Lenin Lives

Of all the tomes published on the centenary of the Russian Revolution, none will reckon with a key part of the story: what if the revolutionaries' dreams had come true, instead of being dashed? Yet, no tale of the Russian Revolution is complete without asking 'what if ...?' Lenin Lives! lays out a narrative account of how history might have happened differently if Lenin had lived long enough to see the global spread of the Russian Revolution to Western Europe and the USA. In one alternative world, instead of the grim authoritarian and autarkic states of the East, socialist revolution in the world's most advanced economies ushers in an era of global peace, progress and prosperity, with global federations substituting for nation-states and international organisations. In keeping with the hopes of European revolutionaries of the time, the early achievement of socialism leads to a drastic improvement in human progress, economic growth, democracy and freedom at the global level.

Was the deification of Lenin a show of spontaneous affection, or a planned political operation designed to solidify the revolution with the masses? This book aims to provide the answer. Exploring the cults mystical, historical, and political aspects, the book attempts to demonstrate the galvanizing power of ritual in the establishment of the postrevolutionary regime. In a new section the author includes the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia's new democracy.

Lenin lived a controversial life and has had a deeply controversial reputation in the centenary since his death (21 January 1924) His rise from a conventional, educated, provincial, and middle-class background to become not only the leader, even dictator, over the largest country on earth, is dramatic and vital in itself. But it is only part of the story. Even after his death, he was unchallenged as the chief inspirer of a disparate world revolutionary movement which rocked the dominant capitalist world for most of the twentieth century. His admirers and disciples included major intellectual and cultural figures, such as Brecht, Picasso, Sartre, Franz Fanon and Pablo Neruda; disparate radical activists and revolutionaries such as Ho Chi Minh, Joseph Stalin, Mao Ze dong, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Josip Broz Tito, terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades and Baader-Meinhof, and many liberation movements. Despite this, his work and influence have often been written off as no longer relevant, and many today consider this to be so. Lenin has, they claim, had his day, even though he is still revered in China, the world's most populous country. However, Lenin, like his mentor Marx, has had a tendency to rise from apparent decline and oblivion to renewed force and influence. This study examines the key elements of Lenin's life and career, the consolidation of his ideas into the doctrines of 'Leninism', the influence of Leninism in promoting revolutionary movements around the globe, and the currently disputed issue of whether his ideas still have any relevance today. In particular, while considering his views on the role of the revolutionary party, often seen as the centrepiece of his theory and practice, this account identifies the root of Lenin's global influence in his opposition to capitalist imperialism and as a bedrock foundation for the opposition of many to fascism and associated ideologies. While recognizing that Lenin's reputation has reached its lowest point, not least in his home country where his legacy is reviled by Vladimir Putin and other contemporary leaders, the book concludes by weighing up the contemporary arguments of those who believe that Lenin still lives.

From a highly distinguished author on the subject, this biography is an excellent scholarly introduction to one of the key figures of the Russian Revolution and post-Tsarist Russia. Not only does it make use of archive material made newly available in the glasnost and post-Soviet eras, it re-examines traditional sources as well, providing an original interpretation of Lenin's life and historical importance. Focal points of this study are: Lenin's revolutionary ascetic personality how he exploited culture, education and propaganda his relationship to Marxism his changing class analysis of Russia his 'populist' instincts. A prominent figure at the forefront of debates on the Russina revolution, Read makes sure that Lenin remains in his place as a highly influential and significant figure of the recent past.

After Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) is the man most associated with communism and its influence and reach around the world. Lenin was the leader of the communist Bolshevik party during the October 1917 revolution in Russia, and he subsequently headed the Soviet state until 1924, bringing stability to the region and establishing a socialist economic and political system. In Lenin, Lars T. Lih presents a striking new interpretation of Lenin’s political beliefs and strategies. Until now, Lenin has been portrayed as a pessimist with a dismissive view of the revolutionary potential of the workers. However, Lih reveals that underneath the sharp polemics, Lenin was actually a romantic enthusiast rather than a sour pragmatist, one who imposed meaning on the whirlwind of events going on around him. This concise and unique biography is based on wide-ranging new research that puts Lenin into the context both of Russian society and of the international socialist movement of the early twentieth century. It also sets the development of Lenin’s political outlook firmly within the framework of his family background and private life. In addition, the book’s images, which are taken from contemporary photographs, posters, and drawings, illustrate the features of Lenin’s world and time. A vivid, non-ideological portrait, Lenin is an essential look at one of the key figures of modern history.

Lenin was a revolution. He lived and breathed and died for it. Born in 1870 in the sleepy Volga town of Simbirsk, he died in 1924 at the age of 53 having changed the course of history throughout the world. What was the genius that enabled Lenin to create and sustain a revolution that constantly hovered on the brink of utter chaos? It was his incredible strength of will and personality, his fantastic organisational ability and complete dedication to the goal of revolution which enabled him to surmount domestic dissension and disorder, political rivalries, and economic ruin. It was his supreme ability to adapt, to change, to pursue any means to achieve his ends that enabled the revolution to survive.Louis Fischer's book is based on meticulous sifting of the Soviet sources. The author first met Lenin in 1922 when the country was in the throes of revolution and remained a devoted scholar of Soviet affairs throughout the rest of his life.