Student 2
Mr. Cowherd
Modern World History, Period 6
February 26, 2013
The Evolution of Soviet Communist Ideology
During the history of a philosophy, its ideas inevitably change as it is spread among a
group of people. Each person interprets the philosophy differently, informed by their personal
experience and interests. Christianity today, with billions of followers listening to elaborate
religious music and decorating Christmas trees, would likely seem totally foreign to Christians of
the first century CE. Bolshevik and Communist philosophy went in the same direction. As
Russia and the Soviet Union went through the period of industrialization and collectivization
during Stalin’s rule, its governing philosophy strayed from Lenin’s original values of to fit the
desires of those in power.
Lenin’s philosophy stressed the idea that Bolsheviks needed allies to assist them in their
creation of the world’s first socialist country. The working class in a society that has recently
removed the political influence of the bourgeoisie “remains for a long time weaker than the
bourgeoisie,” writes Lenin. It is “obligatory” for the communist leaders to try to “[win] a mass
ally” in order to defend themselves from the hostile bourgeoisie, even if this ally does not share
their beliefs (“Left-Wing Communism”). This was used by Lenin to justify his cooperation with
capitalism during the period of the New Economic Policy beginning in 1921, and to promote
tolerance of slight differences in viewpoint among fellow communists. When Stalin came to
power, though, he stated that “liberalism in the attitude towards Trotskyism,” a faction within the
party, “is blockheadedness bordering on crime,” (“Some Questions”). Stalin changed official
communist policy from alliance with people who had similar goals to a situation where the
communist party claimed control over the entire government and economy of the Soviet Union,
and its leader’s positions on government issues were the only ones permitted. Stalin changed the
official communist philosophy to support the actions he took during the 1920s and 30s to
eliminate Trotsky and other communists with whom he did not agree (“Some Questions”). This
marks an important point in the development of Soviet totalitarianism: if members of the sole
ruling party are prohibited from expressing dissent, then there is nobody left in the government
to defend the people’s interests against those who are in power.
Another area in which Stalin and his contemporaries strayed from Lenin’s philosophy
was their opinion on the timeframe required for the Soviet Union’s development of a totally
socialist economy. Lenin believed that a period of capitalism is “advantageous and necessary in
an extremely devastated and backward small-peasant country” as a step on the path toward
complete socialism (“Left-Wing Communism”). This belief was demonstrated in the New
Economic Policy. Stalin, though, believed that full socialism could be accomplished within a
short time with the government’s help. He proposed to “develop industry at a rapid rate” and
“organize the peasantry into co-operatives on a mass scale” to immediately defeat all forms of
capitalism in the Soviet Union (“Some Questions”). Lenin intended the Soviet Union to
gradually progress toward socialism with the support of its citizens, while Stalin intended to use
the state apparatus to force the working classes to accept his version of socialism. However,
Stalin’s toxic combination of collectivization of agriculture and overly rapid industrialization
decreased the food supply by making peasants angry and disinclined to work, while also
increasing food demand. His choices killed more than three million peasants in the Ukraine alone
(Famine-Genocide of 1932-3).
Later communists most greatly diverged from Lenin in their ideas about humility and
sincerity. In his last written work, “Better Fewer, but Better,” Lenin writes about how
communists should “show sound skepticism for too rapid progress” and “boastfulness”, while
always being willing to learn from their mistakes. Only this would allow the development of an
efficient and competent government that could create true socialism. Less than ten years after his
death, though, Stalin stated rather confidently that workers had no uncertainty about the future at
a time when the Central Party committee advised that workers who did not show up to work one
day should be fired and have their apartments confiscated (Kalinin). Even more bizarrely, Stalin
claimed in 1932 that “impoverishment and pauperism in the countryside have been done away
with,” the same year that millions of peasants died of starvation (“The Results”). This is not only
boastfulness, but false boastfulness, going completely against Lenin’s advice.
Though Lenin left many documents detailing his beliefs when he died, the vast majority
of his principles were pushed aside by later communists, because of changing times and political
expedience. Lenin lived in a country with little industry and many small peasant farms. He
believed in a slow transition from capitalism to socialism, the alliance of the communist party
with people of other political beliefs and entrepreneurs for mutual benefit, and humility and
sincerity as core communist values (“Better Fewer”). After Lenin’s death, Stalin and those who
worked with him refused to apply these ideals, instead making the party free of dissent, fighting
to make the country industrialize rapidly, and being boastful and self-congratulatory in order to
increase their political power and fool the populace into thinking that the country was well-run.
In general, people use philosophy to support and justify their actions for ulterior motives. If a
philosophy, like Leninism, does not suit its believers, they will change it until it does. People are
selfish creatures.
Works Cited:
"Famine-Genocide of 1932-3." Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Canadian Institute of
Ukrainian Studies, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp/
linkpath=pagesFAFamine6Genocideof1932hD73.htm>.
Kalinin, M., V. Molotov, and A. Enukidze. "On Firing for Unexcused Absenteeism."
Cyberussr.com. Hugo S. Cunningham, 27 Dec. 2000. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cyberussr.com/rus/trud-uvol32-e.html>.
Lenin, Vladimir I. "Better Fewer, But Better." Marxists Internet Archive. Trans. David Skvirsky
and George Hanna. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.
<http://marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1923/mar/02.htm>.
Lenin, Vadimir I. "Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder." Marxists Internet Archive.
Trans. Julius Katzer. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1920/lwc/index.htm>.
Stalin, J. V. "Some Questions Concerning the History of Bolshevism." Marxists Internet
Archive.
Trans. Salil Sen. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1931/x01/x01.htm>.
Stalin, J. V. "The Results of the First Five-Year Plan." Marxists Internet Archive. Trans. Salil
Sen. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1933/01/07.htm>.
Lenin, Vladimir I. "Third Congress Of The Communist International[1]." Marxists Internet
Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.