In 1902 he published a pamphlet called “ What is to be done?” This pamphlet contained his radical ideas towards the nature of a revolutionary party. In this pamphlet, there were three main points that Lenin made in relation to the role of a revolutionary party.
“An organisation of revolutionaries must contain primarily and chiefly people whose occupation is revolutionary activity… This organisation must necessarily be not very broad, and as secret as possible.”
This idea was stating that he wanted the party to consist of activists. He wanted people to go out and do something for the party rather than sit around and do nothing to help the cause of the party. This idea was later to contribute towards the split of the RSDWP.
Lenin also stated;
“The one serious organisational principle for workers in our movement must be the strictest secrecy, strictest choice of members, training of professional revolutionaries.”
Lenin wanted the party to be professional and didn’t want the country to know that there was a revolutionary party being constructed that was to revolt against the current government.
The third major point that Lenin made in his pamphlet was;
“We must break completely with the tradition of a purely workers or trade union type of social democratic organisation down to factory groups inclusive. The factory groups or committee …… must consist of a very small number of revolutionaries, receiving direct from the committee, orders and powers to conduct the whole social democratic party work in the factory.”
This statement showed that Lenin wanted to create a dictatorial party that was to take orders from the top and no one else. He wanted to control the party and maintain it as a fully organised and prepared revolutionary organisation.
In these three statements Lenin has already added to Marxism. Marx did not state what the role of the communist party would be. But here Lenin has said what he wants the party to do and how he wants it to be controlled. Marx also did not comment on how the party would operate and how it would gain power. Here in his pamphlet Lenin has shown that he wants a dictatorial party that will be run from the top and that they will take power with a highly organised and secret movement.
Karl Marx never stated how and when revolution would take place. Lenin though did mention this. He made three changes to Marx’s theory.
- Revolution would be accomplished by a small group of highly professional dedicated revolutionaries. They were needed to develop the revolutionary consciousness of workers and focus their attentions.
- Lenin believed that the revolution would occur during a period of conflict between capitalist powers. He accepted Trotsky’s idea that a revolution would start in an underdeveloped country just like Russia where the struggle and conflict between proletariat and bourgeoisie was very great. This was known as the “weakest link” theory.
- He did not think that the middle classes of Russia were strong enough to carry out a revolution. He believed that the working class could develop a revolutionary government of its own alliance with poor peasants who had a history of mass action in Russia.
These changes show how Lenin believed in Marxism but added parts that Marx failed to mention in his theory. And so extended Marxism with his own ideas, Leninism.
In 1903 the RSDWP held it’s second congress eventually in London, after the initial location Brussels was changed due to fear of persecution. In this congress four main issues were discussed. The first was the adoption of Iskra, Lenin and Martov’s revolutionary newspaper, as the party organ. The second issue discussed was probably the most important of the congress. The issue was that of membership. Lenin’s proposal was:
“A member of the party is one who accepts its programmes and supports it, both materially and by personal participation in one of its organisations.”
Lenin wanted party members that were active and actually went out and personally participated in events that would benefit the party. Whereas Martov believed that members should be:
“A member of the RSDWP is one who accepts its programme and supports it both materially and by regular co-operation under the leadership of one of its organisations”
Martov believed that party members should be passive and of large quantities similar to that of governments of nowadays. He wanted members to just accept the party’s programme and support in what they do. He didn’t state that he wanted active members like Lenin.
George Plekhanov was the chairman of the congress as was the only main figure to agree with Lenin, all of the others on the Iskra editorial board came down on the side of Martov, as did Trotsky. Lenin’s proposal was rejected 28 to 23 and Martov’s proposal was accepted 28 to 22.
The third issue of the Congress that was discussed was that of overseas organisations. It was decided that only the League of Revolutionary Social Democracy should be recognised and therefore the Union of Russian Social Democrats Abroad was disfranchised. This action caused the resignation of seven members of congress, all of them being Martov supporters, and sop now allowing supporters of Lenin to be in the majority.
The fourth and final major point of the congress was that of Lenin’s proposal to reduce the members of the Iskra editorial board from six to three, and that the new party central committee have only three members. This was accepted and Lenin, Martov and Plekhanov were elected. But it became clear that Martov was in a minority and so rejected the offer and his supporters had nothing more to do with the elections. At this split Lenin’s supporters were dubbed the Bolshevik’s, majority, and Martov’s the Menshevik’s, minority.
This congress shows how Lenin was adding to Marxism as he was trying to give the RSDWP some identity and an insight has to how he wanted it to be run. This was an addition to Marx, as he never mentioned how the party would be run and what the role of it would be. But these actions taken by Lenin have large consequences. His ideas clashed with that of Martov and so caused the split of the RSDWP.
Another major consequence of Lenin’s abrasive personality and wish to have the RSDWP run his way was that this split of the party was non reconcilable. Plekhanov tried to create reconciliation between the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks and co-opted Mensheviks onto the now Bolshevik run Iskra board. But Lenin was having none of this. He resigned leaving Iskra to become a Menshevik organ and organised the Bolsheviks as a separate faction. Trotsky who was part of Martov’s Mensheviks wrote “Our political tasks” in 1904.
“The party is replaced by the organisation of the party, the organisation by the control committee, and finally the control committee by the dictator.”
Trotsky is commenting on the consequence of Lenin’s organisation of the party. He believes that Lenin’s concept of a revolutionary party would inevitably lead to dictatorship.
In conclusion Lenin’s main addition to Marxism was to give the details about the role of the party, the membership of the party and the ultimate aim of the party, that Marx did not give when he began his theory of Marxism. But Lenin’s additions did not come without significant consequences that would affect the future of Russian politics.
