The Lenin Anthology

413 Pages·2016·13.63 MB·English

by  Robert C. Tucker

THE
Books by Robert C. Tucker
LENIN
Philosophy and Myth in Karl Marx
The Soviet Political Mind
ANTHOLOGY
The Great Purge Trial (Co-Editor)
The Marxian Revolutionaiy Idea
The Marx-Engels Reader (Editor)
Stalin as Revolutionary, 1879-1929:
A Study in History and Personality
Stalinism: Essays in Histqrical
Interpretation (Editor)
I
1- Edited by
I
i 1. ROBERT C. TUCKER
II
j PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
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w • W • NORTON & COMPANY
New York • London
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Contents
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Preface ' "xi
A Lenin Chronology xv
Introduction: Lenin and Revolution xxv
Part L The Revolutionary Party and Its Tactics i
The Tasks of the Russian Social Democrats 3
What Is to Be Done? burning Questions of Our
Movement 12
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
(The Crisis in Our Party) 115
Two Tactics of Socia,l-Democracy in the
Democratic Revolution 120
The Party Organisation.dnd Party Literature 148
The Right of Nations to Self-Determination 153
W. W. Norton & Company, inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y 10110
Parf IL Revolutionary Politics in a World at War 181
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.,.37 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3NLI
Socialism and War 183
Copyright © 1975 by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. On the National Pride of the Great Russians • 196
On the Slogan for a United States of Europe 200
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism 204
Lenin, Vladimir Il'ich, 1870-1924. The Symptoms of a Revolutionary Situation 275
The Lenin anthology.
Lecture on the 1905 Revolution 278
Includes bibliographical references.
I. Tudcer, Robert C., ed. II. Title.
DK254.L3A5787 1975 3?5.43'092'4 74-14933 Part III. The Revolutionary Taking of Power 293
This book was designed by Robert Freese. \
The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Resolution
The typefaces are Deepdene and Electro,
("April Theses") 295
set by Maryland Linotype Co.
The Dual Power 301
The book was printed by The Murray Printing Co.
Enemies of the People 305
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Beginning of Bonapartism 507
The State and Revolution: The Marxist Theory of
9' 0
the State and the Tasks of the Prolfetariat in
the Revolution 511
ISBN D-3T3-D^23b-X
VK
^Contents • ix
via ' Contents
Parties in Philosophy and Philosophical Blockheads 644
Can the Bolsheviks Retain State Power? 399
On the Question of Dialectics 648
Marxism and Insurrection 407
On the Significance of Mihtant Materialism 651
Advice of an Onlooker 413
Two Cultures in Every National Culture 654
Part IV. The Revolutionary State and Its PoHcies 415 Against Great-Russian Chauvinism 659
The Tasks of the Youth Leagues . 661
To the Citizens of Russia 417
On Proletarian Culture 675
Theses on the Constituent Assembly 418
Against "Futurism 677
On Revolutionary Violence and Terror 423
On the Emancipation of Women 679
Fright at the Fall of the Old and the
Women and Capitalist Production 680
Fight for the New 424
Capitalism and Female Labour, 682
How to Organise Competition 426
The Fifth International Congress Against
The Chief Task of Our Day 433'
Prostitution 683
The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government 438
Letter to Inessa Armand 684
The Proletarian Revolution and the R,enegade Kautsky 461
Dialogue>vith Clara Zetkin 685
A Great Beginning 477
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat 489
Part VII. The Fate of the Revolution 7°^
Communism and Electrification 492
Two Resolutions on Party Policy ^. 496
Our Revolution (Apropos of N. Sukhanov's Notes) 703
Resolution on the Syndicalist and Anarchist
On Cooperation 7°7
Deviation in Our Party ' 497
On Bureaucracy: From Lenin's Correspondence 714
Resolution on Party Unity 500
The Question of Nationalities or "Autoriomisation" 719
Introducing the New Economic Policy 503
Letter to the Congress 7^5 '
The Importance of Gold Now and After thp Complete
How We Should Reorganise the Workers' and
Victory of Socialism * 511
Peasants' Inspection 7^9
Communism and the New Economic Policy 518
Better Fewer, But Better 734
Part V. Revolutionary Foreign Pblicy and Last Letters 747
Comintern Strategy 535
Bibliographical Note 749
The Foreign Policy of the Russian Revolution ^ 537 Index 75^
Decree on Peace 540
Report on War and Peace 542
"Left-Wing" Communism—An Infantile Disorder 550
Communism and the East: Theses 6n the National
and Colonial Questions 619
Foreign Communist Parties and the Rpssian Spirit 626
Capitalist Discords and the Concessions Policy 628
Soviet Economic Development and Wprld Revolution 635
Part VI. Revolution and Culture ^37
On Marxism and Philosophy 639
The.Three Sources and Three Component
Parts of Marxism^ 640
\
s.
Preface
Pavel Axelrod, who before he became a Menshevik worked closely
with Lenin, said of Kim in 1910 that ^'there is not another man who
for twenty-four hours of the day is'taken up with the revolution,
who has no thoughts but thoughts of revolution, and who even in
his sleep, dreams of nothing butv revoliftion.' ^ He might have
added: writes of nothing but revolution. For revolution was, and
remained, the leitmotif of all that Lenin wrote. And he was aston­
ishingly prolific as a "writer. He \V&s-three months sfiort of fifty-four
years old wHen he died in 1924, and much of his fairly short life
was invested" in practical leadership of the Bolshevik Party and in
directing the regime it created, and the Communist International,
after the party came to power in Russia in 1917. Yet, his total
literary output in the latest, fifth, Soviet edition of his collected
writings,^ comprising speeches, correspondence, and preparatory
materials as well as published books, pamphlets, and articles, comes
to fifty-five solid volumes.
The paradox of an extremely active political leader whose writ­
