Vanguard of the Revolution

Author(s):  
A. James McAdams

This book is a sweeping history of one of the most significant political institutions of the modern world. The communist party was a revolutionary idea long before its supporters came to power. The book argues that the rise and fall of communism can be understood only by taking into account the origins and evolution of this compelling idea. It shows how the leaders of parties in countries as diverse as the Soviet Union, China, Germany, Yugoslavia, Cuba, and North Korea adapted the original ideas of revolutionaries like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin to profoundly different social and cultural settings. The book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand world communism and the captivating idea that gave it life.

Author(s):  
Chengzhang Zou ◽  

The article presents the results of the author’s study of the interpretation of the theoretical sources of the principle of peaceful coexistence of two systems in Soviet studies of the second half of the 20th century, devoted to the history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The author established a chronological framework for studying the principle of peaceful coexistence of two systems in Soviet historiography, and revealed Soviet historiographic markers of this principle in the corpuses of the works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin). The article also presents a historical description and analysis of the way Soviet historians of the party interpreted the principle of peaceful coexistence of two systems in the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The author identified the historical features of Soviet historians’ interpretation of the principle of peaceful coexistence of two systems in the works of Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), systematized approaches to the interpretation of the theoretical sources of the principle of peaceful coexistence of two systems that were formed in Soviet studies on the history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, revealed their structural features, and also developed a model for their typology.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 116-135

The article poses the task of creating a financial history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). The Communist Party existed from 1898 to 1991. Though communists declared commitment to Marxism, which acknowledged the precedence of material factors over ideology and policy, the role of finances in the party’s history received little attention. After 1991, the situation in this field remained practically the same. The lack of scientific history generates mythology. The author demonstrates that one of such myths is the concept that the revolution of 1917 was a success thanks to the Bolsheviks having “German money”. The article analyzes the issue of Germany financing the Bolsheviks from the banking point of view. The existing hypotheses of how exactly the Bolsheviks were receiving money are considered. The main “anti-Bolshevik” version implies that finances were being transferred to the Bolsheviks under the guise of operations of an import/export firm, whose representative in Russia was Evgeniya Sumenson. The author investigates three cases which are of prime importance for all these hypotheses: Alexander Parvus’s money, the telegrams intercepted by the French counterintelligence, and the so-called “Sisson Documents”. Based on the analysis of the works of Russian and foreign historians and also on the published archive materials, the author concludes that all the documents currently available do not support the “anti-Bolshevik” version. Moreover, they prove that money movement was backwards: the proceeds from the sales of goods imported into Russia were transferred to Europe. Operations carried out by Sumeson were of a purely commercial nature and were quite in line with the banking practice of that period. The true financial history of the Bolsheviks and the CPSU as a whole is yet to be written. One of such successful investigations is John Biggart’s article on the Nikolai P. Shmit bequest.


1961 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Gerhart Niemeyer ◽  
John S. Reshetar ◽  
Leonard Schapiro

1962 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Herbert J. Ellison ◽  
John S. Reshetar

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-345
Author(s):  
Katya Vladimirov

The article presents a tumulus seventy-year history of the top party élite, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CC CPSU), by profiling the anatomy of historical generations that embodied it. Five district generations in power and various political “teams” had been locked in ferocious battle for access to political capital, high social status, coveted positions, ranks, and privileges. Their survival and advancement demanded perseverance, bargaining skills, and ruthless elimination of competitors. Purges and forced retirement were essential power tools used in their generational struggle for power and status. The article discusses these methods of compulsory “exclusion” and offers innovative and revealing perspective on the nature of the Soviet political structure as well as on the techniques of its internal combat.


1929 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 956-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel N. Harper

A salient feature of the Soviet order set up in Russia by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 is the provision for a single, mobilized political center, striving to organize all social processes to conform with its particular ideology and program. The Communist party is this political center of the Soviet Union, enjoying a monopoly of legality in respect of organization. Only an outline of the methods by which this political machine exercises its leadership is possible within the limits of the present note. The emphasis will be on the structure which the Communists have given to their party, in order more effectively to carry the responsibility of leadership assumed by them. The word “party” is used, but one has here an organization which differs sharply from political parties of parliamentary systems. Also in its relations to the formal governmental bodies the Communist party presents several features which differentiate it from the party systems of other countries.The special methods of organization adopted and the peculiar position enjoyed by the Communist party in the Soviet Union permit of several theoretical interpretations. One of these is that the Revolution contemplated by the Communists has three distinct stages, of which only the second has as yet been reached. There was the successful seizure of power, finally consolidated after some three years of civil war. Then came the present period of transition, the length of which will depend upon the success of the party in the exercise of its leadership. Only the successful achievement of the present party leadership will bring the final triumph of the Revolution as the third and last period.


