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The Reasons For The Failure of The Russian Revolution
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
The Russian revolution of 1917 was greeted by the invasion of 17 armies from 14 countries. Alone, isolated, encircled, revolutionary Russia undertook the heroic task of defending itself. Under the leadership of Trotsky, a Red Army was created that for nearly three years criss-crossed Russia battling the armies of world capitalism. The Red Army won but at a terrible price the cost of the war had caused its industry to collapse and so had its argricultural ouput.
The Bolshivik Party was therefore presented with enormous problems of trying to run a country which was devastated by years of war and was slowly dying. Becuase of this enormous devastation democarcy within the party and within Russia collapsed.
In the early 1920s, the Bolshvik party divided into a series of factions, each with a different view as to how society should be governed and socialism constructed. While many individuals crossed back and forth between the contending factions, a few years after Lenin's death in 1924 there were two dominant points of view.
Grouped around Joseph Stalin were those forces that represented the rising Soviet bureaucracy. Stalin's group argued that the Russian government should go about the task of building 'socialism in one country'. For this group, 'socialism' lost all foundation in organs of workers' democracy, soviets, and the international economy of abundance. They came increasingly to identify socialism with a bureaucratic monopoly of power which allowed no place for organs of mass democracy. Further, they began to define socialism as a state-controlled and planned economy which would industrialise backward Russia on the basis of ruthless labour discipline and starvation wages.
Grouped around Leon Trotsky were the forces known as the 'Left Opposition'. At the urging of Lenin before he died, Trotsky had started to oppose many of Stalin's policies. By the mid-1920s, the programme of the Left Opposition had two central planks. First, democracy had to be re-established in the Bolshevik party and in the mass organisations such as the trade unions and the soviets. Secondly, the Soviet government had to abandon all such retrograde notions as socialism in one country-- which identified socialism with an impoverished and bureaucratically- dominated society--in favour of a revolutionary and internationalist perspective that understood that Russia's salvation lay in the spread of revolution abroad.
By 1927 the debate was over. Trotsky's revolutionary perspective fell on deaf ears. The working class, to the extent that it still existed, was hungry and demoralised. It remained largely indifferent to the rallying cry of the Left Opposition. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of careerist elements had joined the Bolshevik party. Many of these were former Czarist officials who foresaw the possibility of state employment if they announced themselves 'communists'. With the Bolshevik party dominated now by such elements Stalin's victory was assured. In November of 1927, Trotsky was expelled from the Bolshevik party.
At that point, Stalin undertook to reshape the entire nature and direction of Russian society. This 'reshaping' had three main aspects: the elimination of all dissent; the liquidation of all forms of democracy and of working class organisation; the slashing of the living standards of the working class and the physical annihilation of millions of peasants. The purpose of these policies was to transfer economic resources from fulfilling the consumption needs of human beings to the building of a massive industrial/military complex that could compete on the same footing as western capitalism.
The elimination of dissent began with expulsions from the Bolshevik party in 1927. Then came sweeping arrests. In the mid-1930s a wave of 'show trials' led to the slaughter of the original Bolshevik leaders of the revolution.
From this point on, the whole axis of Russian development changed. Gone was the commitment to workers' democracy and international socialism. In their place, a privileged bureaucracy had installed the aims of industrial and military development in order to build a world power. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union consciously adapted itself to the dynamics of world capitalism. The objective of defeating international capitalism through workers' revolutions was replaced by the aim of building a modern military/industrial complex.
It is for this reason that Russia and all other countries that followed the Stalinist model such as China, Vietnam and Cuba, were state capitalist not communist. For the defining feature of capitalism is not that individual businessmen produce for their own gain. Rather it is that owners of the means of production exploit workers who are forced to sell their ability to work in order to make a living.
Socialist Worker the alternative to the Capitalist press
The Bolshivik Party was therefore presented with enormous problems of trying to run a country which was devastated by years of war and was slowly dying. Becuase of this enormous devastation democarcy within the party and within Russia collapsed.
In the early 1920s, the Bolshvik party divided into a series of factions, each with a different view as to how society should be governed and socialism constructed. While many individuals crossed back and forth between the contending factions, a few years after Lenin's death in 1924 there were two dominant points of view.
