Anti-Leninism
Encyclopedia
Anti-Leninism is the opposition to thought known as Leninism
or Bolshevism.
into the Menshevik
and Bolshevik
factions at the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP
. Menshevik opposition to Leninism and Bolshevism was essentially based on what they saw as his authoritarian nature and methods for achieving a Marxist state. Such opposition was only heightened following the October Revolution
, such as Martov's
denunciation of the restoration of the death penalty http://www.marxists.org/archive/martov/1918/07/death-penalty.htm. Anti-Leninism in the context of Russian Communism can also be seen in the context of those individuals that wanted him removed as state leader during his reign of 1917-1924, this was both from moderates who saw policies such as War Communism
as too extreme and hardliners who saw policies such as the New Economic Policy
as a capitulation to capitalism.
and the status quo of Russian society prior to 1917. This can best be seen in his expulsion to Switzerland.
Opposition to Leninism can also be seen in terms of those individuals and states that sought the removal of Lenin once in power. This was best illustrated during the Russian Civil War
when foreign powers aided the White Army in their quest to unseat Lenin. During this time there also came opposition from the Polish state, the Polish-Soviet War
, and in former Russian territories, such as Finland
, where the local Whites won the Finnish Civil War
.
Internally there were a number of events in Russia that can be treated as representing anti-Leninism, these include the Tambov Rebellion
and the Kronstadt rebellion
.
Finally opposition existed in the confines of the Russian anarchist movement. Whilst this can be traced back to the initial split between Anarchism and Marxism
, it intensified when it became clear that Lenin had no intention of dismantling the state in the immediate future. Despite some anarchist events, such as the funeral of Peter Kropotkin
, passing without objection, the anarchist anti-Leninist movement was largely suppressed.
was established. Major supporters of this form of anti-Leninism include the Socialist Party of Great Britain
as well as the World Socialist Movement
.
alongside Communism
, Marxist-Leninism, Socialism
, Maoism
and Trotskyism
, is still practiced by those that oppose any form of Marxist teachings. There also remains strong opposition to Leninist teachings from Anarchist movements, specifically the idea of a revolutionary vanguard
.
Leninism
In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...
or Bolshevism.
Opposition from Marxists
Opposition to Leninism can be traced back to the split in the Russian Social Democratic Labour PartyRussian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
into the Menshevik
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
and Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
factions at the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP
2nd Congress of the RSDLP
The 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was held during July 30–August 23 1903, starting in Brussels, Belgium and ending in London, because Belgian police forced the delegates to leave the country...
. Menshevik opposition to Leninism and Bolshevism was essentially based on what they saw as his authoritarian nature and methods for achieving a Marxist state. Such opposition was only heightened following the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, such as Martov's
Julius Martov
Julius Martov or L. Martov was born in Constantinople in 1873...
denunciation of the restoration of the death penalty http://www.marxists.org/archive/martov/1918/07/death-penalty.htm. Anti-Leninism in the context of Russian Communism can also be seen in the context of those individuals that wanted him removed as state leader during his reign of 1917-1924, this was both from moderates who saw policies such as War Communism
War communism
War communism or military communism was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War, from 1918 to 1921...
as too extreme and hardliners who saw policies such as the New Economic Policy
New Economic Policy
The New Economic Policy was an economic policy proposed by Vladimir Lenin, who called it state capitalism. Allowing some private ventures, the NEP allowed small animal businesses or smoke shops, for instance, to reopen for private profit while the state continued to control banks, foreign trade,...
as a capitulation to capitalism.
Opposition from non-Marxists
Initial opposition to Lenin was from those loyal to the TsarTsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
and the status quo of Russian society prior to 1917. This can best be seen in his expulsion to Switzerland.
Opposition to Leninism can also be seen in terms of those individuals and states that sought the removal of Lenin once in power. This was best illustrated during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
when foreign powers aided the White Army in their quest to unseat Lenin. During this time there also came opposition from the Polish state, the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
, and in former Russian territories, such as Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, where the local Whites won the Finnish Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
.
Internally there were a number of events in Russia that can be treated as representing anti-Leninism, these include the Tambov Rebellion
Tambov Rebellion
The Tambov Rebellion which occurred between 1920 and 1921 was one of the largest and best-organized peasant rebellions challenging the Bolshevik regime during the Russian Civil War. The uprising took place in the territories of the modern Tambov Oblast and part of the Voronezh Oblast, less than...
and the Kronstadt rebellion
Kronstadt rebellion
The Kronstadt rebellion was one of many major unsuccessful left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks in the aftermath of the Russian Civil War...
.
Finally opposition existed in the confines of the Russian anarchist movement. Whilst this can be traced back to the initial split between Anarchism and Marxism
Anarchism and Marxism
Anarchism and Marxism are similar political philosophies which emerged in the nineteenth century. While Anarchism and Marxism are both complex movements riven by internal conflict, as ideological movements their primary attention has been on human liberation achieved through political action...
, it intensified when it became clear that Lenin had no intention of dismantling the state in the immediate future. Despite some anarchist events, such as the funeral of Peter Kropotkin
Peter Kropotkin
Prince Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin was a Russian zoologist, evolutionary theorist, philosopher, economist, geographer, author and one of the world's foremost anarcho-communists. Kropotkin advocated a communist society free from central government and based on voluntary associations between...
, passing without objection, the anarchist anti-Leninist movement was largely suppressed.
Opposition from Marxists
Whilst opposition to Lenin prior to 1924 was largely opposition to Lenin as an individual, post 1924 it has centered more on opposition to the doctrine of Leninism. Such opposition has come from Marxists who believe the ideals of Communism were betrayed following the Russian Revolution and in contrast a form of state capitalismState capitalism
The term State capitalism has various meanings, but is usually described as commercial economic activity undertaken by the state with management of the productive forces in a capitalist manner, even if the state is nominally socialist. State capitalism is usually characterized by the dominance or...
was established. Major supporters of this form of anti-Leninism include the Socialist Party of Great Britain
Socialist Party of Great Britain
The Socialist Party of Great Britain , is a small Marxist political party within the impossibilist tradition. It is best known for its advocacy of using the ballot box for revolutionary purposes; opposition to reformism; and its early adoption of the theory of state capitalism to describe the...
as well as the World Socialist Movement
World Socialist Movement
The World Socialist Movement is an international organisation of affiliated socialist parties created in 1904 with the founding of the Socialist Party of Great Britain...
.
Opposition from non-Marxists
Opposition to LeninismLeninism
In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...
alongside Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, Marxist-Leninism, Socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
and Trotskyism
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
, is still practiced by those that oppose any form of Marxist teachings. There also remains strong opposition to Leninist teachings from Anarchist movements, specifically the idea of a revolutionary vanguard
Vanguard party
A vanguard party is a political party at the forefront of a mass action, movement, or revolution. The idea of a vanguard party has its origins in the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels...
.