Reviews: The British Ombudsman, The History of the Liberal Party 1895–1970, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, Ireland's English Question, Liberalism in South Africa 1948–1963, The Gentle Anarchists: A Study of the Leaders of the Sarvodaya Movement for Non-Violent Revolution in India, The Finnish Political System, Politics and Society in De Gaulle's Republic, Fédéralisme et Nations, The Soviet Union Under Brezhnev and Kosygin, The Behavioral Revolution and Communist Studies, The Origins of Polish Socialism: The History and Ideas of the First Polish Socialist Party 1878–1886, The Intellectual Origins of the Prague Spring: The Development of Reformist Ideas in Czechoslovakia 1956–1967, The Secret Vysočany Congress: Proceedings and Documents of the Extraordinary Fourteenth Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, 22 August, 1968, the Czechoslovak Experiment 1968–1969, Democracy, Polyarchy, Empirical Democratic Theory, Voting and Collective Choice, Social Movement, Constitutional Theory, Magna Carta: The Heritage of Liberty, Natural Law in Political Thought, A Dialogue between A Philosopher and A Student of the Common Laws of England, from Kingdom to Commonwealth, Adam Smith's Science of Morals, Auguste Blanqui and the Art of Insurrection, Alienation: Marx's Conception of Man in Capitalist Society, the Thought of Karl Marx: An Introduction, Capitalism & Modern Social Theory, Introduction to International Politics, a Theoretical Overview, Instructor's Guide(for Introduction to International Politics, International Politics Today, Contemporary International Politics: Introductory Readings, Every War Must End, Politics and the Stages of Economic Growth

1972 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-266
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Marshall ◽  
J. Rasmussen ◽  
P. M. H. Bell ◽  
J. H. Whyte ◽  
D. J. Murray ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Peng Li

Marxism is the science of universal standard. The truth, practicality, scientific of Marxism has been proved by history. But with the development of practice, the development of Marxist theory itself is facing a new opportunity, also faced with unprecedented challenges. How to effectively cope with the challenges?Such as: Is communism a utopia? The labor theory of value is effective? Socialist country is democracy? And so on. All these problems are the socialist system and Marxist must think and answer. As a Marxist, how to truly stand in the position of Marxism, using the Marxist method and point of view to observe the social and economic development and the progress of human civilization and world history, is the problem of contemporary Marxists has to think about. Or it will lose vitality, and will be out of date, and possible failure. The most familiar example is the socialist power caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union and its consequences. As important heritage and development of Marxist theory, the Communist Party of China has always been guided by the Marxism theory, whether in revolution, construction and reform, or the governing principle politics today. Can say, not only accumulated a very valuable historical experience, but also enriched and developed Marxism, the Communist Party of China have a say in the history of Marxist development. So, we need to discuss three questions, the effectiveness of the Marxist theory, and understanding of Marxist trajectory of the Communist Party of China, the challenge for the Marxism theory and how to deal with.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-66
Author(s):  
Maryna Berezutska

AbstractBandura art is a unique phenomenon of Ukrainian culture, inextricably linked with the history of the Ukrainian people. The study is dedicated to one of the most tragic periods in the history of bandura art, that of the 1920s–1940s, during which the Bolsheviks were creating, expanding and strengthening the Soviet Union. Art in a multinational state at this time was supposed to be national by form and socialist by content in accordance with the concept of Bolshevik cultural policy; it also had to serve Soviet propaganda. Bandura art has always been national by its content, and professional by its form, so conflict was inevitable. The Bolsheviks embodied their cultural policy through administrative and power methods: they created numerous bandurist ensembles and imposed a repertoire that glorified the Communist Party and the Soviet system. As a result, the development of bandura art stagnated significantly, although it did not die completely. At the same time, in the post-war years this policy provoked the emigration of many professional bandurists to the USA and Canada, thus promoting the active spread of bandura art in the Ukrainian Diaspora.


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