphasizes the fact that after putting their weaknesses in the meeting, they promise not to repeat such weaknesses again and to move forward as good communist members. Self-criticism and criticism are also a means of filtering the party committee. While working in the party, party members or party leaders may make mistakes or shortcomings. Self-criticism is the act of admitting one’s mistakes and shortcomings. Criticism by other members or the entire committee is called criticism. Self-criticism is also a yardstick to measure the attitude of committee members. How loyal or not a person is to the party is also shown by the style of self-criticism he does. Party members should not make mistakes not only for the benefit of the party but also for their own benefit. How loyal a person is to the party or not is also explained by the style of self-criticism he does. Party members should not make mistakes not only for the benefit of the party but also for their own benefit. Criticism There are 3 levels of self-criticism – friendly criticism, counter-criticism and retaliatory-criticism. Friendly criticism is constructive criticism for your committee or members. You have to look at the level of criticism. What should be noted is the level of the person who is going to criticize and whether he can digest the criticism or not. Criticism should improve a person. Counter-criticism is the tendency to criticize one’s weaknesses instead of accepting them. Criticism is not good for party organization. Party members should happily accept their weaknesses and should not pay attention to counter-criticism. It does not benefit the individual or the party. Retaliatory criticism is criticism directed at opposing forces. Especially this is a criticism of the opponents. One should never make vindictive criticism to one’s peers. If that happens, it may have a negative impact on friends or the committee.
Discipline and Privacy – Discipline and privacy are very sensitive issues in terms of time. Discipline and secrecy are very important in party organization as much as how much a person is affected by his discipline. What we are doing is seen not only by our party members but also by others. A little lack of discipline can destroy a hard-earned image in an instant. This applies to the party as well. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly pay attention to your discipline and party discipline. You should not say whatever you want. Privacy is an even more important issue. The party should only bring out the decision that it wants to bring out. Even if it cannot be taken outside, if it is taken outside, the confidentiality of the party will be broken. Therefore, everyone in the party should take care of discipline and confidentiality from the bottom to the top.
Inter-conflict in the party – In a living party it is necessary to have inter-conflict. If there is no conflict in the party, the party cannot survive. However, the inter-conflict in the party should be with the purpose of giving momentum to the party. It also plays an important role in transforming the party in a timely manner. That is why internal conflict is seen as the life of the party.
The principle of choosing a good leader – Every member of the Communist Party must follow the organizational principle. It also includes the method of choosing a good leader. The basic belief of this principle is that leaders with good thinking and conduct should be chosen in the party organization for building a good, limited and civilized society. In the party organization, one should pay attention to some of these things in the selection of leadership. As there should be honesty in leadership. It requires activity and continuity. Leadership should have a dedicated spirit. It is essential to have creative ability and efficiency in him.
In this way, democratic centralism, criticism and self-criticism, discipline and secrecy, infighting in the party, leadership selection method, etc. have a balancing role in the Leninist organizational theory. It is emphasized that no communist party can be disciplined without Leninist organizational principles.
The doctrine of the dictatorship of the proletariat
Lenin has repeatedly mentioned the dictatorship of the proletariat in his revolutionary theory. He believes that only after the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat in the post-revolution regime will the lasting results of the revolution be achieved, socialism can be established only through the dictatorship of the proletariat. When the Communist Party takes power after the revolution, it will establish the dictatorship of the proletariat, place the means of production in public ownership, and use all its power and all the resources of the state to eliminate all vestiges of capitalism. If this is not done, the defeated capitalist class can organize and try to come back to power. When class distinctions are removed, the society becomes classless and the state also disappears.
In his work ‘State and Revolution’, Lenin has presented the structure of the system after the proletarian revolution in detail. In this context, he has discussed his thoughts about the state. In ‘State and Revolution’, the theory that the bourgeois state will be destroyed by revolution and replaced by the dictatorship of the proletariat will be the same as that of the ‘Paris Commune’. In other words, the dictatorship of the proletariat will be a copy of the Paris Commune. According to Lenin, the ideas of Marx and Engels are followed in rendering this system.
