Leninist-Marxism

• Lenin radically reformed the ideas of Marx and the Russian Revolution did not follow the path Marx said revolution would take.

  • It was led by a party, not a class and the revolution was limited to one country, not worldwide.
  • Lenin had to adopt his own theory to match events.
• Lenin claimed that the party represented the people without the need for democracy as their aims were clearly in the best interests of the people.

  • Lenin believed this was something the people would come to realise.
• Lenin also claimed he was in a coalition with the left-wing SRs but this ended with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918.
• In 1922, the first show trials were of SRs.

  • 34 were condemned, 11 executed and the party was banned.
• Lenin saw things in terms of things that helped or preserved the revolution and things that stood in its way.
• All means were legitimate if they furthered the revolution and removed anything or anyone that was in the way.

  • Lenin believed the proletariat taking power was inevitable.