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View Full Version : A Brief History Of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.



Zaphod Beeblebrox
14th July 2012, 17:08
The point of this thread is that we will get as much information about Lenin as possible,so when we will finish collecting this data,we can make a thread that will help any one who wants to learn about Lenin. So i will start i will write what i know about lenin and if you have any knowledge pleas add it.

Lenin came to power in the October revolution (it was actually in November but due to different calendars it is called the October revolution) 1917. Lenin had recently returned from exile in Switzerland (April) and had from this timed managed to organize the Bolsheviks.The Bolsheviks main aim was "dictatorship for the proletariat", and by that he meant that all means of production should be run by the workers. He believed that if this happened there would be no more classes, and thus no more wars, so everybody would share equally.
The main points in Lenin's` program was what the people wanted to here. He would give them peace with the Central Powers, redistribution of land to the farmers, transfer of factories, mines and other industrial plants from the capitalists to the soviets and recognition of the soviets as the supreme power in the country. He promised them "Peace, Bread and Land", and they got it, at least for a little while. As the Bolsheviks got their power the changed from being known as the Bolsheviks to Communists, especially those people who did not like them.
From 1918 till 1921 Lenin led the country through what has been known as the War Communism. The main points in this policy was:
1. State ownership of some central industries (steel & coal)
2. Factories owned by workers committees (Soviets)
3. Private small companies were allowed
4. Small farmers and kulaks (large farmers) had to give state deliveries.
In the beginning this led to a rapid change in peoples life. They had more freedom than before, and a better life. Lenin gave people what they wanted, so in that way he was not a communist but a Socialist.
After the civil war (1918-1921), when it was certain that the Bolsheviks would stay at power Lenin introduced yet another economic Policy. This got known as the Hew Economic Policy or NEP.
The NEP came through very much because of the dismays with the war communism. The NEP was a compromise with the capitalists to get the country on it's feet again. The main points in this policy was:
1. State ownership of some central industries (steel & coal)
2. Private companies and private profit on a free marked
3. The peasants were allowed to sell their products on a free market after having given off their state quantum.

The NEP favored the sprouting new-rich commercial class, who ate out at expensive restaurants, and the Kulaks who made a small fortunes on buying farms of small peasants with very weak economy. By doing this he hoped to get the country on it's feet again, remain full state control of industry and of the agriculture through collective farms. Lenin lost much of his popularity by introducing the NEP. The NEP took the land away from the people again and trapped the peasants between a free priced market and locked amounts of products to be produced.
Even though Lenin lost mush of his popularity by the introducing of the NEP, he did improve the economy gradually, even if there was a recurring food shortage for many years.
This was only what Lenin did as a politician, as a person he was much more uncertain on how to lead the country. He band and expelled people in the party who started going against, as well as selecting his closest co-workers from the people who would let him run the country the way he saw fit,...

Q
15th July 2012, 02:07
Just adding in a few useful links:

The Lenin Internet Archive at MIA (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/).
Lenin Rediscovered - "What is to be done?" in context (http://books.google.nl/books?id=8AVUvEUsdCgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false)
The Erfurt Program (http://www.marxists.org/history/international/social-democracy/1891/erfurt-program.htm) (A model for the RSDLP)
The Class Struggle (http://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/index.htm) (Commentary on aforementioned program).

Why this focus on Lenin though?

Q
15th July 2012, 02:20
Commenting on some passages:


The Bolsheviks main aim was "dictatorship for the proletariat", and by that he meant that all means of production should be run by the workers. He believed that if this happened there would be no more classes, and thus no more wars, so everybody would share equally.
Nope.

The immediate goal of the Bolsheviks was indeed to seize political power. However, they thoroughly realized that building communism in what would now be called a third world country was completely impossible. Instead the "gamble" was to spark a revolution in the rest of Europe, crucially Germany which at the time had the most powerful Marxist movement in the world and the country was also the most developed industrially. Taking the revolution to Germany would win Europe and winning Europe would win the world.

After winning Germany, the prospect of building communism in Russia also became a realistic possibility.


In the beginning this led to a rapid change in peoples life. They had more freedom than before, and a better life. Lenin gave people what they wanted, so in that way he was not a communist but a Socialist.
This really depends on how you define "socialism" I guess. To most Marxists "socialism" and "communism" are used interchangeably or "socialism" is used in the same way Marx used the term "lower phase of communism".


After the civil war (1918-1921), when it was certain that the Bolsheviks would stay at power Lenin introduced yet another economic Policy. This got known as the Hew Economic Policy or NEP.
The NEP came through very much because of the dismays with the war communism. The NEP was a compromise with the capitalists to get the country on it's feet again.
It needs to be emphasized that the NEP was the result of the failure of the revolution to spread to Germany and, as such, huge concessions needed to be made. The NEP was a huge step back, but one that was necessary to remain in power.


He ban[ne]d and expelled people in the party who started going against, as well as selecting his closest co-workers from the people who would let him run the country the way he saw fit,...
The ban on factions in 1921 came at the end of the civil war and was supposed to be strictly temporary measure. Sadly it not only survived him, but became an integral part of today's left culture.

Ostrinski
15th July 2012, 02:20
Lenin was the man.

Ostrinski
15th July 2012, 02:29
Some facts about his life:

He lost his hair in his twenties.

He had an unhappy marriage.

Brosa Luxemburg
15th July 2012, 02:31
Just adding in a few useful links:

The Lenin Internet Archive at MIA (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/).
Lenin Rediscovered - "What is to be done?" in context (http://books.google.nl/books?id=8AVUvEUsdCgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false)
The Erfurt Program (http://www.marxists.org/history/international/social-democracy/1891/erfurt-program.htm) (A model for the RSDLP)
The Class Struggle (http://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/index.htm) (Commentary on aforementioned program).

Why this focus on Lenin though?

Q, how did I guess you would link to some Kautsky writing? :p

Q
15th July 2012, 02:32
Q, how did I guess you would link to some Kautsky writing? :p

Because his political project was based on what Kautsky developed (in large part anyway, there were others of course) ;)

Brosa Luxemburg
15th July 2012, 02:34
Because his political project was based on what Kautsky developed (in large part anyway, there were others of course) ;)

Gotta say, you and other Kautsky revivalists on this site actually got me to read The Class Struggle and, I admit, I was very impressed with what I read.

Q
15th July 2012, 02:49
Gotta say, you and other Kautsky revivalists on this site actually got me to read The Class Struggle and, I admit, I was very impressed with what I read.

Yes, it is quite obvious where Lenin got his inspiration from ;)

Having said that, there are also some clear limitations in The Class Struggle, such as the idea that the new commonwealth (the Democratic Republic) could be build on a national level. These limitations stemmed from within the history of the SPD that were never overcome and eventually proved its downfall.

We have to therefore critically assess these works, not just take them for granted. But I guess that goes with most of these texts, Lenin's included.

Geiseric
15th July 2012, 03:59
Lenin's stance towards revolutionary defensists and nationalist "socialists" was something that changed the entire dynamic of the worldwide class struggle. He wasn't afraid to make enemies with bourgeois socialists, even to the point of being exiled and imprisoned tons of times by the Tsarists. Lenin also liked cinnamon on his pancakes, fun fact.

Lucretia
15th July 2012, 04:07
Lenin's stance towards revolutionary defensists and nationalist "socialists" was something that changed the entire dynamic of the worldwide class struggle. He wasn't afraid to make enemies with bourgeois socialists, even to the point of being exiled and imprisoned tons of times by the Tsarists. Lenin also liked cinnamon on his pancakes, fun fact.

That last part just made me laugh out loud.