In ‘State and Revolution’, the theory that the bourgeois state will be destroyed by revolution and replaced by the dictatorship of the proletariat will be the same as that of the ‘Paris Commune’.
Lenin has tried to give a new form to the concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat propounded by Marx. Lenin replaced the dictatorship of the proletariat with the dictatorship of the Communist Party. Lenin believed that the workers had neither the revolutionary spirit nor the ability to control and conduct a revolution when it came. Only a well-organized, disciplined and revolution-savvy minority group of professional revolutionaries can do this work. For this, the party must establish dictatorship. Lenin called it the dictatorship of the proletariat, but in reality it is the dictatorship of the Communist Party established over the proletariat. Lenin divided the dictatorship of the working class into two parts and used it in both phases. Lenin presented the dictatorship of the proletariat as an instrument of proletarian revolution and a transitional state. The proletariat or the dictatorship of the proletariat as an instrument of the proletarian revolution is the basis for the progress and success of the revolution. Accepting the dictatorship of the proletariat as a tool, Lenin said that its purpose is first of all to defeat the exploiters (capitalists) and to achieve and complete the workers’ revolution. Lenin said – “The dictatorship of the working class is that power which checks the capitalist power over the proletariat and ensures its victory. “Lenin further said: “The dictatorship of the proletariat is one of the tools of proletarian revolutions. Its purpose is to suppress the resistance of the exploiters and to make the workers’ revolution a success and complete it. “According to Lenin, without the dictatorship of the working class, it is not possible to defeat the capitalist class and give permanent results of the revolution. In such a situation, the capitalist class can overthrow the proletarian rule as soon as it gets the opportunity. Therefore, the dictatorship of the proletariat is necessary to make the results of the revolution permanent. Lenin says that the dictatorship of the proletariat is not only an instrument of revolution, but also its function is to organize the working class against the powerful capitalist class. Lenin wrote – “The dictatorship of the proletariat is a continuous struggle against the forces and traditions of the old society, which is violent and non-violent, economic and military, educational and administrative as well, which is the historical era of the complete destruction of capitalism and the establishment of communism.
What Lenin wants to make clear is that the state will not end with the revolution. And, in the transitional state until the establishment of communism, the state should be established as a system of the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Lenin wants to make two main points about the post-revolutionary order – the end of the bourgeois state by the proletariat is accomplished with the revolution. According to Lenin, the “annihilation of the state” is not possible immediately after the revolution. It needs more time. Another thing is that between the end of the bourgeois state and the establishment of the communist society, the dictatorship of the proletariat will be established. Marx also asserted this type of transitional system, i.e. the dictatorship of the proletariat, in his criticism of the Gotha program.
Thus, what Lenin wants to make clear is that the state will not end with the revolution. And, in the transitional state until the establishment of communism, the state should be established as a system of the dictatorship of the proletariat. According to Lenin, the dictatorship of the proletariat has its own characteristics. This rule will be temporary. It will end the exploitation of man by man. The coercive power of the state will still be used, the only difference now is that this power will be used not by the minority exploiting class but by the majority of the proletariat. Wealth discrimination will still exist in society and people will be paid according to their work and not according to their needs. In Lenin’s own words, the transitional state would be a bourgeois state, in which the bourgeoisie would not exist. The dictatorship of the proletariat will establish democracy for the people for the first time. This democracy will not be a parliamentary system because parliamentary rule is another name for bourgeois democracy. Bourgeois democracy is false and hypocritical. It is a heaven for the rich but a bondage and a deception for the poor. But proletarian rule is another name for democracy.
