An Outline history of communist movement of the world - Book excerpts and review Part 4
An Outline history of communist movement of the world - Book excerpts and review - 4.
Great October Revolution - 1917
Any one who reads into the history of Communism in Russia cannot ignore the contribution of
G V Plekhanov the first Marxist of Russia. From Geneva, he involved in Marxist propaganda in the
1880s. He greatly contributed by writing books like 'The development of Monist view of History', Essays
on the history of Materialism, The role of the individual in history and several others. Lenin later commented
that Plekhanov's book helped to develop a whole generation of Russian Marxists. He was also one of the founders of Marxist aesthetics and art criticism. He drew important conclusions of Marxism on the origin and role of religion and social consciousness. He along with his friends translated Communist Manifesto, wage labour and capital, utopian socialism etc.
Lenin who had a high respect for Plekhanov met him for the first time in 1895. They had certain
difference of opinion in interpretation of leadership and strength of proletariat class in overthrowing
of Tsar regime. While Lenin had immense faith in the potential of proletariat class, Plekhanov had his
reservations and refused to acknowledge the revolutionary spirit of peasantry.
Together, Plekhanov and Lenin published a newspaper called ISKRA from Geneva and through
the paper they criticized the Tsarist regime. Lenin wrote more than 60 articles on Marxism.
RSDLP - Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
*****************************
Russian Socialist Democratic Labour Party or RSDLP was formed in the year 1898 when
Lenin was kept in Siberia in detention by Tsar Government. In its second conference in Brussels
Lenin had a bitter struggle for adoption of Party programmes with various other factions with differing
view points on future of action. Lenin's Marxism leaning action program was attacked sharply by
some of the delegates of the conference and after heated debate, the programs were adopted.
It said that private ownership would be rejected and classes and divisions in society will be abolished and
the dictatorship of proletariat will be put in place. Exactly this was largely implemented in Russia after
the revolution.
The margin of victory was narrow and the persons who were with Lenin were called
Bolsheviks and opponents were mensheviks and at one point of time the party was wrested into
the hands of Mensheviks. Though the party was lost to the moderates, Lenin was in the forefront
of struggle against the Tsarist regime through various forms.The people were always with Lenin's
party throughout this tumultuous period between 1900-1917.
Huge workers Strikes were organized between the year 1905-07 and soviets were formed
in many areas of the country which would later help Lenin to form conclusions about proletariat
dictatorship. The strikes were crushed by the Tsar regime with an iron hand and hundreds of lives
were lost in the struggle. Between 1906-1912 revolutionaries and striking workers were
tortured in large numbers in Russia. Lakhs and lakhs of workers continue to participate in strikes
organized at that time undeterred by the violence let loose by the government. In the first half of
1914, over 15 lakh workers participated in the strike struggles.
World War 1 and Bolsheviks
By this time in the year 1914, first world war broke out and Russia declared war on Germany.
The Bolsheviks party stoutly opposed the war and they toured & made anti war speeches and they
campaigned extensively among the army and navy soldiers and explained the reason for the
peoples sufferings and they told them that only through revolution they could escape from the war
devastation of imperialists. They were operating in secret groups inside army. Russian army met
defeat after defeat and German army killed a large number of Russian soldiers. 140 Lakh able
bodied men were compulsorily recruited for military and industries. The unbearable conditions
and the several defeats created anger and dissension among the workers, peasants, soldiers and
intelligentsia against the war. Thus a revolutionary sentiment started to spread in Russia.
In Feb 1917 at the call of Bolsheviks party the Petrograd workers organized a huge political strike in
which 2 lakh men and women participated and the workers were shouting slogans like "down with
tsar and down with war, give us bread. The govt tried to bring it under control by ordering the troops
against the workers. But the military men joined the workers. The tsar government was overthrown
and thus the bourgeois- democratic revolution had won in Russia.
My take: This book on Communist book is the first comprehensive book on communist history read
by me. It did not disappoint me in any way. It was thoroughly and neatly written, easily understandable
even for a lay man like me. On the criticism, I would say it is narrated from one view point which is
quite understandable as the author is known to be a Marxist. But as for me, it kindled my interest
on Marxism no end & after starting to read this book I was forced to read more books on Marxism and
its founders and of course on Lenin and Stalin which helped me to form a basic, good and fair idea about
what Marxism is all about. I think it is a remarkable achievement for a book on a reader.
