Lenin believed in a revolutionary vanguard party led by professional revolutionaries to guide the workers to overthrow capitalism. He rejected more moderate socialist approaches and believed the ends justified violent means. Lenin's Bolshevik party took power in Russia during World War 1 using military force when opportunities arose and established the Soviet Union, nationalizing industry and implementing one-party rule.

1. INTRODUCTION
• Vladimir Iiyich Lenin (1870- 1924)
• Leading political figures and revolutionary
thinkers of the 20th century.
• Mastermind of the Bolshevik Revolution
• The first leader of the Soviet Union, the creator
of Leninism, an extension of Marxist theory.

2. Internal and External Conditions

3. • Nations formed partnerships to protect
against opposing forces
Alliances
• Massive military buildup in European
countries
• Wanted to protect overseas colonies
from other nations
Militarism
Europe on the Brink of War
• Germany, France, Russia, Great Britain
vied to become great imperial nations
• Each did not want others to gain power
Imperialism
• Strong devotion to one’s national
group or culture, increased in late
1800s
Nationalism

4. •Adaptation of Marxist ideas
of overthrow of capitalism
•As Russia’s problems grew
more serious, Bolsheviks
gained more followers
•Czar Nicholas hoped World
War I would cause people
to rally to his leadership
Bolshevik Plan
•Russia a troubled nation
•Czar Nicholas II had
promised reform after 1905
revolution, but delivered
little real change
•Bolsheviks sought to
change life through
revolution, wanted to
overthrow czar
The Years Before the
War
Russia and World War I

5. At the start of the war, Russia had an enormous army of some 6 million soldiers.
•Outbreak of fighting caused
patriotism, rush to join
military
•Otherwise Russia ill-prepared
for war
– Factories unable to
produce supplies quickly
– Transportation system
weak
– Equipment outdated
Preparations for War
• Millions of Russian
soldiers wounded,
killed during early
battles
On the
Battlefield
Russia and World War I

6. World War I and the Russian Revolution: Section 4
Graph: Financial Costs of the War
6 of 9

7. By the end of 1916, Russia was once again on the edge of a revolution. As the new
year began and conditions in Russia continued to worsen, the Russian people clearly
wanted a change.
•Citizens protested in
streets of Petrograd,
March 8, 1917
•Police, soldiers refused
to shoot rioters
•Government was
helpless
Revolution Begins
•Ordered legislature to
disband
•His order defied
•Citizens, government,
military refused to obey Czar
•Forced to abdicate, March
15, 1917
•Provisional govt took power
Czar Nicholas II
The Russian Revolution

8. Kerensky’s final offensive
• Kerensky ordered final military offensive against Central Powers along Eastern
Front, mid-1917
• Drive failed and led to widespread rebellion in Russian army
• Weakened Russian army collapsed
• Conditions ideal for Lenin
• Armed Bolshevik factory workers, Red
Guard, attacked provisional government,
November 1917
• Known as October Revolution
• Kerensky’s government collapsed after
nearly bloodless struggle
Bolshevik takeover
• Established radical Communist
program
• Made private ownership of land illegal
• Land given to peasants
• Control of factories given to workers
Lenin became leader
The Bolshevik Revolution

9. Environmental factors (socio-political-
economic factor)

10. political factor
 Major power but under Autocracy. (While other power
were reforming at that period)
 Poor leadership of Tsar, Nicholas II.
 Global unrest and world war I.
 Restriction on political group and discourse.

11. political factor
 Sacking of Zemstvos.
 Two distinct revolutionary parties.
 Social revolutionaries (Peasant support)
 Social democrats (Working class support)
Russian social Democratic Labor party
 Bolsheviks under lenin.
 Mensheviks under Martov.

12. Socio-economic factor
Rural areas
 Greater reform by alexander II in 1860.
 Emancipation of serf class.
 Village as self contained entity, Zemstoves.

13. Socio-economic factor
Rural areas
 Increase in population without increase in productivity.
 Disease, poor harvests, famine and poverty.
 Disparity in wealth, land and privileges to peasant class.
 Peasants need to pay redemption to crown.
 Forced for communal ownership of the land. (need to pay
to cultivate)

14. Socio-economic factor
Cities
 Social unrest due to industrialization process.
 Overcrowding.
 Deplorable sanitation
 poor safety condition
 poor wages
 Harsh discipline in job.
 Standard of living was awful due to high price, tariff and
high taxation.
 Overcrowding in cities resulted more people were exposed
about the social and political order of Russia and became
organizing center.

15. Socio-economic factor
Cities
 Emergence of middle class.
 Restriction to form labor groups.
 Formation of brotherhood based on region of origin.
These harsh condition became fertile soil for political
parties to develop revolutionary force.

16. First revolution 1905
 Tsar allowed to form labor union under restriction.
 ‘BLOODY SUNDAY’ Jan 9, 1905.
 Worker riot against government and peasant against
landlords, student and middle class demand civil
rights, constitutional govt and social reforms.
 Formation of worker soviets.

17. First revolution 1905
 Nicholas II promised civil rights and formation of Duma.
 Minister Peter stolypin implemented strip farming. It was
abolished due to death of stolypin and outset of WW I.
This created major revolutionary sentiments during revolution of
1917.