Lenin used the dictatorship of the proletariat as a tool for the revolution of 1917. After the collapse of the Kerensky government, if the dictatorship of the proletariat was not established, the reactionary forces in Russia with the help of foreign capitalists could re-establish the old capitalist government. Even after the proletarian revolution of 1917, the dictatorship of the proletariat remained in Russia for a long time and the capitalist forces could not raise their heads. Explaining the dictatorship of the proletariat as a transitional state or a state ruling over the capitalist class, Lenin said – The dictatorship of the working class is an organization in which one class (the working class) dominates by establishing its control over the other (the capitalist class). So it is similar to capitalist system. But the difference between these two is that in the capitalist system, the minority class (capitalist class) used to exploit the majority class (working class), but under the dictatorship of the proletariat, the majority class (working class) rules over the minority class (capitalist class). In this transitional state, the working proletariat dictatorship is forced to use force to crush its resistance forces. The heart of a defeated capitalist is like a wounded snake. They are eager to regain their lost power and prestige as soon as they get the chance. Therefore, in this transitional state, the proletariat must use its power to suppress the power of the capitalists and build a new society. Lenin said that this stage is a long stage. In this, the working class has to struggle for a long time to suppress its opponents. He will have to use his autocratic power to move towards real communism. This system is the dictatorship of the proletariat. Therefore, the dictatorship of the working class is directly based on power and is used for the destruction of capitalism.
Real democracy and only through it the transition period between the end of capitalist conditions and the establishment of communism can be passed. According to Lenin, democracy is very important for the workers in their struggle to be freed from the capitalists. But democracy is not such a limit, the limit of which should not be violated, democracy is a condition in the process of development from feudalism to capitalism and from capitalism to socialism. The dictatorship of the proletariat is the power which they take over from the bourgeoisie and which they use against the bourgeoisie. According to Lenin, the dictatorship of the proletariat is a continuous struggle against the power and traditions of the old society. This struggle can be bloody and bloodless, violent and peaceful, economic and militaristic and educational and administrative. This power is uncontrollable by method. According to Lenin, a one-party system is necessary to run a proletarian democracy. In a transitional society and beyond, there is no need for more than one party, because conflicting political parties represent different economic classes. According to Lenin, just as one person needs one head, so society needs one party, nothing more.
After declaring that after the revolution, the dictatorship of the proletariat will rule, Lenin also describes the various arrangements for the administration of the transitional state. On the occasion of the revolution of 1917, Lenin raised the slogan of ‘All power to the Soviets’, later pushing the Soviets back, he brought forward the party rule. Before the revolution, Lenin did not think that administration was very necessary and he thought that ordinary people could also manage it. But when explaining the transitional state, there was a change in Lenin’s views. It was seen that experts are needed for the transition to socialism. Experts are essentially bourgeois, but they will be needed in the transition period. According to Lenin, the work of state organization requires people who have experience in state and business.
After analyzing Lenin’s thoughts on the dictatorship of the proletariat, the following conclusion can be drawn – when the capitalist class is made powerless, then its power of resistance increases many times and then it is necessary to control this exploitative class and stop their anti-revolutionary efforts. The purpose of the dictatorship of the proletariat is to organize a new social and economic order. A strong, well-organized team is needed to fulfill this objective. On the one hand, this theory of Lenin has provided unlimited power of the party to suppress the bourgeoisie in the name of the proletariat, and on the other hand, it has given the party leaders the right to exercise dictatorial power over the members of the working class. According to Lenin, the dictatorship of the proletariat is a state, and as a state, it is an instrument of one class in the hands of another class – the bourgeoisie is an instrument of oppression in the hands of the working class, and as long as the dictatorship of the proletariat is a state, there is no question of freedom and democracy.
Workers-Farmers Alliance
The worker-peasant alliance was the backbone of the Soviet state and the dictatorship of the proletariat. During the period from 1905 to February 1917, the main objective of the revolutionary movement in Russia was to end the tsarist monarchy and the feudal oppression of the peasantry by the aristocratic landlords. During that period, the strategy of the Bolshevik Party was to isolate the bourgeoisie and form a coalition of the proletariat with all the peasants against the landlords and the tsarist state. After the fall of the tsarist monarchy, the main objective of the class struggle in the period from February to October 1917 was to end the imperial domination of Russia and withdraw the country from the First World War. The strategy of the party was to join hands with the poor farmers and strengthen the alliance with them against the capitalist class. It was also to isolate the parties of the lower bourgeoisie who sought to mobilize the peasantry to accept the compromise with imperialism.
As long as the civil war lasted, the poor and middle peasants accepted the policy of state-appropriation, which took all their surplus produce from the state. Once peace was restored, differences began to emerge between them.
