To What Extent Was Lenin a Good Leader?

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To What Extent Was Lenin a Good Leader?

During the period lasting from 1917 up until 1924, Lenin remained leader of Russia through the Bolshevik party. During this time he made many decisions that could either be described as being reflective of a good or bad leader. This essay will look at to what extent Lenin was a good leader and whether his actions reflected this. In many ways, the actions of Lenin could suggest that he was a bad leader although in a purely Marxist sense. This is because in 1917 when he had achieved power, he made many promises to the people about "what is to be done" and these policies reflected the thinking of a Marxist leader. The policy of 'War communism' adopted during the civil war certainly reflected a Marxist leader in which he put severe pressure upon the peasants in the name of the common good of the proletariat. This policy however, was promptly dropped at the end of the war in favour of a more capitalist approach. This was the adoption of the 'New Economic Policy', which was essentially capitalist and went against Marxist views. Therefore this is evidence to suggest that he