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Leninism is the term used to describe the theoretical and practical methods advanced by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the subject of organization, agitation and propaganda, revolution and maintenance of the dictatorship of the proletariat. It was advocated as a current of political thought in 1924 by Joseph Stalin in his work The foundations of Leninism.[1] It was later taught as a coherent unity with Marxism under the term Marxism-Leninism.
Definition
Stalin, being one of Lenin's staunchest defenders and advocates, has defined Leninism to be an advancement of Marxism from that of under Marx and Engels into the era of imperialism in the 20th century. It is the theory and tactics of the proletarian revolution in general, and the theory and tactics of the proletarian. What places Leninism as an advancement is that Marxism in the 19th century was pursued in the pre-revolutionary period when imperialism was not yet fully developed. Leninism was pursued in the 20th century when imperialism was already developed.[2]
Historical Development
Despite the origins of Leninism being rooted in the Russian Empire, the tactics and theories developed by Lenin were meant not only for Russia, but for the borders beyond. Stalin traced the material conditions of Leninism to explain why Russia was the birthplace of Leninism[3].
- Exploitation - Tsarist Russia before the revolution was already perpetrated with all manners of barbaric and inhuman oppression, be it from the capitalists, colonials and militarists. The omnipotence of capital and the despotism of Tsarism led to aggressive Russian nationalism in regards to the exploitation of non-Russian peoples and lands such as Turkey, Persian and China. Stalin equated this to be the total concentration of the worst of imperialism.
- Western Imperialism - The interests of Tsarism and imperialism are interwoven for Tsarist Russia was a base for outside powers and was a major reserve for Western imperialism. It gave them entry to foreign capital which led to the control of the national economy such as the fuel and metallurgical industries over to them. Russia at the time was both a watchdog for imperialism in the east as well as an agent of imperialism by squeezing out of the population hundreds of millions by way of interest on loans obtained in Paris and London, Berlin and Brussels. Not only that, Russia was a willing participant of the Entente in the First World War which saw the deaths of approximately 14,000,000 Russians at the frontline safeguarding the profits of British and French capitalists.
- Contradiction - Stalin states that the contradictions of imperialism were revealed the most plainly in Russia, not only in its repulsive and intolerable characteristics or that Western Imperialism was present in Russia, but that only Russia possessed a real force which was capable of resolving the contradictions in the most revolutionary way, the proletariat with the revolutionary peasantry as its ally.
Principles of Leninism
Self-Criticism
The ability for a vanguard party to engage in self-criticism, that is to identify the the mistakes and rectification of that particular mistake is one of the key principles of Leninism. In his book, Lenin identified the biggest weakness of progressive parties during the wake of imperialism. In criticising the parties of the Second International, he states that the earnest attitude to seriously consider their own actions towards the working people and learning from it represents the true mark of a serious vanguard party.[4] The reasoning behind this stems from the responsibility of a vanguard party to truly represent the spirit and demands of the proletariat. The vanguard party bears the responsibility to not only fight for the masses but to also guide the masses. As such, without a proper criticism of the party's own mistakes, it will not be able to engage in such responsibility.
Value of Theory
In view of the ever changing material conditions of society and the world, it becomes easy and convenient to assume that there is no other way to carry the momentum of the working class forward than through practice. While it is true that practice and actions respond to the material conditions, Leninism (and by extent, Marxism-Leninism) views that theory is a fundamentally powerful and indispensable tool for the working-class if it can be linked with revolutionary practice. Lenin writes this well-known line:
Without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement[5]
The Leninist focus on the importance of theory comes with the belief that as the material conditions of the world evolve, the role of correct theory will not only help guide the masses in understanding the functions and workings of the world but also direct them through practice in the correct direction in the present time and towards the future.
See Also
References
- ↑ Joseph Stalin (1924). Foundations of Leninism. [MIA]
- ↑ “Leninism is Marxism of the era of imperialism and the proletarian revolution. To be more exact, Leninism is the theory and tactics of the proletarian revolution in general, the theory and tactics of the dictatorship of the proletariat in particular. Marx and Engels pursued their activities in the pre-revolutionary period, (we have the proletarian revolution in mind), when developed imperialism did not yet exist, in the period of the proletarians’ preparation for revolution, in the period when the proletarian revolution was not yet an immediate practical inevitability. But Lenin, the disciple of Marx and Engels, pursued his activities in the period of developed imperialism, in the period of the unfolding proletarian revolution, when the proletarian revolution had already triumphed in one country, had smashed bourgeois democracy and had ushered in the era of proletarian democracy, the era of the Soviets.”
Joseph Stalin (1924). The Foundations of Leninism: 'Introduction'. - ↑ Joseph Stalin (1923). Foundations of Leninism: 'The Historical Roots of Leninism'.
- ↑ “A political party’s attitude towards its own mistakes is one of the most important and surest ways of judging how earnest the party is and how it fulfils in practice its obligations towards its class and the working people. Frankly acknowledging a mistake, ascertaining the reasons for it, analysing the conditions that have led up to it, and thrashing out the means of its rectification—that is the hallmark of a serious party; that is how it should perform its duties, and how it should educate and train its class, and then the masses.”
Vladimir Lenin (1920). “Left-Wing” Communism: an Infantile Disorder: 'Should We Participate in Bourgeois Parliaments?'. - ↑ Vladimir Lenin (1902). What is to be done?: 'Dogmatism and "Freedom of Criticism"'.