After the victory of the October Revolution, during the period of imperialist armed intervention, the worker-peasant alliance was based on certain understandings. Peasants received land from the Soviet government as well as protection from landlords, and laborers received food from the peasants under an extra-allocation system. As long as the civil war lasted, the poor and middle peasants accepted the policy of state-appropriation, which took all their surplus produce from the state. Once peace was restored, differences began to emerge between them. By the late 1920s, when the civil war had ended and the landlords were no longer in danger of returning, many farmers began to resent the transfer of all their surplus produce to the state.
The Bolshevik Party felt that the time had come to replace the extra-appropriation system and the regime of “War Communism” in the form of taxation. As a portion of the surplus-produce was taken by the state, the peasants were allowed to use a large part of their surplus-produce as they wished. This step was a meaningful step towards strengthening the scheme to encourage farmers to increase their productivity. Thus, the new system aims to revive agriculture, expand the grain and industrial crops needed for the development of industry, revive the movement of goods and improve the food supply in the cities. This was one of the main features of the New Economic Policy (NEP) approved by the Tenth Party Congress held in March 1921. The Bolshevik Party knew and openly accepted that this new economic policy would lead to the development of private enterprise in trade between the cities and the countryside, and to that extent would serve as a proletarian struggle against capitalism. Lenin explained that it was necessary for the party, for the proletarian vanguard, to organize this economic policy in a well-planned way so as not to risk losing support among the middle peasants.
Victory over the middle peasants
Guided by the science of Marxism, the Bolshevik Party recognized the distinction between different strata of the peasantry based on their position in relation to production. In particular, Lenin accepted the fact that there was a difference between the majority of hardworking peasants and the minority of rich peasants. Such rich farmers, who own a lot of land and depend on laborers for farming – their thinking was different from the mentality of other poor farmers. Most of the laboring farmers were middle class farmers and poor farmers. Poor farmers were those who had to combine their meager agricultural income with the wage income earned by family members to support their families. The middle peasants were those who were able to meet the needs of their families through the labor of their families. In the early stages of building socialism, the Bolshevik Party paid special attention to winning the support of the middle peasants in order to make their program a success. In a speech given in March 1919, Lenin said the following about the middle peasant: “If we compare today with the age of capitalism, this type of middle peasant was less, because in the age of capitalism most of the peasants belonged to the class of the poor and, as now, there were only a small minority. He was in the class of elite, exploitative, rich farmers. “After the abolition of private ownership of land, the number of moderate peasants is increasing, and the Soviet Government is firmly resolved to establish relations of complete peace and harmony with them at all costs. The fact that the middle peasant cannot immediately accept socialism cannot be denied, because he firmly holds to what he is accustomed to. They are open to all new ideas. They seek factual, practical testing of all new ideas and discoveries – they do not decide to change the course of their lives until they are convinced that the change will be beneficial to their lives. Therefore, we communists should try to establish cordial relations with middle peasants when laborers go to rural districts, we should know, understand and put into practice the rule that it is their duty to establish cordial relations. The industrious peasants who do not exploit the labor of others are the friends of the urban laborers and we must establish with them a voluntary alliance inspired by honesty and trust and they must understand that this is possible. Every measure proposed by the Communist Government should be taken only as a suggestion, a suggestion, an invitation to accept the new system among the middle peasants. “Only by cooperating in testing these measures in practice, recognizing how they are motivated by misconceptions, correcting possible errors and working with the aim of building a common understanding with the average farmer can the peasantry be strengthened and assured. This alliance is the main power and the strong base of Soviet power. Through this alliance, socialist transformation will succeed, capital will win and all forms of exploitation will end.
This new economic policy was adopted only after a long struggle within the party against factions led by opportunists who opposed a reliable long-term alliance between the proletariat and the laboring peasantry. After the Tenth Congress of the Party held in 1921, the correctness of the new economic policy was proved in the first year. Its adoption helped a lot to build and strengthen the alliance between laborers and farmers on a new basis. The dictatorship of the working class became stronger and more powerful. Moderate peasants helped the Soviet government fight against the kulaks. There was continuous development in the agricultural sector. Industry and railways registered their first successes. Economic revival began. The laborers and farmers realized that the party was on the right path and moved forward.
