LENIN HISTORIOGRAPHY READING QUESTIONS

David R. Marples, Lenin’s Revolution: Russia 1917-1921

Lenin: Background and Views
 TherehasbeenadebateoverwhetherLenin’srevolutionpavedthewayforStalin’s
cruelandbureaucraticregimes.Thishasnotbeenresolvedbecauseitisdifficultto
discernhowLeninwouldhavegovernmentinpeacetime,ingoodhealthandwitha
stableeconomy.
 AccordingtoSovietsources,Leninbecamearevolutionaryupontheexecutionofhis
brotherAlexander.
 Leninhadanincisiveandanalyticalmindandadomineeringnature
 HebecameaMarxistin1889atage19somesaybecauseofhisworkinthelegal
system,hesawhowitfavouredtheprivilegedclass.
 In1895LeninmetGrigoriPlekhanov,leaderoftheRussianMarxists.Hegreatly
influenceLenin.
 WorkingforthisoldergroupofexiledMarxists,LeninandTsederbaum(Martov)began
toincitetheworkerstotakeaction.TheauthoritiesexiledthemtoSiberiaduring1897
1900.
 Whileinexile,LeninmarriedKrupskaya.Thisperiodseemedtohavebeena
constructiveperiodofhislife.Hewasabletowriteandcommunicatefreely,and
receivedasalaryfromthegov’t.
 Wheninexile,LeninwroteTheDevelopmentofCapitalisminRussia.Itanticipatedthe
increasingstratificationoftheRussianpeasantry,andtheireventualalliancewiththe
workingclass(proletariat).Leninbelievedthatthesystemofthevillagecommunity
wouldbedestroyedbycapitalistdevelopmentandthuscouldnotserveasthebasisfor
asocialrevolution(asthePopulistsmaintained).Lenintargetedthepopulists(he
thoughtheirgoalwouldresultsinsmallscalepeasantcapitalism)andthegroupknown
astheEconomists(whohethoughtwerepervertingthelawsofMarxismwithan
argumentthattheplightoftheworkerscouldbefixedbylegalmeans,unionsandsocial
benefitsLeninsawsuchviewsasdetrimentaltotherevolutionarymovement).
 AfterthefirstcongressoftheRSDWPheldinahouseinMinsk,theattendeeswere
arrestedbytheOhkrana.
 In1900theSocialDemocratsestablishedapapercalledtheIskra(theSpark).This
positivedevlopementwastobeoffsetbyinternalriftsinstigatedbyLenin.
 WhenLeninreturnedfromexiledhecriticizedtheEconomistsandwrotehismost
famouspolemicalworkWhatistobeDone?Thisworkreadslikeaprogrammefor
revolutionaryaction,butalsoreflectsLenin’sdisillusionmentwiththechosenclassfor
suchactiontheproletariat.ThetraditionalMarxistsviewwasthebourgeoisiefirstrising
upagainstthefeudalaristocracyasaresultofthecapitalistperiod,followedbya
strugglebetweentheprolesagainsttheirbourgeoismasters.
 TheMarxistsbelievedthattheroleofarevolutionarypartywastohelpthisprocess
along,butLeninbelievedtheproleswoulddonothingandtheRSDWPmusttakepower
 
 
 


 
   
   
   
 
  
    


      

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