Lenins testament seventeen moments in soviet history. Sakharovs article i have previously talked about some of the myths surrounding the collection of documents known as lenins testament or more accurately lenins letter to the congress. For an indication of the emotional nature of the debate on lenins phrase, see a. William pierce editors foreword the following material has been translated from a pamphlet found in the nsdap. Below we publish an analysis of documents which are said to have been written or dictated by v. He worried that the party would split when he died. Communism in russia from lenin to show trials notes.
Lenin wanted the testament to be read out at the 12th party congress of the communist party of the soviet union, to be held in april 1923. Lenin, 25 december 1922 this text is part of the internet modern history sourcebook. Excerpts from lenins political testament 1922 alpha history. However, when lenin died, other communist leaders persuaded the party leadership not to act on lenin. Lenins testament is the name given to a document purportedly dictated by vladimir lenin in. Lenins testament, twopart document dictated by vladimir i. In the 1920s and 1930s, the 2nd and 3rd editions of lenin s sochillelliia. Joseph stalins cult of personality became a prominent part of soviet culture in december 1929, after a lavish celebration for stalins 50th birthday. The whole art of politics lies in finding and gripping as strong as we can the link that is least likely to be torn out of our hands, the one that is most important at the given moment, the one that guarantees the possessor of a link the possession of the whole chain. Political testament of lenin and bukharin and the meaning of. The letter was known in high party circles, but kept from the outside world until leon trotsky leaked a copy of it to the american journalist max eastman, who on october 18, 1926, had it published in the new york times. Ha, jokes on lenin, stalin simply had the people who read the testament killed. Trotsky and the suppression of the lenin testament.
Jan 27, 2017 the descriptions of lenins new definitions offered by these two authors show almost no simularitya fact that is not surprising since lenin said nothing on the subject. The letter was initially known only to lenin s wife nadezhda krupskaya and the two secretaries who took down its contents. A documentary history of communism in russia from lenin to gorbachev edited, with introduction, notes, and original translations by robert v. Lenin was outraged when he learned that in an argument sergo ordzhonikidze, the head of moscows caucasian bureau and stalins close ally, had beaten up a georgian bolshevik. Mar 21, 2015 thefinnishbolsheviks blog post on the subject. Successivamente e apparso in revolutionary democracy, vol. The manuscript was believed to be lost beyond recall and was discovered only in 1937, when it was published for the first time. Trotsky and the suppression of the lenin testament by leninist league. Stalin helped create a cult of lenin, including the decision to place his embalmed. Lenins last testament became public on october 18, 1926 when max eastman published a detailed account of it and the political deathmatch between trotsky and stalin in. Lenins succession seventeen moments in soviet history.
Daniels university of vermont press burlington, vermont published by university press of new england hanover and london. Lenin s second concern was to check the powers of the partys leading organs. Lenin s socalled political testament was actually a letter dictated secretly by vladimir ilich lenin in late december 1922, which he intended to discuss at the twelfth party congress in april 1923. Mar 22, 2010 lenin s testament lenin s testament is the name given to a document written by vladimir lenin in the last weeks of 1922 and the first week of 1923. In it, he worried about the future of the communist party in russia. However, after lenin s third stroke in march 1923 left him paralyzed and unable to speak, the testament was kept secret by his wife, nadezhda krupskaya, in the hope of lenin s eventual recovery. The full text of lenin s testament was first publish8d in english in the new york times of october 18, 1926. A dialogue between adolf hitler and me deitrich eckart translated by dr. In the second half of the paper, i will argue, that, although bukharin constantly referred to lenins final writings, they did not change his outlook at any fundamental level. Lenins parents were both well educated and his father was a teacher. The leaders also decided not to publish the testament.
The log of lenins activities during this time may 25oct. Vladimir lenin, letter to the thirteenth party congress. Lenin, december, 1922january, 1923, including the letter to the congress, known as the testament. Tsarist russia autocracy up to 1917 tsar nicholas ii revolution 1905 duma 80% peasants 20% nobles division some industrialisation 18801914 but not enough people unhappy revolution lenin. It contained guideline proposals for changes in the soviet political system and concise portrait assessments of six party leaders joseph. Lenins testament one of the most frequent arguments trotskyists use against marxismleninism is that in his testament lenin ordered stalin to be removed from his post.
The document known as lenins political testament was in fact a series of short letters, written to the congress of soviets over the course of a week in december 1922. He was worried that some members were too powerful and would abuse their power in order to avoid this, lenin hoped that some of the. Marxismleninism is a political philosophy that seeks to establish a socialist state to develop further into socialism and eventually communism, a classless social system with common ownership of the means of production and with full social and economic equality of all members of society. The struggle to succeed lenin which commenced even before his death in january 1924 rocked the communist party to its foundations and had immense consequences to its and the soviet unions future.