Basis of world revolution
Lenin and the Bolshevik Party always regarded the victory of the proletarian revolution in Russia as a step in the struggle for the progress and final victory of socialism and communism on the world stage. Under the conditions of imperialism, the uneven development of various capitalist countries, the intensity of all major contradictions and the development of revolutionary movements in all countries made the victory of the proletariat possible in every country. The working class of the victorious country can consolidate its power and build socialism by forming an alliance with the working majority of the people. In addition, the victory of the proletarian revolution in at least many countries is necessary for the complete and final victory of socialism to ensure the restoration of capitalism. On the basis of these theoretical conclusions, Lenin expressed the work of the victorious revolution in this way – “Development, support and awakening of the revolution in all countries should be done as much as possible in one country. ” The Soviet Union has emerged as an independent base of the international proletariat in its struggle against the capitalist class. It has emerged as the most reliable supporter of all oppressed nations and peoples in the struggle against imperialism.
The Comintern played an important role in the development of the ideological-political unity of the communist parties of many countries in support of a single line to advance the struggle of the working class guided by the science of Marxism-Leninism.
One of the most important ways the Socialist Soviet Union helped advance the world revolution was the formation of the Third Communist International, also known as the Comintern, in March 1919. This was the time when the victory of the Russian Revolution inspired the working class of other European countries, especially the working class that was defeated in the First World War. Revolutionary movements were raging in Germany, Austria and Hungary. New communist parties were being formed in different countries. There was an urgent need for consultation and coordinated action by the working class of all countries to face the reactionary attack of imperialism. The first congress of the Comintern was attended by delegations from 19 different countries. Lenin presented a report on capitalist democracy and the Soviet system. The Congress adopted a manifesto for the working class of all countries and called upon them to fight resolutely for the dictatorship of the proletariat and the victory of the Soviets throughout the world. Delegates from 37 countries participated in the Second Congress of the Comintern convened in 1920.
The Comintern played an important role in the development of the ideological-political unity of the communist parties of many countries in support of a single line to advance the struggle of the working class guided by the science of Marxism-Leninism. Summarizing the development of the international struggle of the proletariat for socialism, Lenin wrote in April 1919 – “The First International laid the foundation of the proletarian, international struggle for socialism. “The Second International marked a period in which the necessary conditions were created for the widespread expansion of the movement in many countries. “The Third International has collected the results of the work of the Second International, discarded its opportunist, social-obscurantist, capitalist and lower-capitalist filth and has begun to implement the dictatorship of the proletariat. “The international alliance of parties leading the world’s most revolutionary movement, the movement of the working class to abolish the slavery and burden of capital, now rests on an unprecedentedly strong basis.”
Lenin’s contribution to the development of Marxism
Lenin made many efforts to make Marxism contemporary and relevant. He modified Marxism according to Russian conditions. Lenin’s theory is called the Russian version of Marxism. Being a true follower of Marx, he has contributed significantly to the creative development of Marxism. He did not let the spirit of Marxist theory die while developing Marxism in this way. The modifications he made in Marxism can also be mentioned as –
Amendments to the theory of revolution – Lenin also made some changes in Marx’s theory of revolution. Marx believed that revolution is possible only when the capitalist system is developed. But Lenin proved that revolution can happen even in a backward country like Russia. Lenin made the revolution of 1917 successful and applied the principles of revolution in an industrially backward country like Russia. Similarly, Lenin also brought changes in the means of revolution. According to Marx, the working class would act as a weapon of revolution against capitalism. But Lenin instead gave importance to disciplined and trained communists for a successful revolution. He says that the capitalists can lure and buy the common laborers and can block the way of socialism. The capitalists have the armed forces of the state, so they can suppress the revolution. Therefore, it is necessary to be a professional revolutionary to make the revolution successful.
Dictatorship of the Proletariat – Lenin replaced Marx’s dictatorship of the proletariat with the dictatorship of the Communist Party. Marx thought that after the workers’ revolution, the government and power should be dominated by the proletariat. Lenin said that the workers lacked revolutionary spirit. The Communist Party of professional revolutionaries can control them by giving proper guidance to organize them. After the revolution of 1917, Lenin replaced the dictatorship of the proletariat with the dictatorship of the Communist Party.
