A quick read of Lenin's political legacy after a century of his death
1 - This year, revolutionaries around the world commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the death of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin (1924 - 2024). These revolutionaries are well aware that studying the personality, life, works and struggles of Lenin is essential if they really want to do so. construct a revolutionary theory and its applications as he embodied it. Lenin was effective during his relatively short life (54 years). Perhaps Lenin's phrase: "There is no revolutionary movement without revolutionary theory" reflects the role Lenin actually embodied. remains one of the best understood and understood students of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and Lenin was a qualitative addition to both Marx and Engels. He is the practical embodiment of their revolutionary thought, which he carried out with distinction during the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.
2 - Many factors shaped the personality of Lenin and his enemy Valitch Lenin, born in 1870, studied Marxist literature very early in addition to his law studies. He also joined Marxist political organizations in order to change the fascist Tsarist regime, and the shock of his older brother's execution by the Tsar's executioners prompted him to think deeply about a method of change further removed from the Blanquist method. and closer to the Blanquist method. the massive mobilization of the working class to achieve its self-liberation. His period of detention in exile in Siberia was an opportunity to study the Russian capitalist system and to identify the productive classes of workers and peasants. His reflections on the experiences of Marxist parties, whether in Russia, Germany or England, were also an opportunity to identify the weaknesses and strengths of these political organizations. A link between the political thinking style of the actors and their position in the capitalist production chain. , he was thus able to identify various political behaviors such as petty-bourgeois opportunism, liquidationist tendencies and the consequences of lax political organizations and the childhood illnesses of left-wing movements, emphasizing that the objectives of parties determine the form of their organization and their organization. result of their struggles.
3 - Lenin's success in building a new type of party and testing it against political experience gave him many effective theoretical conclusions, including the experience of the Bolshevik Party during the 1905 revolution and the construction of a number of workers' councils (soviets). ) and its success in the formation of a revolutionary political space which continued to develop despite the repression and difficult circumstances locally and globally, the circumstances of World War I, and Lenin's support for Russian political work since his self-imposed exile, particularly in Russia. London and Switzerland.
4 - Lenin managed to establish the complex relationship between Marxist philosophy and the concept of free will. While Marxism recognizes historical trends and laws, it also emphasizes the role of individual action and conscious decision-making in shaping history. If Marx and Engels viewed history as a dynamic process driven by contradictions and the development of productive forces, and believed that social relations must ultimately adapt to these changes, then Lenin's contribution came to revive the concept of Marxist philosophy through dialectical materialism. Show that historical necessity does not completely eliminate individual effectiveness and that conscious action is crucial to achieving socialist goals.
5 - Lenin also managed to keep pace with spontaneous mass movements, notably with the emergence of workers' councils (soviets), with parallel organized work led by a vanguard party led by proletarian intellectuals to support the working class in the acquisition of a revolutionary socialist consciousness.
6 - Lenin's famous dictum: "Give us an organization of revolutionaries and we will overthrow Russia" highlights the possibility of reconciling the dreams and aspirations of people to advance social change and the inevitability imposed by historical materialism. This is where the challenges of applying Marxist principles in a backward country like Russia arise, because revolutions in such contexts require strategies and methods.
Unique. Where free will can be associated with historical determinism in Marxist thought. All this requires understanding trends and to try to effectively shape the future through conscious and organized action through a new type of party.
7 - Lenin's works prove that the path of transition from the capitalist class society which currently dominates the world to a socialist-communist society free of classes and capitalist exploitation necessarily passes through a revolution of the productive classes oppressed by their own means , which is based mainly on the party before guard of the working class.
8 - If history, according to Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, is a process of development motivated by the contradictions and possibilities of social relations, then the relations of production that emerge from it must necessarily correspond to the development of the productive forces. But recognition of the laws of history did not prevent Marx and Engels from also recognizing the importance of human action in the course of history, because they saw the possibility for people to work consciously in the same direction as these laws to accelerate social change.
9 - Many Marxists have been mistaken in their understanding of the principle of the inevitability of socialist revolution and that it follows the same pattern of transition from feudalism to capitalism. Where this fatalistic interpretation of Marx's ideas is wrong. Here the importance of Lenin's contribution becomes clear
He revived the power of the Marxist idea as a philosophy of practice, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, decision-making and ethics in the historical process. Emphasizing that social development can only succeed if an increasing number of people actively strive to achieve it.
10 - But to fight and achieve a qualitative change from a corrupt class society based on the exploitation and plunder of surplus value towards a communist society without classes and without artificial exchange value in order to plunder surplus value resulting to form capital, it is necessary for a well-organized and disciplined revolutionary party to lead the struggle for socialism, this party is necessary to overcome the fragmentation and spontaneity of the workers' movement.
11 - Lenin gives a central place to professional revolutionaries, who believe in Marxist philosophy, are entirely devoted to the cause and trained in the art of secret struggle, criticizing that the amateur party and the lack of organization constitute two major obstacles to the success of the revolution.
12 - For Lenin, the party must become the vanguard of the working class, opening the way to the socialist revolution. The party must necessarily consist of the most conscious and active workers who lead the broad masses.
13 - In order to establish discipline within the party, Lenin called for the principle of democratic centralism by building a central party structure with strong leadership, while also allowing internal discussion and discussion. Lenin believed that this principle was necessary to ensure unity and flexibility within the party.
