If you’ve ever wondered if Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin were actually Marxist, you’re far from alone. It’s a topic of great interest to historians, political scientists, and laypersons alike, and there’s a great deal of scholarly and public debate over the widely differing interpretations of their contributions to Marxist theory and practice. This article will explore this question in depth, and attempt to answer it by examining the works and actions of both leaders.
What is Marxism?
In order to understand the answer to the question of whether or not Stalin and Lenin were Marxists, it’s important to gain a basic understanding of what Marxism is.
Marxism is an economic and political theory developed by German philosopher Karl Marx in the mid-1800s. It connects the forces of production to social and political organization, particularly under capitalist relations of production. Marxists maintain that the exploitation of workers by capitalists has caused an unequal distribution of wealth, creating two classes of people—the bourgeoisie and the proletariat—and creating the conditions for oppression and class struggle.
Marxism views history as consisting of the constant process of social transformation, from one form of class struggle to another. It argues that the dominant class at any point in time will impose its will upon society, but that the struggle between the existing classes will eventually lead to a different form of class struggle, as the needs of the ruling class become obsolete and new classes emerge, who begin to struggle against the existing class structure, eventually ushering in a new form of class structure. Marxism additionally maintains that the struggle between the ruling class and the new classes will eventually lead to communism, which is a society without classes and without private ownership of capital.
Was Lenin a Marxist?
Vladimir Lenin became a Marxist theorist in the late 1890s and wrote extensively on the ideas of Karl Marx, including his landmark work, “What Is to Be Done?” He was a revolutionary and leader of the Russian Bolshevik Party, which, with the help of Marxian theory and propaganda, led a successful revolution in October 1917 that brought the Bolshevik Party to power in the new Soviet Union.
Lenin took Marx’s ideas and adapted them to the conditions in pre-revolutionary Russia, adding a distinctly Leninist bent. He believed in the revolutionary power of the proletariat, but he also argued that a vanguard party of professional revolutionaries, guided by Marxist theory and with the knowledge of the peasants and workers, was needed to bring about a successful revolution.
In the early years of the Soviet Union, Lenin sought to implement policies to achieve the dictatorship of the proletariat, in aspiration of the eventual realization of communism. He established a one-party system and advocated for a centrally planned economy, with state ownership of the means of production. He also believed in a strong central government to manage the economy and affairs of the country.
In addition to his early theoretical writings, Lenin’s contributions to Marxism included his support for a vanguard party and for a revolutionary construct, with a focus on the tactics of changing the existing order and on the will of the working class. He advocated for the organization of urban and industrial workers and the Bolshevik party actively sought to organize these workers into collectives.
Was Stalin a Marxist?
Joseph Stalin is often seen as the antithesis of Marxist thought, as he took the Soviet Union in a very different direction than Lenin had intended. Stalin rose to power in the early 1920s by undercutting his Bolshevik rivals, including Leon Trotsky, in a ruthless political battle. He soon consolidated his control over the Soviet Union and then took some fiercely authoritarian measures, such as instituting a command economy, reforming the agricultural sector, and clamping down on political dissent.
However, Stalin did attempt to use Marxist theory to explain his policies. He argued that a long period of transition was necessary before achieving a state of socialism and that the Soviet Union was only in its initial stages. He based this theory on the works of Marx and Engels, particularly the writing of Engels on the “Asiatic Mode of Production” and the need for a strong central government to manage the transition to socialism.
Stalin also believed in the need for a continuous revolution and encouraged the idea of “Socialism in One Country”, meaning the Soviet Union could build socialism without outside help. This idea opposed the Marxist focus on international revolution, but Stalin believed the Soviet Union could make a revolution within its own borders and help other countries to do the same.
From the examination of their works and actions, it is clear that while Lenin was a far more faithful adherent to Marxist theory and practice, Stalin attempted to use Marxist concepts in pursuit of his own agenda. To make a definitive determination of either leader’s adherence to Marx’s theories is impossible; however, it can be said definitively that neither of them followed the theories of Karl Marx to the letter. It is also likely that both of them applied Marxist theories selectively and mixed in some other philosophies to support their own personal and political agendas.