Contradiction of economic determinism – Marx believed in the dialectical process behind every event in the world. Emphasizing on economic determinism, he said that whether we try or not, capitalism’s downfall is inevitable due to internal contradictions. But Lenin valued human effort. According to him, only with human effort can we turn the tide of history and achieve the expected results. According to Lenin, capitalism does not destroy itself. For this, we should try through armed and organized revolution. Lenin did not talk about the end of capitalism in Russia due to contradictions, rather he further developed Marx’s economic determinism by ending capitalism through proletarian revolution.
Marx only had his thoughts about capitalism. He never thought that a new form of capitalism would appear before the end of capitalism. Lenin introduced the theory of capitalist imperialism to prevent Marx’s predictions about capitalism from coming true.
Importance for the peasantry – After the revolution, Marx emphasized the control of the proletarian state over the entire land. But Lenin said that the right to land should be left to the peasants for a short time after the revolution. After the proletarian revolution of 1917, Lenin gave importance to agriculture in the country’s economic system. But Marx did not raise the issue of farmers.
Revisions on Capitalism – Marx only had his views on capitalism. He never thought that a new form of capitalism would appear before the end of capitalism. Lenin introduced the theory of capitalist imperialism to prevent Marx’s predictions about capitalism from coming true. Lenin said that imperialism is the last and highest stage of capitalism. Marx never thought about imperialism.
Reinterpretation of dialectical materialism – Marx’s dialectical materialism was limited to social philosophy. Lenin gave it a new form. Lenin has scientifically analyzed Marx’s materialism in his book ‘Materialism and Empirical Criticism’. Lenin said that the dialectical method can be used in natural science as well. Thus, Lenin made the dialectical method universal. Lenin made dialectical materialism a higher knowledge capable of understanding the profound questions of all sciences.
In this way, Lenin modified and developed Marxism in a timely manner. He did important work to make Marxism contemporary and adapt it to the conditions of Russia. The development of Marxism was the demand of the Russian situation at that time and it was also to protect against the objections of Marxism. Therefore, it was inevitable for him to revise Marxism. He has done important work by making Marxism a living and developing philosophy. Therefore, it can be said that the changes made by Lenin in Marxism are relevant.
A comparison of Lenin’s theories and Marxism
Lenin is credited with reinterpreting Marx’s ideas at the theoretical level of applying them to practical political and economic practice. Leninism is said to be the Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution. It was Lenin who related the development of Marxism to the present era. The task of reinterpreting Marxism in the context of the development of capitalism after Marx was completed by Lenin. Lenin had a unique relationship between Marxist theoretician and party organizer. Looking more deeply, Lenin was first an organizer and then a theorist. He has included new principles in Marxist philosophy.
The task of reinterpreting Marxism in the context of the development of capitalism after Marx was completed by Lenin. Lenin had a unique relationship between Marxist theoretician and party organizer.
Lenin did not add anything new to dialectical materialism, the cornerstone of Marxism, but he broadened the scope of its application. He was an organizer, a revolutionary and a change leader in time. Leninism is a political philosophy that arose as a response to practical situations. Lenin gave such ideas about revolution, organization, the dictatorship of the proletariat and the necessary strategy for the world revolution, which are more connected with the problem of organization than theory. Lenin’s theory on imperialism can be considered as the highest example of theoretical originality.
Leninism is basically Marxism based on the theoretical interpretation of the events and developments in Europe and Russia after the death of Marx. The theory that Marx did in a formulaic form, Lenin gave it in a practical form. Due to the necessity of revolution in Russia, the changes that Lenin made in Marxism, he made it clear that he was following Marxism. In this way, Lenin brought about a change in Marx’s ideas on a practical level. Lenin’s development in Marxism can be explained as follows –
Marx believed that democratic freedom would be achieved through capitalist revolution, but Lenin established the dictatorship of the working class in the name of proletarian democracy. Marx first talks about the capitalist revolution and then the revolution of the proletariat, but as a result of Lenin’s ideas and efforts, the revolution of the proletariat and the capitalist revolution happened together in Russia. Not only this, the first revolution absorbed the second revolution in a short period of time. According to Marx, workers do not have a country and the socialist party includes the workers of the world. But Lenin made the party an organization of solitary, secretive and professional revolutionaries and in the name of democratic centralism entrusted its leadership to the hands of some leading and enduring leaders. According to Marx, the development of the economic system is a result of the internal development of the productive forces and this process is independent of the will of the individual. But according to Lenin, the economic system can be developed in an industrially backward country like Russia through a systematic project that suits the wishes of the workers.
