Eventually, empires and nations all collapse. The end can be
brought about by many causes. Whether through becoming too large for
their own good, being ruled by a series of out of touch men, falling
behind technologically, having too many enemies, succumbing to civil
war, or a combination: no country is safe. The Russia of 1910 was in a
tremendously horrible situation. She had all of these problems.
Russia would not have existed by 1920 were it not for Vladimir Ilich
Lenin, the only man capable of saving the failing nation.
Russia in 1910 was a very backwards country. Peasants who lived
in absolute poverty made up the vast majority of Russias population
(Haney 19). Russias version of the feudal system had ended a mere 49
years earlier, but in effect it meant that peasants now owned the
meager parcels of land upon which their survival rested. Their ruler,
Czar Nicholas II, ruled aloof of his disorganized nation. His
government of appointed officials and men in inherited positions did
not represent the people (The Tyranny of Stupidity 120). Even though
all of Europe had experienced the Industrial Revolution, Russia had
precious little machinery. To obtain more advanced machines, the
government traded grain to other countries in exchange for machinery,
even though it meant that more people would starve (Haney 17).
Compound this with the devastation and desperation brought on shortly
thereafter by the First World War, and there was no confidence left in
the government. Different political factions formed, and none got
along (U.S.S.R. 63). Liberal constitutionalists wanted to remove the
czar and form a republic; social revolutionists tried to promote a
peasant revolution; Marxists promoted a revolution among the
proletariat, or urban working class. The people were fed up with
Russias state of affairs and ready for change.
Change was presented in the form of Vladimir Lenin, a committed,
persuasive visionary with a grand plan. Lenin became hardened in his
quest at an early age when his older brother Aleksandr, a
revolutionary, was executed in 1887 for plotting to kill then-Czar
Alexander III. Ill make them pay for this! he said, I swear it!
(Haney 28) By 1888, at the age of 18, he had read Das Kapital by Karl
Marx, a book about socialism and the evils of capitalism. A superb
speaker, he could hold audiences at rapt attention with his powerful
speeches (New Generation). People became convinced of his socialist
views. He formed his own political party, the Bolsheviks, a split off
of the earlier Marxists. Unlike other parties of his time, Lenin
limited membership to a small number of full-time revolutionaries
(Haney 41). This dedication and tight organization later proved both
useful and effective. From 1897 to 1917, he traveled all over Europe
writing propaganda, organizing strikes, and encouraging revolution
among the working class, especially in Russia (Lenin, V.I. 191). Lenin
knew what he wanted, knew how to get it, and was willing to wait.
During World War I, the time was right and Lenin was the man.
Czar Nicholas II remained totally focused on winning the war, and did
not hesitate before committing more men and supplies to the war effort
(Haney 65). But for an already starving country, every train that
brought supplies to the front could not also be bringing food to
peasants. With public sentiment and even the Czars own army against
him, Nicholas abdicated the throne in March of 1917 (69). A government
by soviets (councils) was instated, but did not last long. After that,
Alexander Kerensky seized power. In November, Lenin and his
Bolsheviks, with help from armed citizens, stopped the revolving door.
They took over St. Petersburg (then Petrograd) and later captured
Moscow, meeting little resiezce along the way (Jantzen 613). L…..enin
took over the government and signed a treaty with Germany to take
Russia out of the war. Immediately thereafter, civil war broke out
between the Communists, called Reds, and the anti-Communists, called
Whites, who had help from Western nations (Johnson 43). This help from
outside Russia actually helped Lenin, as it drove public sentiment
against the Whites. Russian troops, scattered and dispirited, had
just been through World War I. Somehow, though, Lenin and his good
friend Leon Trotsky organized these troops into the Red Army and won
the war (Liversidge 59). It was now Lenins country.
Once he was fully in power, Lenin set up a true Communist
government. Russia became sixteen republics subdivided all the way
from districts down to soviets (committees) representing the workers,
soldiers, and peasants in that area. The country would be ruled from
the bottom up rather than the traditional top down (Johnson 30). Lenin
wanted a society where the working class was the ruling class; a
society where there is one social class, everyone has the same rights,
and, eventually, there is no private property. For a short time,
peasants were allowed to simply seize their former landlords land and
workers to control factories (U.S.S.R. 54). Later, however, all
industry was nationalized. To jump-start the economy, Lenin instituted
his New Economic Policy, which began to rejuvenate the economy by
permitting small industries to operate under their own control and
letting farmers keep or sell more of their products while the
government retained control of heavy industries such as metal working
(55). Lenin had earlier gained support with the simple promise Bread,
peace, land, (Lenin, V.I. 194) and he had begun to make good. Lenins
goals were becoming reality.
Tragically, Lenin died in 1924, rendering him unable to see
through any of his plans. He had suffered his first stroke in 1922,
and it was that year that a young Bolshevik named Josef Stalin — a
man whom Lenin had warned his associates about as being dangerous
(Johnson 97) — began making his grab at power. Unfortunately for
Russians, Stalin beat Trotsky and became Secretary of the Communist
Party upon Lenins death, a position which was as good as dictator
(100). Stalin, who was probably mentally unstable (96) , trashed the
ideals of Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky in his own thirst for power. Marx
had held the view that The key to Communism is education, (New
Generation) and the working class must be a learned people. As
dictator, Stalin resorted to censorship of all media to consolidate
his power (Johnson 114). Had Lenin lived longer, he could have seen
Communism through to its ideal state. Nevertheless, even under Stalin,
Lenin was virtually deified for having saved the nation.
Were Lenin alive today, he could ezd up and truthfully say,
Without me, a nation would not exist. He singularly shaped the
course of history. Russia was floundering, and Lenin was the totally
committed visionary that it took to bring it back from the brink. He
laid the foundation for what eventually became a world superpower, and
had he lived longer, Russia could have been even stronger. It is no
wonder Lenin became a Russian national hero.
—
Bibliography:
Haney, John. Lenin. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.
Johnson, Gerald W. Communism: An Americans View. New York: William
and Morrow, 1964.
Lenin, Vladimir Ilich. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 1996 ed.
Lenin, V.I. The World Book Encyclopedia, 1989 ed.
Liversidge, Douglas. Lenin: Genius of Revolution. New York: Franklin
Watts, 1969.
The New Generation Political View.
http://home.everyday.no/dvc01020/PoliticalView.htm