National Bolshevism (nazbol?)

[The Cheshire Cat]

Could anyone tell me something about it? What exactly is it. I heard it is somekind of fascist socialism. Is that even possible, as fascism and socialism are opposites? Thanks in advance.

[Franz Fanonipants]

its fascism

[Book O'Dead]

From the sound of it I would agree with Franz; Just another attempt by Fascists to appropriate the fragrance of a good reputation

[The Cheshire Cat]

Probably. The CPRF seems to be a nazbol party. Which is very disturbing, since they are arguably the second largest party of Russia. I hope all those voters think they are voting for a communist party, because otherwise, 17/18 % of Russia would be fascists:(

[Franz Fanonipants]

i wouldn't put it past modern russia

[daft punk]

Fascism. The fascists always like to mix their anti-Marxism in with bits of pretend anti capitalism, Hitler did it. It's just rhetoric.

[Yefim Zverev]

Another cancerous ideology which is pushed out to degenerate Marxism and keep energy of people in useless political micro ideologies (which are actually not).. it is there for confusion in the information pollution which is today's reality

[Zulu]

The "National Bolshevik Party" is neither national, nor bolshevik. It's mainly dominated by a guy called Edward Limonov. The same way Vladimir Zhirinovsky's "Liberal Democractic Party" is neither liberal, nor democratic. Guess it was just a cool sounding name for a party. By the way, Wikipedia says they were allied early on, but split their ways. Zhirinovsky is said to has been secretly pro-Kremlin all the time, absorbing and venting some of the protest sentiment in Russia. Probably Limonov is the same, although he brands himself as the most radical opposition.

KPRF isn't a "nazbol" party by a long shot. It's a "redcon" (or a retcon, lol) party, the "con" part standing for "conservative". So if you can imagine a mix between some Scandinavian social-democratic party (on economy and social issues), and the American GOP (on politics and morals), this will be pretty much it. They even support the interests of small business now.

Also, nationalism is a big deal in Russia and pervades the vast majority of the population, so being "patriotic" is a must in public politics there. The KPRF is pretty mild as far as the worst sides of nationalism go.

[The Cheshire Cat]

Also, nationalism is a big deal in Russia and pervades the vast majority of the population, so being "patriotic" is a must in public politics there.

Why is nationalism a big deal in Russia?

[Zulu]

Why is nationalism a big deal in Russia?

1. By 1917 capitalism (and therefore nationalism) was underdeveloped in Russia. Hadn't run its course yet (like in England and France), and wasn't even approaching its peak (as in Germany and the US). So when the communist ideology began deteriorating under Khruschev&Brezhnev's revisionists and the country began sliding back to capitalism after Kosygin's economic reforms, while at the same time the material conditions of the bulk of the Soviet citizenry was still improving (thanks to genuine socialist economic policies under Stalin), the bourgeois values resurged.

2. In the situation of a "besieged fortress", it was proclaimed under Stalin already, and most evidently during the Nazi invasion, that the proletarians need to be patriotic about their "Proletarian Motherland", which they had acquired in the course of the October Revolution. So this ideological clause was what gave fuel for the growth of nationalism and chauvinism during the revisionist period.

It's worth mentioning that one of the first Bolsheviks, Alexander Bogdanov wrote as early as 1908 in his sci-fi/utopian novel "The Red Star", that due to the unevenness of the socialist revolutionary movement in the world the country that scores the first win will be likely to slide to "barbaric patriotism" in the end, as a result of the universal enmity toward it coming from the capitalist countries. Although he concluded that it should not deter the socialist revolution, it's remarkable, how accurate (almost prophetic, in fact) that prediction was.

BTW, there are indeed some people in Russia, who brand themselves as "Stalinists", while in reality they are nothing but Nazis. But they have nothing to do with Limonov's "Nazbol" party. Limonov himself is now in league with ultra-liberal chess grandmaster Harry Kasparov, who is of Jewish descent.

[Omsk]

Although modern day Russia is the de-facto center of the National-Bolshevik movement,the very idea has some quite deep roots,and it is commonly accepted that the idea got its general theoretical background and foundation from the writings of two Germans,Ernst Niekisch and Ernst Jünger,in the WWI era Germany.-Their main idea was basically that communism can be 'tolerated' if it switches to nationalism as an idea rather than internationalism,- however,the movement did not gain too much attention or popular support,or a large base party.But,during the 1930' - a group of Nazis split from Hitler and created the National Socialist Combat Movement,the breakaway movement from the Nazis,the movement was led by Hermann Ehrhardt, Otto Strasser and Walther Stennes.Karl Radek also saw a 'bright future' and the efficiency of "National-Bolshevism".

However,the National-Bolsevik movement had its traces in Russia too,when some 'whites' changed sides because they saw the Bolsheviks were going to win.And their hope and mission of a 'Great Russia' - is not going to be achieved.Their 'leader' was professor Nikolai Ustrialov, an anti-communist,who had the idea that Bolshevism could be 'modified'. His followers were the quite infamous Smenovekhovtsi.This group called itself,"National-Bolsheviks".

Eduard Limonov's group has much xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism.And it has a lot of 'branches' in the countries of Europe,for an example,in the Ukraine,such groups signed the Declaration of the Kiev Council of Slav Radical Nationalists - i think that is all the proof you need to know where do the stances of such groups lie.