Conclusion
Lenin’s ideas were completely influenced by Marx’s ideas. Lenin gave practical form to Marx’s ideas according to the situation in Russia. Lenin believed that revolution was necessary to end exploitation and gave it practical form. Lenin is one of the leading names among communist leaders not only in the history of Russia but also in the history of the world. He surprised the whole world by transforming Russia. Through his efforts, socialism was established in Russia. The credit for making Marx’s dream come true also goes to Lenin. Lenin waged a fierce ideological struggle against those who wanted to make the party a body that would disrupt the unity of like-minded members. He clarified that it is not enough for the members of the party to agree to the party program and make regular contributions to achieve the unshakable unity within the working class, which is necessary to defeat the capitalist class. The party members emphasized that they should work under the discipline of any organization of the party. He established democratic centralism, collective decision-making and individual responsibility as the organizational principles of the Communist Party.
The credit for making Marx’s dream come true also goes to Lenin. Lenin waged a fierce ideological struggle against those who wanted to make the party a body that would disrupt the unity of like-minded members.
Lenin was greatly influenced by Karl Marx. He was a follower of the ideas, works and teachings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He also succeeded in using socialism in Russian lands. He made the policies of Marxism his weapon and moved forward. Lenin developed the three components of Marxism: philosophy, political economy and scientific socialism. Lenin has a unique identity in world history. Many books written by Lenin also played an important role in fulfilling his resolve to establish communism in Russia. Several books written by Lenin explain his political philosophy. Whether during the preparation and completion of the socialist revolution or during the struggle for the construction of socialism, Lenin was a brilliant leader of the party. Lenin was the architect of the Great October Revolution and the building of socialism in the Soviet Union. Nothing is as powerful as the life and work of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the man who led the first communist revolution and created the first Marxist state. He never fought a war nor commanded any army. Instead, he spent most of his life in the reading rooms of various public libraries. Spent speaking and training in many meetings. He continued to focus his entire life for the welfare of the workers until the end of his forties. Before 1917, he spent almost half of his adult life outside Russia as a political refugee. While living in exile in various European cities, Lenin himself took revolutionary teachings. A century after the victory of the revolution under his leadership, much of Lenin’s political style is still alive.
Lenin was a supremely shrewd strategist. His thirst for revenge after his brother was executed (for plotting to assassinate Tsar Alexander) motivated Lenin as much as any ideology. After his brother’s execution, his entire family was shunned by the liberal society of provincial Russia. It had a deep impact on Lenin. A hatred for the bourgeoisie fueled him, which never left him. Marxism was an overarching theory for Lenin, as it was for many early followers. But Lenin was different. He was a pragmatist and an optimist. He was convinced that the socialist revolution could happen here and now, not in the distant future or in the afterlife. He constantly reiterated the Marxist theory – without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary party. When ideology clashed with opportunism, he always chose the strategic path over ideological purity. He transformed his Bolshevik Party into a disciplined, tight-knit, organized, unquestioningly loyal group of comrades. He had a subtle strategic nature and sense of timing and understood the nature of power, how to acquire it and how to use it. That is why Lenin succeeded. One of the few circumstances at the time that played a significant role in Lenin’s victory was the outbreak of World War I, which created chaos in Russia and a crisis in the Tsarist regime. Germany also supported indirectly. Returning to Russia, Lenin cleverly continued his activities. Lenin was a skilled strategist. Therefore, the Russian revolution was completed.
Marxism was an overarching theory for Lenin, as it was for many early followers. But Lenin was different. He was a pragmatist and an optimist. He was convinced that the socialist revolution could happen here and now, not in the distant future or in the afterlife.
