V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v7; en:CW/CW41;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

THE FACT OF WAR. It is only beginning. Literary polemics. Why? Clarification of the grounds which make war inevitable.

Special attention must be devoted to theoretical, fundamental differences.

A) A HALF-HEARTED AND UNPRINCIPLED POSITION BETWEEN REVOLUTIONARY MARXISM AND OPPORTUNIST CRITICISM.

1. Article in No. 2 of *Vestnik Russkoi Revolutsii* (editorial). Examination of it.

2. The theory of collapse. Quotation pp. 55-56 = denial of the economic necessity of socialism. (Trusts forgotten.)

3. The agrarian question. Quotation p. 57 (“even”).

4. The theory of value. Quotation p. 64. “Shaken”!

p. 66 (again “even”!)

{p. 67 and 48 = crisis of the whole of socialism}

5. “Rigid and exclusive Marxism is passing into the realm of history” (75)!! NB

6. Zhitlovsky in *Sozialistische Monatshefte*…

* To point B. 3. Ed.

8. *Vestnik Russkoi Revolutsii* No. 2, pp. 82 and 87. “Amendments”, “revision”, etc. [81]

9. Σ[82] = complete unprincipledness. All who wish can be S.R.s.

10. Complete dissociation from international socialism: “originality”.

B) A HALF-HEARTED AND UNPRINCIPLED POSITION BETWEEN RUSSIAN MARXISM AND NARODNAYA VOLYA, MORE PRECISELY: THE LIBERAL-NARODNIK TREND.

153 Refers to the programme address “From the Peasant Union of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries to All Workers of Revolutionary Socialism in Russia”, published on June 25, 1902 in *Revolyutsionnaya Rossiya* No. 8. Below, in section C, point 3, Lenin refers to the same address.

4. Σ = a purely eclectic combination of Narodism and Marxism by means of “criticism”.

C) A HALF-HEARTED ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CLASS STRUGGLE AND THE WORKING-CLASS MOVEMENT.

1. From the theoretical sins of the position they pass to the practical ones. Their attitude towards the class struggle and the working-class movement. How do they pose the question?

4. The intelligentsia and the proletariat. And the Narodovoltsi too!!! No. 3 of *Vestnik Russkoi Revolutsii* – pp. 9-11. Special leaflet.

5. Their attitude in practice? Illustrated by “Economism”. *Iskra*: a long process of work, persuasion, education. *Iskra*’s renunciation of illusions of unity.

Cf.: Malicious glee

+ Putting spokes in the wheels of revolutionary Marxism.

Σ = spectator-dilettante.

6. How do they explain their difference from the S.D.s? No. 9, p. 4, column 2.

D) INDEPENDENTLY OF THEIR WILL, THEY LEAD TO THE SUBORDINATION OF THE WORKING CLASS TO BOURGEOIS DEMOCRACY.

1. We have examined the theoretical position of the S.R.s and their attitude towards the working-class movement. Σ = half-heartedness, eclecticism. Their attitude towards Russian bourgeois democracy.

154 Refers to an article by A. N. Potresov, “The Modern Vestal. (From Studies on Modern Journalism)”, signed “St.”, published in December 1901 in *Zarya* No. 2-3.

3. And Mr. Struve? And the liberal-Narodnik trend? Before it they knuckle under!!! And that means they knuckle under before bourgeois democracy, do not explain class antagonisms to the workers, do not develop an independent socialist ideology.

4. And what does intelligentsia + proletariat + peasantry mean? In practice, the intelligentsia and the peasantry represent nothing but bourgeois democracy!!

5. And their attitude towards the liberals? Return to

We have war, not verbose arguments: on the one hand, on the other hand.

But we understand that the liberals represent a class, that they are tenacious, that they have a social, popular movement, whereas the S.R.s have none!!

6. L. M. was right in *Zarya* (No. 2-3): the S.R.s bear their double name because their socialism is not at all revolutionary, and their revolutionary character has nothing in common with socialism. This = leads to defeat before bourgeois democracy.

* In fine – at the end. Ed.

1) The modern countryside can support and intensify the pressure on the government “and can, probably, more energetically than we think, we who have been completely cut off from the peasant for so many years now, thanks to government espionage and oppression”. *Revolyutsionnaya Rossiya* No. 4 (February 1902), p. 2.

3. “Socialisation of the land”. Bourgeois nationalisation? (and its significance in a class state?) “Socialisation of the land” – an empty promise (minimum!).

This = de facto the Narodovoltsy’s “the people are ready for revolution”.

4. Co-operatives (instead of the class struggle!) a purely (bourgeois-) philistine demand.

5. For the commune. Against free disposal.

6. *Narodnoye Dyelo*{147} No. 2, pp. 18-19. How to combine the peasant and the worker struggle?

*Narodnoye Dyelo* No. 2, p. 51: “common-folk”. Unprintable.

F) TERROR.

1. Polemics concerning Balmashov. Unprecedented.

2. Polemics concerning the proclamation of April 3. Quotation (No. 11, p. 25 inf.){148} and conclusion of a fiction.

3. *Vperyod* No. 5. Quotation, No. 5, pp. 7-8

157 Lenin refers to an article (without title) signed “S.R.” from the hectographed periodical *Vperyod* No. 5 of September 15, 1902, issued in St. Petersburg by the Narodnik trend circle “Vperyod”.

* Same. Ed.

** The text marked (α) is located on the reverse side of the page in the manuscript. Ed.

158 In this point Lenin quotes the article “The Terrorist Element in Our Programme”, printed in June 1902 in *Revolyutsionnaya Rossiya* No. 7.

159 Refers to the article “How to Answer Government Atrocities?”, printed in October 1902 in *Revolyutsionnaya Rossiya* No. 12.

* The text marked ((3) is located on the reverse side of the page in the manuscript. Ed.

(G) CONCLUSION.

Tasks of the modern revolutionaries:

α) Theoretical defence and development of revolutionary Marxism.

β) Full participation in the international ideological struggle.

γ) Development of Russian Marxism, its application, struggle against the liberal-Narodnik trend, exposing to the working class its bourgeois and petty-bourgeois character.

δ) Organisation of the proletariat. Enormous gaps. Urgent demands.

ε) “There are masses of people and there are no people.” The leaders must prepare the masses for insurrection.