Marxism-Leninism

Question 1

Who is Lenin?

Answer 1

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was the leader of Russia’s Bolshevik party prior to the Bolshevik revolution

Question 2

What year was the bolshevik revolution?

Answer 2

1917

Question 3

What was the main difference in Marx and Lenin’s thinking?

Answer 3

They had different opinions on how a communist state should arise.

Question 4

What was Lenin’s concern with Marx’s ideas about the coming about of communism?

Answer 4

Lenin was concerned that Marx thought that revolution could only occur in societies with well developed capitalism, part of his historic materialism.

Question 5

What did Lenin think Marx was implying with his historic materialism?

Answer 5

That less developed countries would have to endure many more decades of oppressive rule, as well as the horrors of developing capitalism, for them to reach socialist salvation.

Question 6

What was Lenin’s alternative to historic materialism?

Answer 6

Accelerated revolutionary socialism, designed to ensure that socialism, and eventually communism, could prevail-met the development of capitalism.

Question 7

What was Lenin’s key work?

Answer 7

What Is To Be Done - 1902

Question 8

What did Lenin argue in his key work?

Answer 8

Revolution should be the cause and not the effect of socialist ideas developing

Question 9

What did Lenin believe was the benefit of accelerated Revolutionary Socialism?

Answer 9

It would prevent the masses from developing any sympathy for capitalism, which would be a further obstacle to socialism.

Question 10

What was sympathy for capitalism known as?

Answer 10

False consciousness.

Question 11

What did Lenin stress the importance of when it came to a revolution?

Answer 11

The Vanguard, or revolutionary elite.

Question 12

What 4 tasks would the Vanguard perform?

Answer 12

-Planning revolution
-Inciting revolution
-Educating the masses into socialist virtues
-Forming a communist party following it.

Question 13

What is democratic centralism?

Answer 13

Only one party (the Vanguard) with open discussion it it. decisions could be reached which embody the will of the people, making further debate disrespectful. Used to justify the atrocities committed by several communist leaders.

Question 14

Which two states and leaders embodied Marxism-Leninism?

Answer 14

USSR - Joseph Stalin
China - Mae Tse-tung

Question 15

What did Stalin do with Lenin’s ideals?

Answer 15

Created a very brutal regime, collectivising agriculture and creating an industrial state over it, leading to the revolution or murder of an entire peasant class in the process.

Question 16

What idea did Stalin promote?

Answer 16

Socialism in one country

Question 17

What is socialism in one country?

Answer 17

When a country isolates itself from the outside world and promotes a form of socialist nationalism.

Question 18

What did Mao Tse-tung do with Lenin’s ideals?

Answer 18

Created the idea of cultural revolution, which became a campaign of persecution against any aspect of traditional Chinese culture.

Question 19

What was included in Mao’s cultural revolution?

Answer 19

The discouragement of religion, misogyny and the elderly? Millions died in the process.

Question 20

Where did Luxemborg stand on accelerated revolutionary socialism?

Answer 20

She endorsed it, but only to the extent of economically under-developed countries.

Question 21

What concern did Luxembourg have with Lenin’s thoughts on the arising of socialism?

Answer 21

She admired his impatience, but thought that his ideas could make socialism irrelevant to the already institutionalise capitalist systems, such as in Germany.

Question 22

Where did Luxembourg stand on socialism in one country?

Answer 22

She thought it abhorrent.

Question 23

What was Luxemurg’s key work?

Answer 23

Reform or Revolution - 1900

Question 24

What did Luxemburg argue in her key work?

Answer 24

-Capitalism is against socialism belief
-Only revolution could bring about socialism
-Didn’t agree with historic materialism

Question 25

What about Lenin’s thinking did Luxemborg reject?

Answer 25

The idea of a vanguard.

Question 26

What was Luxemborg’s alternative to Lenin’s ideas?

Answer 26

A spontaneous revolution following the natural development of class consciousness

Question 27

What steps would lead to a spontaneous revolution according to Luxemborg?

Answer 27

Mass strike action.

Question 28

What else did Luxemborg not agree with in terms of the vanguard?

Answer 28

Dictatorship of the proletariat

Question 29

What was Luxemborg’s alternative to teh dictatorship of the proliterait

Answer 29

Construction of a new democracy

Question 30

What would underpin Luxemborg’s new socialist democracy?

Answer 30

Common Ownership
open debate
freeelections

Question 31

Where did Luxemborg stand on nationalism?

Answer 31

She hated it
She upheld Marx’s internationalism by dismissing Lenin’s interest in social nationalism, claiming that he overlooked the way nationalism was imbedded into a capitalist state.