A mighty man like Lenin was needed to wake up the sleeping laborers and peasants. Lenin’s promise, strong will and work style succeeded in raising those workers. Lenin was always with the workers and organized them. He said to the laborers – “You are the owners of the land!” This slogan of Lenin echoed among the people. The entire Russian proletariat looked to Lenin with hope. Within thirty years, he destroyed the tsarshahi with his sharp intelligence and power and established the workers’ communist Soviet system of government, which today has become an incomplete ideal for all oppressed nations. When the Bolsheviks were victorious in November 1917, Lenin could have become emperor of all Russia if he had wanted, and an emperor that the Russian people would have gladly accepted, but Lenin was not selfish or greedy. He did not betray communist principles for power. Never before in history had any human being so generously handed over the kingdom of the people to the people. Undoubtedly, Lenin was a successful leader, reformer and revolutionary of this era. He created a new page in history by destroying the rich rulers and establishing the state of the poor workers. Thus he served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. He was one of the most important and famous leaders in world history.
Thus, Lenin is the greatest personality of the world. He is not only a top statesman of Russia but also a great son of mankind. Under his leadership, the world’s first anti-capitalist socialist revolution was successful in Russia. He uprooted the exploitative capitalist system from Russia and established socialism by handing over the reins of government to the laboring peasants. He proved that the theory of scientific socialism was not a fantasy but the future of the world. He also put an end to the terrible evils like poverty, hunger, unemployment, drug addiction from Russia. All were guaranteed employment, bread, clothing, housing, education and treatment. Worked to end discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, linguistic area. He paved the way for the liberation of all the working people of the world.
Lenin occupies the same position as Marx in the communist world. Lenin established Marxism on a practical basis. Lenin made many changes to adapt Marxism to Russian conditions, but he did not allow the spirit of Marxism to be destroyed. Lenin gave a broad and new form to Marx’s theory of revolution. He has made the theory of revolution more relevant and valuable by giving the idea of a professional revolutionary. Being a systematic and logical thinker, he presented the imperial theory of capitalism. Lenin had a big hand in making the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 a success. After the revolution, he gave importance to farmers and did important work. Lenin did an important work by liberating the oppressed people from the tyranny of tsarism. He gave a practical form to the communist revolution. He enriched the spirit of Marx by giving him the ideas of professional revolutionaries. He preserved the principles of Marxism from criticism and made them relevant to the Russian situation. So modern communism owes a lot to him. His contribution to Marxism is significant and Lenin is a towering figure among communist thinkers. His place in the history of political thought is similar to that of Marx.
Reference texts
- Lenin – Collected Work volume 1-45, progress pbulishers, Moscow
- Lenin The Tasks of the Proletariat in our Revolution
- Lenin Two Tactics of Social Democracy
- Lenin War & Revolution
- On Youth,Lenin
- Philosophical Notebook of Lenin
- Vladimir Lenin,April Thesis
- Vladimir Lenin,One stape forward Two stape Back
- Between the two revolution – Lenin
- The Proletarian Revolution And The Renegade Kautsky
- Lenin – Party Organization and Party Literature
- Lenin Sellected Works, Vulume 1-3, Progress Publishers, moscow
- Lenin – Socialist Economic Organization, Progress Publishers
- Lenin – What the “Friends of People” are and how they fight social-democrats, progress publishers
- Lenin – Party work in the masses, Rahul foundation
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- Lenin in action The early days of soviet power
- What Is to Be Done? Burning Questions of Our Movement
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- Capital in Agriculture – Lenin
- Krupskaya Reminiscences of Lenin
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- Lenin 2nd All Russia Congress of Workers & Soldiers Deputies
- lenin 1902 what is to be done
- lenin 1905 socialism and religion
- lenin 1917 nov-dec report on peace
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- ४३)lenin 1919 the land revolution in russia
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- lenin 1930 the teachings of karl marx
- Lenin Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism
- Lenin Last Testament
- lenin materialism-and-empirio-criticism
- lenin on literature and art
- lenin on organization
- lenin on state capitalism during the transition to socialism
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- Lenin The Military Programme of the Proletarian Government
अध्ययन-अनुसन्धान (Essential Knowledge of the Overall Subject) 
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