14 - The principle of democratic centralism was one of the reasons for the separation between the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, Trotskyists and Plekhanovs, because they supported the existence of currents within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, but Lenin, who believed in the unity of theory and practice, saw in it a weakening of the party and an open door to numerous deviations.
15 - Lenin believed that socialist revolution could occur simultaneously in advanced capitalist countries, but he later modified this model, believing that the bourgeois democratic revolution in Russia could trigger a socialist revolution in the West. But the outbreak of World War I and Lenin's studies of imperialism began to develop his theory.
16 - Lenin believed that a bourgeois democratic revolution would overthrow the Tsarist regime and establish a democratic republic in Russia. A proletarian revolution will follow this bourgeois revolution and establish a socialist state. Believing that the uneven development of capitalism between countries will create opportunities for socialist revolution in each country. Emphasizing that imperialism has become the highest stage of capitalism, based on the development of monopolies and finance capital and the struggle for colonies and spheres of influence and therefore control of the world.
17 - In Leninist thought imbued with Marxist thought, the state is seen as an instrument of class domination, used by the ruling class to maintain its power and repress the working class. Lenin emphasizes that the only way to achieve true liberation of the working class is through violent revolution and the destruction of the bourgeois state apparatus. This will be replaced by a new form of state, the dictatorship of the proletariat, which will eventually disappear with the establishment of a classless communist society.
18 - The State is therefore everywhere not a neutral instrument, but rather an instrument of oppression used by the ruling class. A violent revolution is necessary to overthrow the bourgeois state and establish a socialist society. The dictatorship of the proletariat is then a form of transitional state which will eventually disappear. The Paris Commune is considered a model of a post-state revolutionary.
19 - The dictatorship of the proletariat constitutes a necessary stage in the transition from capitalism to socialism, because it involves the rule of the working class over the politically defeated exploited classes, while at the same time expanding the democratization of the workers.
20 - Dictatorship represents the process of strict control over the defeated exploited classes. Democracy also depends on increased participation and control of the working class, and by expanding this democracy it is possible to gradually bring more people into the political process. The ultimate goal remains the creation of a classless society and the complete abolition of the state.
21 - But what is meant by a system of dictatorship of the proletariat is not simply the use of force, but rather refers to a new form of social organization based on the principles of the working class. The dictatorship of the proletariat remains necessary in the transition to communist society in order to suppress the resistance of the overthrown exploiting class and prevent the return of capitalism. Lenin emphasizes the importance of involving the working class in the management of the state and in the gradual expansion of democracy.
22 - There is an organic correlation in Leninist thought between democracy, socialism and revolution, to the extent that workers' democracy constitutes the highest form of socialism, and the struggle for greater workers' democracy is also a struggle for socialism. In this regard, he emphasizes the importance of finding new paths to achieve socialist revolution and the need to gain as many allies as possible at each stage of the struggle.
23 - Lenin realizes that traditional methods of revolution are not always appropriate and that it is necessary to find new strategies to achieve socialist goals. Lenin emphasizes that the socialist movement can only succeed if it can bring together a wide range of allies from the exploited classes, including people who are not necessarily loyal socialists, provided they do not advocate hostile ideologies to the emancipation of the working class.
24 - Lenin believed that the success of the Russian revolution depended on world revolution, that is, on the spread of revolution to other, more advanced countries through the formation of revolutionary parties within the working class . He saw this as crucial to consolidating the gains of the revolution in Russia.
25 - Lenin also realized the importance of peasants in ensuring the success of the revolution. He recognized the need to allay their fears and find ways to integrate them into the socialist system.
26 - Lenin emphasized the extent of his flexibility in particular circumstances when adopting the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the importance of learning from bourgeois experts and adopting their knowledge and skills to improve the efficiency of the socialist economy. He believed that this learning process should be guided by practical experience and aim to transcend the achievements of the bourgeois world. In order to achieve a balance between socialism and capitalism, the new economic policy constituted a strategic compromise between socialist principles and the need to benefit from capitalist elements to rebuild the socialist economy. Lenin believed that maintaining control over key industries and using them to support and modernize agriculture would eventually pave the way for a fully socialist society.
27 - Lenin also emphasized the importance of educating the masses and training them in administration and governance, as he saw the need for this to build a strong and stable socialist state. The Russian Revolution of 1917 occurred in a specific historical context, characterized by war, poverty and social unrest. This context must therefore be understood to appreciate the challenges the Bolsheviks faced and the difficult choices they made.
28 - Concerning Lenin's views regarding war and peace, he believed in the inevitability of war under capitalism and that wars were inevitable due to their inherent contradictions and uneven development. Conflict arises due to competition for resources, markets, and spheres of influence, leading to inevitable clashes between imperial powers.
29 - Lenin saw that national wars against imperialist powers were not only possible, but also considered progressive and revolutionary. These wars are a continuation of the national liberation struggle and a starting point towards the socialist revolution. Lenin condemned World War I, calling it imperialism and calling for it to be transformed into a civil war against the ruling classes.
30 – Lenin called for the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to end the war despite its difficult conditions, with the aim of prioritizing the consolidation of the revolution in Russia. Lenin also focused on securing peace treaties and a period of rest to rebuild the nation and prepare for future socialist revolutions.
31 - Lenin was keen to avoid unnecessary wars and to prioritize peace agreements. Take advantage of periods of peace to promote the internal development of the Soviet state. And work to strengthen international cooperation and economic understanding with other countries.