18. Impact of great war
 Lack of resources and manpower.
 Nationwide inflation.
 Increase in demand and decrease in supply stressed workers.
(leads to formation of underground unions)
 Food shortage.
 Excessive death toll in front. (resentment among military)
 Conscription of industrial workers and peasant. (discontent for
government)

19. Leninism is a far-left ideology based on principles of
class conflict, egalitarianism, dialectical materialism,
rationalism, and social progress. It is anti-bourgeois,
anti-capitalist, anti-conservative, anti-fascist, anti-
imperialist, anti-liberal, anti-reactionary, and is
opposed to bourgeois democracy.
IDEOLOGY

20. IDEOLOGY AND ETHICS
• The cult of Revolution
• World Revolution is the path to humanity’s liberation and
progress; Russia’s key role in it
• The Revolution justifies any means of achieving its goals
• Class hatred of “exploiters”, class war against them
• Civil war is inevitable and necessary
• Need for self-sacrifice and heroism – among the Communists as
well as the masses
• Collectivism vs. individualism
• Atheism vs. religion
• Need to replace existing culture with a new “proletarian” one

21. Political Ideologies
• Society needs a centralized vanguard and does
not need multiparty competition through
peaceful, lawful, political participation.
• Imperialism has shaped the development of
capitalism and altered the terms of
revolutionary struggle from those outlined by
Marx: namely, revolutions are more likely in less
developed capitalist economies, contrary to
Marx’s theory.

22. • To Lenin, practical issues were more important than the
development of ideological theories.
• Lenin always had one goal – to achieve his aim. To do
this, Lenin did not have a set way of working and
effectively, he believed that any method was acceptable
as long as the aim was achieved.
• Lenin also rejected the peaceful and the constitutional
paths to power as preferred by moderate Marxist parties
such as the SPD in Germany, and the non-Marxist
Labour Party in Britain.

23. ENDS AND MEANS
• Lenin: “The good of the revolution, the good of the
working class – this is the supreme law”.

24. METHOD OF ORGANIZATION
AND CONDUCT

25. Lenin’s Concept of Organization
 “organization of real revolutionaries,” a
“body of comrades in which complete,
mutual confidence prevails” and in which
all “have a lively sense of their
responsibility.”
 Commitment to a revolutionary Marxist
political program and effectively, centrally
organized party that encourages critical
thinking and local initiative;
 A democratically centralized organization
based on a revolutionary program

26. Organization ….
• An understanding of the necessity of working-
class and support for struggles of all who
suffer oppression;
• A coherent conception of organization that is
practical, democratic, and revolutionary;
• The development of the united front tactic, in
which diverse political forces can work
together for common goals,

27. Vanguard Party
Is a political party composed of professional
revolutionaries.
First used by the Bolshevik Party in the Russian
revolution.
Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov), the first leader
of the Bolsheviks, coined the term vanguard
party,
Necessary in order to provide the practical and
political leadership that would impel
the workers and peasants to achieve a
revolution.

28. • Orthodox and pragmatism:- Straight forward, concerned
with results and adjust with environment
• Party organization :- Small, Highly motivated, Disciplined
• Popular front :- Common Cause with progressive
movement
• Economic penetration:- Economic assistance through
money and equipment
• Destabilization :- Exploitation of economic, ethnic, religious
• Military intervention :- Threat or employment of military
forces
• Monopoly of power:- Dissident factions and their leaders
to be eliminated
28
Organization ….

29. • Lenin emphasizes the importance of
the revolutionary party. It unites the mass into
one inseparable whole.
• A revolutionary party must have "political
force" and operate on a national level.
• A revolutionary party must educate and train
the people.
• Revolutionary movement must engage the
broad masses of the people.
Method/Conduct

30. • A wide range of tactics are necessary
• Different forms of the movement - legal and
illegal, peaceful and stormy, underground and
open, local circles and mass movements, and
parliamentary and terrorist forms
Method/Conduct……

31.  The internal enemy is far more dangerous than
the external one
 Party spited in Aug 1903:-
 Bolshevik headed by Lenin
 Menshevik headed by L. Martinov
 Bolshevik was acting like a “Mafia”
 Money was collected voluntarily, semi voluntarily
or forced donation
 Expropriations of Government funds
 In 1906 Bolshevik plan to issue counterfeit money
but plan became known
Book:Lenin and his comrades
Method/Conduct……

32. Political Strategy
• Organizing Soviets
• Developing Network of political commissar
• Publication of ISKARA
• Nationalization of Private Property
• Support from the lower Class
• Sense of Nationalism
• Communism- SOCIALISM – “No RICH NO POOR”
• Revolution is a main tool
• Granting Political Freedom
• “Peace, land and bread”
• “All power to the soviets”

33. Military Strategy
• Attack the centers of power directly
• Recruitment of ex-Czarist Military
• Revolution is best option to cease the Power
• Organizing secret revolutionary cells
• Propaganda to get support

34. Conclusion
Establishment of great communist state of
Russia
Full and equal voting rights for women
No favor to any religion – Freedom of worship
on self determination. Industrialization and
economic development of the country.
Nationalization of Industries and facilities for
workers
Providing equal rights to all
Divisions of world in Capitalism and Socialism