Blanqui

[StoneFrog]

I was wondering what are some of his main theories? I know most don't like his idea of revolution via a coup, but i want to know why he thought this way. Has anyone here looked into him, and can tell me some of his main writings or speeches to look at.

[CesareBorgia]

I was wondering what are some of his main theories? I know most don't like his idea of revolution via a coup, but i want to know why he thought this way. Has anyone here looked into him, and can tell me some of his main writings or speeches to look at.

He was a great man who needs to be studied.

Here is a quote from Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution"


The rules of Blanqui were the demands of a military revolutionary realism. Blanqui’s mistake lay not in his direct but his inverse theorem. From the fact that tactful weakness condemns an insurrection to defeat, Blanqui inferred that an observance of the rules of insurrectionary tactics would itself guarantee the victory. Only from this point on is it legitimate to contrast Blanquism with Marxism. Conspiracy does not take the place of insurrection. An active minority of the proletariat, no matter how well organised, cannot seize the power regardless of the general conditions of the country. In this point history has condemned Blanquism. But only in this. His affirmative theorem retains all its force. In order to conquer the power, the proletariat needs more than a spontaneous insurrection. It needs a suitable organisation, it needs a plan: it needs a conspiracy. Such is the Leninist view of this question.


From his observations and reflections upon the failure of the many insurrections he witnessed or took part in. Auguste Blanqui derived a number of tactical rules which if violated will make the victory of any insurrection extremely difficult, if not impossible. Blanqui demanded these things: a timely creation of correct revolutionary detachments, their centralised command and adequate equipment, a well calculated placement of barricades, their definite construction, and a systematic, not a mere episodic, defence of them. All these rules, deriving from the military problems of the insurrection, must of course change with social conditions and military technique, but in themselves they are not by any means “Blanquism” in the sense that this word approaches the German “putschism,” or revolutionary adventurism.

Here is one of the more influential works on insurrection from marxists.org that Trotsky was referring to. Its in French though, I cant find a complete english translation online.

http://www.marxists.org/francais/blanqui/1866/instructions.htm


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Louis_auguste_blanqui.jpg

[Hit The North]

I was wondering what are some of his main theories? I know most don't like his idea of revolution via a coup, but i want to know why he thought this way. Has anyone here looked into him, and can tell me some of his main writings or speeches to look at.

You can find English translations of his speeches here (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/blanqui/index.htm).