The Collected Works Of J.V. Stalin: Volume 1

by Joseph Stalin

This edition of the English translation of J. V. Stalin's Works has been reproduced faithfully from the text of the English-based on the Russian edition-prepared by the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute of the Central Committee, C.P.S.U.

Iskra Books, the imprint of the Center for Communist Studies, has chosen to publish the full series of the Collected Works due to an academic scarcity of the materials, an increasing inaccessibility of used copies of the original Foreign Languages Publishing House editions of the 1950s, and a growing scholarly and practical interest in the writings and ideas of one of the Twentieth Century's most impactful socialist heads of state. Stalin's Works are both pedagogically accessible and theoretically important, and deserve to be studied not only as world-historical and practical applications of the development of Marxist-Leninist political theory, but-especially in an era where the rise of hegemonic imperialism and the decay of capitalism lead to an increasing global fascism-also as political-theoretical texts in their own right; as the core theoretical works underpinning extant socialist state governance, policy, legislation, and practice.

Genres: Politics, History

340 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2022

About the author

Joseph Stalin, originally Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, was a Soviet revolutionary, politician and statesman who became the leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1941–1953).

Initially governing the country as part of a collective leadership, he consolidated power to become an informal dictator by the 1930s. Ideologically adhering to the Leninist interpretation of Marxism, he formalised these ideas as Marxism–Leninism, while his own policies are called Stalinism.

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important work for understanding who Stalin really was and what he really thought. In particular “Anarchism or Socialism?” Is an incredibly powerful synopsis of Marxist philosophy and politics and a systematic dismantling of the Anarchist “position” on Communism, which should be required reading for all. Can’t wait for volume 2 to be published!

[Timothy Morrison]

resent-day society is extremely complex! It is a motley patchwork of classes and groups — the big, middle and petty bourgeoisie; the big, middle and petty feudal landlords; journeymen, unskilled labourers and skilled factory workers; the higher, middle and lower clergy; the higher, middle and minor bureaucracy; a heterogeneous intelligentsia, and other groups of a similar kind. Such is the motley picture our society presents!

But it is also obvious that the further society develops the more clearly two main trends stand out in this complexity, and the more sharply this complex society divides up into two opposite camps — the capitalist camp and the proletarian camp. The January economic strikes (1905) clearly showed that Russia is indeed divided into two camps. The November strikes in St. Petersburg (1905) and the June-July strikes all over Russia (1906), brought the leaders of the two camps into collision and thereby fully exposed the present-day class antagonisms. Since then the capitalist camp has been wide awake. In that camp feverish and ceaseless preparation is going on; local associations of capitalists are beingformed, the local associations combine to form regional associations and the regional associations combine in all-Russian associations; funds and newspapers are being started, and all-Russian congresses and conferences of capitalists are being convened. . . .

Thus, the capitalists are organising in a separate class with the object of curbing the proletariat.

On the other hand, the proletarian camp is wide awake too. Here, too, feverish preparations for the impending struggle are being made. In spite of persecution by the reaction, here, too, local trade unions are being formed, the local unions combine to form regional unions, trade union funds are being started, the trade union press is growing, and all-Russian congresses and conferences of workers' unions are being held. . . .

It is evident that the proletarians are also organising in a separate class with the object of curbing exploitation.

[Nick Girvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first volume of works Stalin wrote as a young revolutionary. Much of it was written when he was in his '20s, and early years of revolutionary struggle in Russia get touched on in depth. I particularly liked the section on Socialism vs. Anarchism, probably the only section I'd say is really essential to a Marxist-Leninist. But the rest was still worth it.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading Stalin. Glad he’s as sarcastic or even more so than Lenin.

Contextualizes the political decisions and formations the party faced in and around 1905 and the criticism and shortcomings of the Duma and basically full court pressing for revolution against the reactionary elements of the government at the Tsar’s bidding.

The march of Bloody Sunday and its milquetoast, liberal reform proposals from the beneficent veneer of the “father tsar” were met by savage force. Can’t help but draw comparisons to the No Kings protests.

[Daniel Brisbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, love this guy.

laughed out loud at some of the way he describes the anarchists.

amazing stuff.

[Zac Denman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anarchism or socialism might be the best article I've ever read