|
LENIN TAKES
CONTROL
Nikolai Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, 1870-1924) was a Russian
revolutionary and student of Marx, who was out for revenge, after his
older brother, Alexander, was hung in 1887, along with four comrades,
for conspiring to assassinate Czar Alexander II, the grandfather of
Nicholas II.
During his teenage years, he admired Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876), a
follower of Weishaupt's principles, and a Satanist, who was the driving
force behind the initial effort to organize Communism. In 1887, Lenin
entered Kazan University, and in 1889, he became a Mason, and soon began
advocating the philosophies of Marx. He said: "We must combat religion.
This is the ABC's of all materialism and consequently of Marxism." In
1891, he passed his law exam. In the early 1900's, he said that
socialism could only be achieved by mobilizing workers and peasants
through revolution, since trade unions were not able to bring about any
change.
In 1903, in London, he initiated a split in the Russian
Social-Democratic Workers Party, which was completed in 1912, and became
known as the All Russian Communist Party in 1918. His left-wing faction
became known as the Bolsheviks, or "bolshinstvo," which meant "majority"
(the Menshevicks, or "menshinstvo," meant "minority"). The movement was
slow to catch on, and by 1907, he only had 17 members, but he would soon
have over 40,000. He received financial support from the Fabians,
including a $15,000 contribution from Joseph Fels, an American soap
manufacturer and a Fabian.
George Bernard Shaw, one of the Fabian's founders, called Lenin, the
"greatest Fabian of them all," and in a speech he made in Moscow in
1931, said: "It is a real comfort to me, an old man, to be able to step
into my grave with the knowledge that the civilization of the world will
be saved ... it is here in Russia that I have actually been convinced
that the new Communist system is capable of leading mankind out of its
present crisis, and saving it from complete anarchy and ruin."
Lenin was an advocate of the Populist doctrine, which had been developed
by author Aleksandr Herzen during the 1860's. He felt that the peasant
communes could be the socialist society of the future, and called for
Russian Socialism to be based on the ancient peasant tradition. The
peasant revolt later developed into all-out revolution. In 1881, they
succeeded in assassinating Czar Alexander II, and continued to function
as a conspiratorial organization. Many Populists began advocating
Marxist doctrine, and in 1883, led by Georgy Plekhanov, established the
Marxist "Liberation of Labor Group."
Lenin wanted to use the Populists to overthrow the government and
introduce socialism. He added two Marxist elements to the Populist
theory: the notion of a class struggle, and the need for Russia to pass
through a stage of capitalism. He led the people to believe that the
purpose of his movement was to help the working class. In America during
the 1800's, an alliance of various farming groups produced the Populist
Party in 1892, which came to be known as the National People's Party.
With their slogan, "The people against the tycoons," they fought for an
increase in currency circulation, free silver, labor reform, a graduated
income tax, government ownership of the railroads, and the direct
election of U.S. Senators. By 1896, they were almost fully integrated
into the Democratic Party, while their principles were later embraced by
the Progressive Party.
The Progressive Party was a coalition of socialists, labor leaders and
farmers, organized by Republican Senator Robert M. LaFollette of
Wisconsin in 1911 to oppose the conservatism of the Republican Party,
and to fight for an aggressive program of social legislation. They later
reunited with the Republican Party until 1924, when a coalition of
liberals, farmers, Republican progressives, socialists, and left-wing
labor leaders reorganized the Progressive Party, as LaFollette promised
to sweep conservatism out of the Federal government. He wanted to "end
control of government and industry by private monopoly," to have public
control of natural resources, public ownership of railroads, and a
reduction in taxes.
When he died in 1925, the Party broke up, but was revived in 1948 by
Communist Party leaders and left-wing labor leaders. Their platform
included civil rights legislation, and called for negotiations with the
Russians. The Party's credibility was damaged when it was revealed that
their leadership was communist dominated. The Progressive Party was able
to wield enough influence to help pass the Federal Reserve Act, the
Federal Income Tax, and the 17th Constitutional Amendment, which
provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators, rather than being
appointed by the state legislators. They also provided support for the
effort which eventually gave women the right to vote. Many of their
goals were achieved during the Administration of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
Go to Next Page
|