[Part 1 -- Chapters 1-4]

H I S T O R Y

O F  T H E

C O M M U N I S T   P A R T Y

O F  T H E

S O V I E T  U N I O N

(B O L S H E V I K S)


Short Course


 
E D I T E D  B Y  A  C O M M I S S I O N  O F  T H E
C E N T R A L  C O M M I T T E E  O F  T H E  C. P. S. U. (B.)


A U T H O R I Z E D  B Y  T H E  C E N T R A L  C O M M I T T E E
O F  T H E  C. P. S. U. (B.)


Copyright, 1939, by
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS CO., INC.



Prepared © for the Internet by David J. Romagnolo[email protected] (October 1998)

[Transcriber's Note : In the printed edition of the text, quoted passages of any length appear in the same size type, but are indented as a block. In the following on-line version, these passages are NOT indented as a block, but appear in a smaller point font.-- DJR ]


C O N T E N T S
 
[Part 1 -- Chapters 1-4]

 

INTRODUCTION
 

1
 

Chapter One

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CREATION OF A SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC
LABOUR PARTY IN RUSSIA
(1883-1901)

1.
 
 

2.
 
 

3.
 
 

4.
 
 
 

5.
 

Abolition of Serfdom and the Development of Industrial Cap-
italism in Russia. Rise of the Modern Industrial Proletariat.
First Steps of the Working-Class Movement

Narodism (Populism) and Marxism in Russia. Plekhanov and
His "Emancipation of Labour" Group. Plekhanov's Fight
Against Narodism. Spread of Marxism in Russia

Beginning of Lenin's Revolutionary Activities. St. Petersburg
League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working
Class

Lenin's Struggle Against Narodism and "Legal Marxism."
Lenin's Idea of an Alliance of the Working Class and the
Peasantry. First Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic
Labour Party

Lenin's Fight Against "Economism." Appearance of Lenin's
Newspaper Iskra


 
3


 
8


 
16


 
 
19


 22

Brief Summary

25


 
Chapter Two

FORMATION OF THE RUSSIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY.
APPEARANCE OF THE BOLSHEVIK AND THE MENSHEVIK
GROUPS WITHIN THE PARTY
(1901-1904)

1.

2.
 
 
 

3.
 
 
 

4.
 
 
 
 

Upsurge of the Revolutionary Movement in Russia in 1901-04

Lenin's Plan for the Building of a Marxist Party. Opportunism
of the "Economists." Iskra 's Fight for Lenin's Plan. Lenin's
Book What Is To Be Done? Ideological Foundations of the
Marxist Party

Second Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour
Party. Adoption of Program and Rules and Formation of a
Single Party. Differences at the Congress and Appearance of
Two Trends Within the Party: The Bolshevik and the Menshevik

Splitting Activities of the Menshevik Leaders and Sharpening
of the Struggle Within the Party After the Second Congress.
Opportunism of the Menshevik. Lenin's Book, One Step
Forward, Two Steps Back. Organizational Principles of the
Marxist Party

27


 
 
30


 
 
39


 
 
 
44

Brief Summary

52


 
Chapter Three

THE MENSHEVIKS AND THE BOLSHEVIKS IN THE PERIOD OF
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE FIRST RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION
(1904-1907)

1.
 
 
 

2.
 
 

3.
 
 
 

4.
 
 

5.
 
 

6.
 
 
 

Russo-Japanese War. Further Rise of the Revolutionary Move-
ment in Russia. Strikes in St. Petersburg. Workers' Demon-
stration Before the Winter Palace on January 9, 1905. Demon-
stration Fired Upon. Outbreak of the Revolution

Workers' Political Strikes and Demonstrations. Growth of the
Revolutionary Movement Among the Peasants. Revolt on the
Battleship Potemkin

Tactical Differences Between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
Third Party Congress. Lenin's Two Tactics of Social-Demo-
cracy in the Democratic Revolution.
 Tactical Foundations of
the Marxist Party

Further Rise of the Revolution. All-Russian Political Strike
of October 1905. Retreat of Tsardom. The Tsar's Manifesto.
Rise of the Soviets of Workers' Deputies

December Armed Uprising. Defeat of the Uprising. Retreat of
the Revolution. First State Duma. Fourth (Unity) Party Con-
gress

Dispersion of the First State Duma. Convocation of the Second
State Duma. Fifth Party Congress. Dispersion of the Second
State Duma. Causes of the Defeat of the First Russian Revo-
lution


 
 
54


 
58


 
 
62


 
77


 
80


 
 
88

Brief Summary

94


 
Chapter Four

THE MENSHEVIKS AND THE BOLSHEVIKS IN THE PERIOD OF THE
STOLYPIN REACTION. THE BOLSHEVIKS CONSTITUTE THEM-
SELVES AN INDEPENDENT MARXIST PARTY
(1908-1912)

1.
 
 
 
 
 
 

2.

3.
 
 

4.
 

5.
 

Stolypin Reaction. Disintegration Among the Oppositional
Intelligentsia. Decadence. Desertion of a Section of the
Party Intelligentsia to the Enemies of Marxism and Attempts
to Revise the Theory of Marxism. Lenin's Rebutal of the Re-
visionists in His Materialism and Empirio-Criticism and
His Defence of the Theoretical Foundations of the Marxist
Party

Dialectical and Historical Materialism

Bolsheviks and Mensheviks in the Period of the Stolypin Re-
action. Struggle of the Bolsheviks Against the Liquidators
and Otzovists

Struggle of the Bolsheviks Against Trotskyism. Anti-Party
August Bloc

Prague Party Conference, 1912. Bolsheviks Constitute Them-
selves an Independent Marxist Party


 
 
 
 
 
97

105


 
132


136


138

Brief Summary

143




From Marx
to Mao

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On to Part 2
Chapters 5-9