Grouped around Joseph Stalin were those forces that represented the rising Soviet bureaucracy. Stalin's group argued that the Russian government should go about the task of building 'socialism in one country'. For this group, 'socialism' lost all foundation in organs of workers' democracy, soviets, and the international economy of abundance. They came increasingly to identify socialism with a bureaucratic monopoly of power which allowed no place for organs of mass democracy. Further, they began to define socialism as a state-controlled and planned economy which would industrialise backward Russia on the basis of ruthless labour discipline and starvation wages.
Grouped around Leon Trotsky were the forces known as the 'Left Opposition'. At the urging of Lenin before he died, Trotsky had started to oppose many of Stalin's policies. By the mid-1920s, the programme of the Left Opposition had two central planks. First, democracy had to be re-established in the Bolshevik party and in the mass organisations such as the trade unions and the soviets. Secondly, the Soviet government had to abandon all such retrograde notions as socialism in one country-- which identified socialism with an impoverished and bureaucratically- dominated society--in favour of a revolutionary and internationalist perspective that understood that Russia's salvation lay in the spread of revolution abroad.
By 1927 the debate was over. Trotsky's revolutionary perspective fell on deaf ears. The working class, to the extent that it still existed, was hungry and demoralised. It remained largely indifferent to the rallying cry of the Left Opposition. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of careerist elements had joined the Bolshevik party. Many of these were former Czarist officials who foresaw the possibility of state employment if they announced themselves 'communists'. With the Bolshevik party dominated now by such elements Stalin's victory was assured. In November of 1927, Trotsky was expelled from the Bolshevik party.
At that point, Stalin undertook to reshape the entire nature and direction of Russian society. This 'reshaping' had three main aspects: the elimination of all dissent; the liquidation of all forms of democracy and of working class organisation; the slashing of the living standards of the working class and the physical annihilation of millions of peasants. The purpose of these policies was to transfer economic resources from fulfilling the consumption needs of human beings to the building of a massive industrial/military complex that could compete on the same footing as western capitalism.
The elimination of dissent began with expulsions from the Bolshevik party in 1927. Then came sweeping arrests. In the mid-1930s a wave of 'show trials' led to the slaughter of the original Bolshevik leaders of the revolution.
From this point on, the whole axis of Russian development changed. Gone was the commitment to workers' democracy and international socialism. In their place, a privileged bureaucracy had installed the aims of industrial and military development in order to build a world power. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union consciously adapted itself to the dynamics of world capitalism. The objective of defeating international capitalism through workers' revolutions was replaced by the aim of building a modern military/industrial complex.
It is for this reason that Russia and all other countries that followed the Stalinist model such as China, Vietnam and Cuba, were state capitalist not communist. For the defining feature of capitalism is not that individual businessmen produce for their own gain. Rather it is that owners of the means of production exploit workers who are forced to sell their ability to work in order to make a living.
Socialist Worker the alternative to the Capitalist press
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Comments
Being the observant person you are you will notice that the Red Army began on an egalitarian basis and got it's ass whooped by the Whites. Success came only after the reintroduction of the officer system (although the officers were called 'commanders'). OMG! Inequality works!
Mac
[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: MacKenZie ]
The "stealgates" showed up, the hordes of parasites looking for the "free ride" on the backs of the proles...
<STRONG>They agreed that it was a crock of shit and could never work.</STRONG>
Im using that word, tosser a lot here in the states now as a result of this board - what the hell does it mean anyway? <IMG SRC="confused.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
Roughly translated as one who engages in public masturbation to appease his own perverse urges...
Whatever the colloquialism, it certainly is apropos.
Did you go on a school trip? When I went, back in 96, they werent letting anyone into Lenins tomb <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
because his ear had fallen off lol.
Communism will never work in a human society stealgate, live with it.
Read about the whole event here.
And here on a website setup to support the 47 councilors who were expelled from office.
[ 13-04-2002: Message edited by: stealgate ]
Sorry to piss on your fire dipshit, but what happened to that council?
Think you'll find that the electorate voted it out. Proof positive that the people don't want communism...
the fact that it only lasted a year....
And the result? The highest council tax in Britain, thank you very much Mr Marx. <IMG SRC="mad.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
Rule by committee can't work on the battlefield. You need very strong leadership to send men to their deaths. In war, monarchy is the best kind of government you can hope for.