Difference between revisions of "Vladimir Lenin"
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In October 1917, Lenin masterminded a [[coup d'etat]] which overthrew the [[Provisional Government]] which had replaced the [[Russian Empire]]. In what historian [[Simon Sebag Montefiore]] has described as a comedy of errors, the Winter Palace was shelled and the Provisional Cabinet was placed under arrest by a mixture of Red Guards and radical sailors from the Kronstadt Naval Base. | In October 1917, Lenin masterminded a [[coup d'etat]] which overthrew the [[Provisional Government]] which had replaced the [[Russian Empire]]. In what historian [[Simon Sebag Montefiore]] has described as a comedy of errors, the Winter Palace was shelled and the Provisional Cabinet was placed under arrest by a mixture of Red Guards and radical sailors from the Kronstadt Naval Base. | ||
==Dictator== | ==Dictator== | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
Lenin ruled the [[Soviet Union]] under Marxism-Leninism, until 1922, when he had a debilitating stroke and retired. | Lenin ruled the [[Soviet Union]] under Marxism-Leninism, until 1922, when he had a debilitating stroke and retired. | ||
| Line 20: | Line 18: | ||
===Death=== | ===Death=== | ||
| − | Lenin died in 1924 following a series of progressively more serious strokes. [[ | + | Lenin died in 1924 following a series of progressively more serious strokes. [[Joseph Stalin]] was his even more brutal successor. |
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| − | |||
*[[Karl Marx]] | *[[Karl Marx]] | ||
| − | *[[ | + | *[[Joseph Stalin]] |
| − | + | ==Further reading== | |
| + | ===Biography=== | ||
| + | * Clark, Ronald W. ''Lenin'' (1988). 570 pp. | ||
| + | * Copleston, Frederick Charles. ''Philosophy in Russia: From Herzen to Lenin and Berdyaev'' (1986). 445pp. by a conservative | ||
| + | * Service, Robert. ''Lenin: A Biography'' (2002), standard scholarly biography; a short version of his 3 vol detailed biography | ||
| + | * Volkogonov, Dmitri. ''Lenin: Life and Legacy'' (1994). 600 pp. | ||
| + | ===Specialized scholarly studies=== | ||
| + | * Anderson, Kevin. ''Lenin, Hegel, and Western Marxism: A Critical Study'' (1995) 311 pp. | ||
| + | * Debo, Richard K. ''Survival and Consolidation: The Foreign Policy of Soviet Russia, 1918-1921'' (1992). | ||
| + | * Pipes, Richard. ''A Concise History of the Russian Revolution'' (1996) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Russian-Revolution/dp/0679745440/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232393501&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search], by a leading conservative | ||
| + | * Pipes, Richard. ''Communism: A History'' (2003), by a leading conservative | ||
| + | * Pipes, Richard. ''Russia under the Bolshevik Regime.'' (1994). 608 pp. | ||
| + | * Pomper, Philip. ''Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin: The Intelligentsia and Power.'' (1990). 446 pp. | ||
| + | * Schapiro, Leonard and Reddaway, Peter, eds. ''Lenin: The Man, the Theorist, the Leader - a Reappraisal'' (1987). 317 pp. | ||
| + | ===Primary sources=== | ||
| + | * Desai, Meghnad, ed. ''Lenin's Economic Writings.'' (1989). 363 pp. | ||
| + | * Pipes, Richard, ed. ''The Unknown Lenin: From the Secret Archive.'' (1996). 185 pp. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
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[[Category:Soviet Union]] | [[Category:Soviet Union]] | ||
[[Category:Dictators]] | [[Category:Dictators]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Communism]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Socialism]] | ||
Revision as of 00:26, December 16, 2009
Lenin (born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov [1]) (1870-1924) was the leader of Russian Communism and an important theoretician of Marxism. Coming to power in 1917 he became dictator of the Soviet Union. All over the Soviet Union there were statues and paintings honoring his memory; they were removed when Communism collapsed in 1991.
