Leninism
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Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism (the forerunner of Communism) and is a branch in its own right (it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). Leninism was developed mainly by the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, and it was also put into practice by him after the Russian Revolution. Lenin's theories have been a source of controversy ever since their inception, having numerous critics across the political spectrum, from the Left and radical Left (for example, social democrats, anarchists, and even other Marxists, like the luxembourgists), to the center and center-left (for example, political moderates and liberals), and on the Right (for example, libertarians and conservatives) as well as the far Right (fascists and Nazis).
Lenin argued that the proletariat can only achieve a successful revolution consciousness through the efforts of a Communist party that assumes the role of "revolutionary vanguard." Lenin further believed that such a party could only achieve its aims through a form of disciplined organization known as "democratic centralism," where Communist Party officials discuss proposals but agree to not question decisions after they have been made.
Lenin expanded on Marx' initial theories, taking into account the fact that increasing class polarization and Communist revolution had failed to occur in the developed world. Lenin liked Marx's basic definition of communism and believed it would lead to the spread of Marxism. He attempted to explain this by stating that imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism, and that developed countries had created a labor aristocracy content with capitalism by exploiting the developing world. He maintained that capitalism could only be overthrown by revolutionary means, but added that due to imperialism such a revolution would have to occur in a lesser-developed country first, such as Russia. Lenin also supported the Marxist concept of the "dictatorship of the proletariat" following revolution, in which the working class is presumably represented through local Marxist-Leninist councils known as soviets.
Knowing that according to Marx's theories, a socialist system would be unable to develop independently in an underdeveloped country such as Russia, Lenin proposed two possible solutions:
- The revolution in the underdeveloped country sparks off a revolution in a developed capitalist country (for example, Lenin hoped the Russian Revolution would spark a revolution in Germany.) The developed country establishes socialism and helps the underdeveloped country do the same.
- The revolution happens in a large number of underdeveloped countries at the same time or in quick succession; the underdeveloped countries then join together into a federal state capable of overcoming the opposition of capitalist countries and establishing socialism. This was the original idea behind the foundation of Lenin's Russia later renamed the Soviet Union to demonstrate to the rest of the world the validity of his control.
Either way, according to Marxism, socialism cannot survive in one poor underdeveloped country alone. Thus, Leninism calls for world revolution in one form or another.
Lenin's contributions to Marxist theory are controversial; some have criticized them as revisionist. Still, Lenin's theories had a dramatic impact on Communist movements worldwide. The influence of Leninist ideology has waned since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but there are still Leninists today who have focused their criticism on globalization, claiming it is a modern-day form of imperialism.
Near the end of the 1920s in the Soviet Union, Marxism-Leninism was proclaimed as the official ideology of the Communist Party. The concept of Marxism-Leninism is somewhat different to, although by no means contrary to, the concept of Leninism. Both terms have since been used by communist parties, although with different functions. Marxism-Leninism is used to describe the basic ideology of the communist party, whereas Leninism is often used when discussing the organizational model of the party. Dissident groups within the communist tradition, such as Trotskyists and Luxembourgists, often discard the term Marxism-Leninism as "Stalinism".
External links
Works by Vladimir Lenin:
- What is to be Done?
- Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism
- The State and Revolution
- The Lenin Archive at Marxists.org
- First Conference of the Communist International
Other links:
