Ib History Russia Lenin Stalin Preview

LENIN HISTORIOGRAPHY READING QUESTIONS David R. Marples, Lenin’s Revolution: Russia 1917-1921 Lenin: Background and Views  TherehasbeenadebateoverwhetherLenin’srevolutionpavedthewayforStalin’s cruelandbureaucraticregimes.Thishasnotbeenresolvedbecauseitisdifficultto discernhowLeninwouldhavegovernmentinpeacetime,ingoodhealthandwitha stableeconomy.  AccordingtoSovietsources,Leninbecamearevolutionaryupontheexecutionofhis brotherAlexander.  Leninhadanincisiveandanalyticalmindandadomineeringnature  HebecameaMarxistin1889atage19somesaybecauseofhisworkinthelegal system,hesawhowitfavouredtheprivilegedclass.  In1895LeninmetGrigoriPlekhanov,leaderoftheRussianMarxists.Hegreatly influenceLenin.  WorkingforthisoldergroupofexiledMarxists,LeninandTsederbaum(Martov)began toincitetheworkerstotakeaction.TheauthoritiesexiledthemtoSiberiaduring1897 1900.  Whileinexile,LeninmarriedKrupskaya.Thisperiodseemedtohavebeena constructiveperiodofhislife.Hewasabletowriteandcommunicatefreely,and receivedasalaryfromthegov’t.  Wheninexile,LeninwroteTheDevelopmentofCapitalisminRussia.Itanticipatedthe increasingstratificationoftheRussianpeasantry,andtheireventualalliancewiththe workingclass(proletariat).Leninbelievedthatthesystemofthevillagecommunity wouldbedestroyedbycapitalistdevelopmentandthuscouldnotserveasthebasisfor asocialrevolution(asthePopulistsmaintained).Lenintargetedthepopulists(he thoughtheirgoalwouldresultsinsmallscalepeasantcapitalism)andthegroupknown astheEconomists(whohethoughtwerepervertingthelawsofMarxismwithan argumentthattheplightoftheworkerscouldbefixedbylegalmeans,unionsandsocial benefitsLeninsawsuchviewsasdetrimentaltotherevolutionarymovement).  AfterthefirstcongressoftheRSDWPheldinahouseinMinsk,theattendeeswere arrestedbytheOhkrana.  In1900theSocialDemocratsestablishedapapercalledtheIskra(theSpark).This positivedevlopementwastobeoffsetbyinternalriftsinstigatedbyLenin.  WhenLeninreturnedfromexiledhecriticizedtheEconomistsandwrotehismost famouspolemicalworkWhatistobeDone?Thisworkreadslikeaprogrammefor revolutionaryaction,butalsoreflectsLenin’sdisillusionmentwiththechosenclassfor suchactiontheproletariat.ThetraditionalMarxistsviewwasthebourgeoisiefirstrising upagainstthefeudalaristocracyasaresultofthecapitalistperiod,followedbya strugglebetweentheprolesagainsttheirbourgeoismasters.  TheMarxistsbelievedthattheroleofarevolutionarypartywastohelpthisprocess along,butLeninbelievedtheproleswoulddonothingandtheRSDWPmusttakepower



    





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