Early Life
Lenin was born in 1870 to a middle class Russian family; his parents were school teachers. In 1889, he became a Marxist after his older brother was hanged for the murder of Tsar Aleksandr II. Lenin obtained a law degree shortly afterwards, and by 1895 was a subversive who was arrested and sent to a prison in Siberia as punishment. He was in exile 1900-1917. He collaborated with Georgy Plekhanov and others to set up the clandestine newspaper Iskra (The Spark), designed to "ignite" radical consciousness. In the pages of Iskra, Lenin denounced any alliance with liberals or other elements of the bourgeoisie because they would keep power in the hands of the middle class. He emphasized social democracy--equality of condition, rather than political democracy, as the basis for individual freedom. His major theoretical publication was the pamphlet "What Is to Be Done?" (1902). In 1903 he organized and controlled the "Bolshevik" wing of the Russian Social Democratic Labor party, fighting the opposition "Mensheviks." Lenin, like his populist predecessors in the Russian radical movement, stressed the need for a small elite vanguard to lead the revolution
Despite disapproval of the Mensheviks, Lenin's followers continued to raise money through a mixture of bank robberies, kidnapping, extortion, terrorism, and murder. Unlike the leaders of other Marxist organizations, Lenin did not spent the money on his own lifestyle and carefully strengthened his movement.
With German help he returned to Russia after the Tsar abdicated in March 1917 and a short-lived liberal democracy allowed for free elections. At the time, most Bolsheviks were more interested in using the ballot box to gain political power. Lenin rejected elections,and declared, "History will not forgive us if we do not take power now."
Revolution
In October 1917, Lenin masterminded a coup d'etat which overthrew the Provisional Government which had replaced the Russian Empire. In what historian Simon Sebag Montefiore has described as a comedy of errors, the Winter Palace was shelled and the Provisional Cabinet was placed under arrest by a mixture of Red Guards and radical sailors from the Kronstadt Naval Base.
Dictator
Lenin ruled the Soviet Union under Marxism-Leninism, until 1922, when he had a debilitating stroke and retired.
| “ | A wide campaign of "education" was undertaken to show the people why "workers' rule" meant, in practice, managers' rule. Where necessary, the education by the word was supplemented with education by firing squad or concentration camp or forced labour battalion. [2] | ” |
Death
Lenin died in 1924 following a series of progressively more serious strokes. Joseph Stalin was his even more brutal successor.
See also
Further reading
Biography
- Clark, Ronald W. Lenin (1988). 570 pp.
- Copleston, Frederick Charles. Philosophy in Russia: From Herzen to Lenin and Berdyaev (1986). 445pp. by a conservative
- Service, Robert. Lenin: A Biography (2002), standard scholarly biography; a short version of his 3 vol detailed biography
- Volkogonov, Dmitri. Lenin: Life and Legacy (1994). 600 pp.
Specialized scholarly studies
- Anderson, Kevin. Lenin, Hegel, and Western Marxism: A Critical Study (1995) 311 pp.
- Debo, Richard K. Survival and Consolidation: The Foreign Policy of Soviet Russia, 1918-1921 (1992).
- Pipes, Richard. A Concise History of the Russian Revolution (1996) excerpt and text search, by a leading conservative
- Pipes, Richard. Communism: A History (2003), by a leading conservative
- Pipes, Richard. Russia under the Bolshevik Regime. (1994). 608 pp.
- Pomper, Philip. Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin: The Intelligentsia and Power. (1990). 446 pp.
- Schapiro, Leonard and Reddaway, Peter, eds. Lenin: The Man, the Theorist, the Leader - a Reappraisal (1987). 317 pp.
Primary sources
- Desai, Meghnad, ed. Lenin's Economic Writings. (1989). 363 pp.
- Pipes, Richard, ed. The Unknown Lenin: From the Secret Archive. (1996). 185 pp.