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V. I. Lenin
The prsent volumne followsthesixth Russian edition of Marx-Engles-Marxism by V.I.Lenin prepared by the Marx-Engels-Lenin institute Moscow.The onlyu exceptions are the excerpts from What is to be Done? and One Step Forward, Two Steps Back which are reproducec herein abbreviated by the author in the 1908 pulications of the books in question.
495 pages, Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1947
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March 21, 2026
Lenin most of all is the man responsible for bringing Marxism into the epoch of imperialism and the proletarian revolution, developing the teaching of Marx and Engels on capitalism in connection with the emergence of monopoly capitalism, the state, and fleshing out the strategy and tactics of the socialist revolution, while, in addition, defending the materialist worldview of Marxism from the frenzy of idealism brought on by the positivists and neo-Machians with the turn of the century. Being the person who saved revolutionary Marxism from the distortions, across all fronts, by Bernstein, Kautsky, Bogdanov, etc. and developed Marxism into the modern era, it goes without saying that Lenin possessed an irreproachable mastery of Marxism. All this making him a uniquely apt person to outline the theory of Marxism, beyond Marx and Engels themselves.
While Lenin never undertook the writing of a definitive “guide” to Marxism, throughout all his works is found a useful lesson in elucidating the principles of Marxism and their continuous develop, while the life’s work of Lenin, Stalin, and the Bolshevik Party serve as the demonstration of Marxism (now Marxism-Leninism) in practice. For this reason, to make the teaching of Marxism and its development more readily understandable, and, no doubt, to assist in studying Marx and Engels directly, this massive volume of shorter works and excerpts from Lenin which flesh out the fundamentals of Marx and Engels’ teaching was compiled by the editors of the Soviet Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute. And, toward its ultimate goals of assisting in the study of Marxism, it certainly does not disappoint.
Beginning with Lenin’s article on Karl Marx which is part-biographical sketch and part-sketch of Marxism and his obituary for Engels, the first few works contained mark the contours outlining the main features of Marxism (dialectical and historical materialism, Marx and Engels’ teachings on political economy, etc.), before passing over to a whole number of works on more specific topics.
The first group of articles after this initial sketch of Marxism is dedicated primarily to elucidating questions of the Marxist Party, demonstrating the development of the theory of the vanguard party by Lenin and offering a clear image of how the Bolshevik Party was built and how its programme was hammered out, while also including some shorter articles with invaluable lessons on insurrection and the relationship of the party to the masses that accompany longer excerpts from works like What is to be Done? and Left-Wing Communism.
After this is found a number of works, including excerpts from The Development of Capitalism in Russia, about the historic direction of social development and the inevitable transition of capitalism into monopoly capitalism, imperialism. Having established the development of monopoly capitalism, especially in the excerpts from “Imperialism and the Split in Socialism”, a striking image is drawn of modern opportunism, its actions, and its relationship to the bourgeoisie as a wholly alien trend to the proletariat. In this section, also, is to be found some of Lenin’s most well-known writings on the national question from his polemics against Luxemburg which, alongside Stalin’s famous pamphlet on the matter, form the Leninist line on the national question.
Finally, the book concludes with articles on the experience of the Great October Socialist Revolution and the proletarian dictatorship, drawing on the lessons of the Soviet Republic which, beyond being a first-hand account of the initial developments in socialist construction in Russia, are a brilliant elucidation of the functions of the proletarian dictatorship (especially in the letter to the Hungarian Soviet Republic), and characterisation of what the construction of socialism actually looks like, striking a great blow at Trotskyites and the modern defenders of China alike.
On the whole, this selection of works with one of the greatest summaries of Marxism and introductions to Marx and Engels’ works, covering practically every major feature of Marxist theory in sublime detail while not remaining trapped in the problems of Marx and Engels’ time, developing Marxism for our epoch, the epoch of imperialism and the proletarian revolution. Every work contained is certainly a must-read, and this book’s outstanding character is binding them all together in a single great volume.
While Lenin never undertook the writing of a definitive “guide” to Marxism, throughout all his works is found a useful lesson in elucidating the principles of Marxism and their continuous develop, while the life’s work of Lenin, Stalin, and the Bolshevik Party serve as the demonstration of Marxism (now Marxism-Leninism) in practice. For this reason, to make the teaching of Marxism and its development more readily understandable, and, no doubt, to assist in studying Marx and Engels directly, this massive volume of shorter works and excerpts from Lenin which flesh out the fundamentals of Marx and Engels’ teaching was compiled by the editors of the Soviet Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute. And, toward its ultimate goals of assisting in the study of Marxism, it certainly does not disappoint.
Beginning with Lenin’s article on Karl Marx which is part-biographical sketch and part-sketch of Marxism and his obituary for Engels, the first few works contained mark the contours outlining the main features of Marxism (dialectical and historical materialism, Marx and Engels’ teachings on political economy, etc.), before passing over to a whole number of works on more specific topics.
The first group of articles after this initial sketch of Marxism is dedicated primarily to elucidating questions of the Marxist Party, demonstrating the development of the theory of the vanguard party by Lenin and offering a clear image of how the Bolshevik Party was built and how its programme was hammered out, while also including some shorter articles with invaluable lessons on insurrection and the relationship of the party to the masses that accompany longer excerpts from works like What is to be Done? and Left-Wing Communism.
After this is found a number of works, including excerpts from The Development of Capitalism in Russia, about the historic direction of social development and the inevitable transition of capitalism into monopoly capitalism, imperialism. Having established the development of monopoly capitalism, especially in the excerpts from “Imperialism and the Split in Socialism”, a striking image is drawn of modern opportunism, its actions, and its relationship to the bourgeoisie as a wholly alien trend to the proletariat. In this section, also, is to be found some of Lenin’s most well-known writings on the national question from his polemics against Luxemburg which, alongside Stalin’s famous pamphlet on the matter, form the Leninist line on the national question.
Finally, the book concludes with articles on the experience of the Great October Socialist Revolution and the proletarian dictatorship, drawing on the lessons of the Soviet Republic which, beyond being a first-hand account of the initial developments in socialist construction in Russia, are a brilliant elucidation of the functions of the proletarian dictatorship (especially in the letter to the Hungarian Soviet Republic), and characterisation of what the construction of socialism actually looks like, striking a great blow at Trotskyites and the modern defenders of China alike.
On the whole, this selection of works with one of the greatest summaries of Marxism and introductions to Marx and Engels’ works, covering practically every major feature of Marxist theory in sublime detail while not remaining trapped in the problems of Marx and Engels’ time, developing Marxism for our epoch, the epoch of imperialism and the proletarian revolution. Every work contained is certainly a must-read, and this book’s outstanding character is binding them all together in a single great volume.
Displaying 1 of 1 review