Political testament of lenin and bukharin and the meaning of nep. Lenins testamentlenins testament is the name given to a document written by vladimir lenin in the last weeks of 1922 and the first week of 1923. Lenins testament, formally letter to the congress, russian pismo k syezdu, two part document dictated by vladimir i. Lenin was a sick man when he dictated the final writings, a fact that is reflected in their unfocused, repetitive, and rambling organization. An analysis of lenins last testament essay example graduateway. The document known as lenin s political testament was in fact a series of short letters, written to the congress of soviets over the course of a week in december 1922. In the 1920s and 1930s, the 2nd and 3rd editions of lenins sochillelliia. Subsequently it was included by the publishers harcourt brace and co. I own the tall glass building in which i sit, and 97 percent of the company housed in it. It may have been krupskayas interpretation of lenin s opinion rather than an actual dictation. Im an old man, lonely and unloved, sick and hurting and tired of living. Lenins socalled political testament was actually a letter dictated secretly by vladimir ilich lenin in late december 1922, which he intended to discuss at the twelfth party congress in april 1923.
Fortunately for stalin, lenins testament spoke ill of other bolshevik leaders. The letter was initially known only to lenins wife nadezhda krupskaya and the two secretaries who took down its contents. The new testament of the holy bible king james version. Especially focuses on lenins supposed appraisal of stalin at a time when lenin was extremely ill and. Federal system with greater control over the different republics in the ussr. Sensing his impending death, he also gave criticism of bolshevik leaders zinoviev, kamenev, trotsky, bukharin, pyatakov and stalin. Kotkin has a skeptical reading of the testament and its provenance, in light of documentary evidence, including the lack of dictation notes and doctors journal indicating lenin had already lost his speech at the time it was authored. Lenin internet archive, 1997, 1999 transcriptionmarkup. Growing up lenin attended school and was an excellent student. This is the story of the study of lenins brain from early 1925 to 1936 as told by the sixtythreepage secret collection of documents from. The descriptions of lenins new definitions offered by these two authors show almost no simularitya fact that is not surprising since lenin said nothing on the subject. By the stability of the central committee, of which i spoke above, i mean measures against a split, as far as such measures can at all be taken. Lih on lenin, bukharin and the new economic policy of the bolsheviks. When did lenins testament condemning stalin become public.
Lenins testament internet history sourcebooks fordham university. By the stability of the central committee, of which i spoke above, i mean measures against. In these letters, lenin expressed concern about a potential split in the bolshevik central committee, chiefly because of the rivalry and animosity between stalin and trotsky. But yes, the people who knew about the testament were killed off later. For the rest of stalins rule, the soviet press presented stalin as an allpowerful, allknowing leader, with stalins name and image appearing everywhere. Lenin died in january 1924 and stalin immediately established a lead over his rivals by appearing as chief mourner at lenins funeral, helped by trotskys absence which was the result of ill health and being misinformed about the funeral date by stalin. Suppressed or hard to find documents about the ussr. Mir scheint, dass unsere partei durch eine solche ma. Til that before his death, lenin published a testament that. Vladimir lenin was born in the city of simbirsk in the russian empire on april 22, 1870. However, he upset lenins wife by calling her a whore just before lenin dictated his testament on the 22nd december 1922 suggesting stalin should be removed from his position as general secretary. The kjv is in the public domain, thus you may distribute it freely. Thefinnishbolshevik lenins testament debunked youtube.
Lenin, i consider it to be my duty to make a statement concerning the body of lenin, buried according to the russian christian custom in the mausoleum. Among its most unusual items was lenins brain, preserved in a formaldehyde solution in a glass jar. On the alleged forgery of lenins testament mltheory. Lenin s testament is the name given to a document purportedly dictated by vladimir lenin in the last weeks of 1922 and the first week of 1923. Vladimir ilyich lenin, a strong supporter and advocate of the marxist theory of government, was elected as head of the soviet government from 1917 to 1922 after the overthrow of the last czar. Lenin s testament about a year before his death, lenin dictated his famous testament, a confidential letter giving his estimate of his communist lieutenants. However, after lenins third stroke in march 1923 left him paralyzed and unable to speak, the testament was kept secret by his wife, nadezhda krupskaya, in the hope of lenins eventual recovery. Stalins response is that the politburo and central. In 1935 pioneer publishers printed the full text in. Encyclopedia of marxism for a more thorough historical overview of the document. I thought the politburo just refused to share it with the central committee because lenin slagged them all off, not just stalin. The forgery of the lenin testament revolutionary democracy. The institute of lenin served as a repository for lenins writings and for other lenin memorabilia.