Great October Revolution - 1917
Any one who reads into the history of Communism in Russia cannot ignore the contribution of
G V Plekhanov the first Marxist of Russia. From Geneva, he involved in Marxist propaganda in the
1880s. He greatly contributed by writing books like 'The development of Monist view of History', Essays
on the history of Materialism, The role of the individual in history and several others. Lenin later commented
that Plekhanov's book helped to develop a whole generation of Russian Marxists. He was also one of the founders of Marxist aesthetics and art criticism. He drew important conclusions of Marxism on the origin and role of religion and social consciousness. He along with his friends translated Communist Manifesto, wage labour and capital, utopian socialism etc.
Lenin who had a high respect for Plekhanov met him for the first time in 1895. They had certain
difference of opinion in interpretation of leadership and strength of proletariat class in overthrowing
of Tsar regime. While Lenin had immense faith in the potential of proletariat class, Plekhanov had his
reservations and refused to acknowledge the revolutionary spirit of peasantry.
Together, Plekhanov and Lenin published a newspaper called ISKRA from Geneva and through
the paper they criticized the Tsarist regime. Lenin wrote more than 60 articles on Marxism.
RSDLP - Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
*****************************
Russian Socialist Democratic Labour Party or RSDLP was formed in the year 1898 when
Lenin was kept in Siberia in detention by Tsar Government. In its second conference in Brussels
Lenin had a bitter struggle for adoption of Party programmes with various other factions with differing
view points on future of action. Lenin's Marxism leaning action program was attacked sharply by
some of the delegates of the conference and after heated debate, the programs were adopted.
It said that private ownership would be rejected and classes and divisions in society will be abolished and
the dictatorship of proletariat will be put in place. Exactly this was largely implemented in Russia after
the revolution.
The margin of victory was narrow and the persons who were with Lenin were called
Bolsheviks and opponents were mensheviks and at one point of time the party was wrested into
the hands of Mensheviks. Though the party was lost to the moderates, Lenin was in the forefront
of struggle against the Tsarist regime through various forms.The people were always with Lenin's
party throughout this tumultuous period between 1900-1917.
Huge workers Strikes were organized between the year 1905-07 and soviets were formed
in many areas of the country which would later help Lenin to form conclusions about proletariat
dictatorship. The strikes were crushed by the Tsar regime with an iron hand and hundreds of lives
were lost in the struggle. Between 1906-1912 revolutionaries and striking workers were
tortured in large numbers in Russia. Lakhs and lakhs of workers continue to participate in strikes
organized at that time undeterred by the violence let loose by the government. In the first half of
1914, over 15 lakh workers participated in the strike struggles.
World War 1 and Bolsheviks
By this time in the year 1914, first world war broke out and Russia declared war on Germany.
The Bolsheviks party stoutly opposed the war and they toured & made anti war speeches and they
campaigned extensively among the army and navy soldiers and explained the reason for the
peoples sufferings and they told them that only through revolution they could escape from the war
devastation of imperialists. They were operating in secret groups inside army. Russian army met
defeat after defeat and German army killed a large number of Russian soldiers. 140 Lakh able
bodied men were compulsorily recruited for military and industries. The unbearable conditions
and the several defeats created anger and dissension among the workers, peasants, soldiers and
intelligentsia against the war. Thus a revolutionary sentiment started to spread in Russia.
In Feb 1917 at the call of Bolsheviks party the Petrograd workers organized a huge political strike in
which 2 lakh men and women participated and the workers were shouting slogans like "down with
tsar and down with war, give us bread. The govt tried to bring it under control by ordering the troops
against the workers. But the military men joined the workers. The tsar government was overthrown
and thus the bourgeois- democratic revolution had won in Russia.
My take: This book on Communist book is the first comprehensive book on communist history read
by me. It did not disappoint me in any way. It was thoroughly and neatly written, easily understandable
even for a lay man like me. On the criticism, I would say it is narrated from one view point which is
quite understandable as the author is known to be a Marxist. But as for me, it kindled my interest
on Marxism no end & after starting to read this book I was forced to read more books on Marxism and
its founders and of course on Lenin and Stalin which helped me to form a basic, good and fair idea about
what Marxism is all about. I think it is a remarkable achievement for a book on a reader.
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