ings far exceed in volume (not to me'ntion'influence) those of most
full-time scholars is partly explained by the nature of most of what
he wrote. Not only the speeches and correspondence but also a
^eat many of the articles and longer treatises are addressed to
practical problems of the revolutionary movement and its politics,
both before-and after 1917. The work that has claim to be consid­
ered his masterpiece, his- modem Prince—"Left-Wing" Commu­
nism—An Infantile Disorder—^was a manual of strategy and tactics
for Marxist revolutionary movements. His theoretical analysis of
imperialism in the treatise of that title was also an apologia ior the
revolutionary political line that he followed during the World War.
His great work of Marxist political theo^. The State and Revolu­
tion, was an effort to legitimize in Marxist terms his revolutionary
politics of 1917 in Russia-. In an important sense, the whole corpus
of Lenin's writings could be published under the title of ihe work of
1902 that more than any other laid the foundations of Bolshevism
as a movement and hence was instriimental in his becoming prob-
1. Quoted in. Bertram D. Wolfe, Three English translation based mainly on the
fVho Made-a Revolution; A Biographical fourth Soviet ecition (V. I. 'Lenin,
History (New York, 1948), p. 249. Sochinenila, 45'vols. [Moscow, 1946-67])
2. V. I. Tj;nin, jpoinoe sobranie jc>- is available under the title Collected
chinenli, 55 vols. (Moscow, 1958-65). Aii Works.
xi
\
xii • Preface
Preface • xiii
ably the most history-making single individual of this century:
teachers is, in my opinion, to make more clear and distinct the fact
^^hat Is to Be Done?
that his thought underwent change, and development over the years.
A well-known person whose name escapes me has said that one
Much mischief has resulted, and continues to result, from a ten­
should speak for one's contemporaries but write for posterity. Marx
dency to treat the theme of a particular period as a timeless posi­
and Engels instinctively followed that maxim most of the time. One
tion. There are certain basic constants in Lenin's thinking, such as
feels that when Marx wrote the superb first lines of The Eighteenth
the stress on leadership, and in particular party leadership, in revo­
Bnimaire of Louis Bonaparte, he knew that his publicistic essay
lutionary politics. But there are changes of great significance too.
was going to be an historical classic. With Lenin it is different: his
Thus, the Lenin of the Civil-War and foreign-intervention year of
classics-to-be are often written as though he were simply dealing
1919 who could see nothing but apocalyptic conflict ahead in"
with issues of the revolutionary here-and-now with hardly any
Soviet Russia's relations with the surrounding capitalist world, gave
sense of their lasting importance. Not. only his extended and some­
way to the Lenin of 1921-S2, who found, partly in response to
times rather arid polemicizing with opponents whose names would
changes in the actual situation, -that a certain "equilibrium" had
now be forgotten if not for these very polemics of his, but a good
emerged in Soviet relations wit^h the West. The Lenin of the early
deal else besides, is dated and of little permanent interest.. Conse­
aftermath of the October Revolution who saw internal class war as
quently, even What Is to Be Done? can be slightly abridged, as I
the main content'of, the proletarian dictatorship, and who advo­
have done, to a reader's potential advantage, and the same is true of
cated revolutionary violence and terror, gave way to the Lenin of
other writings of Lenin's. For this reason as well as because of the
the NEP who counseled "reformist" instead of revolutionary meth­
inevitable limitation of space in placing the enduringly significant
ods of building socialism in Russia and prescribed educational mea­
Lenin within the covers of a single volume, even a bulky one, I
sures amounting to a "cultural revolution" rather than coercive
have made bold to be his editor here and there, seeking, however,
class struggle for the realization of that goal. The philosophical
to bring out the substance and plan of argument of each major
Lenin who wrote Materialism and Empirio-criticism in 1908 un­
writing. Nevertheless, such key works as The State and Revolution
derwent a certain change under the influence of a war-time study of
and "Left-Wing" Communism (minus an appendix), not to men­
Hegel which is reflected in his Philosophical Notebooks. In choos­
tion a large number of his shorter writings, speeches, draft resolu­
ing the materials that make up this volume, I have attempted to
tions, etc., are presented here unabridged.. Throughout, asterisks
convey to the reader some sense of the significant changes as well
have been used to indicate breaks in the text due to abridgement.
as constants of Lenin's thought.
(Within the texts, interpolations'in brackets are Lenin's, unless
With the exception of three selections ("The Symptoms of a
otherwise indicated..)
^Revolutionary Situation," "Against Futurism" and "On Bureau­
In this anthology I have followed the organizational principle cracy: From Lenin's Correspondence"), which I translated, the writ­
and techniques employed in my previous edited volume. The Marx- ings of Lenin contained in this volume are English translations put
Engels Reader. The materials are organized under chronologically out by either Progress Publishers or the Foreign Languages Pub­
successive major themes of Lenin's thought, a procedure made all
lishing House in-Moscow prior to the Soviet Union's signing of the
the more natural in this instance because of the 1917 watershed. International Copyright Convention. In a few places I have made
This combination of thematic and chronological grouping has been slight alterations in wording in order to render a phrase more
modified only in Part VI (Revolution and Culture) for r^sons concretely or vividly. The footnotes to the texts, save where explic­
which will be plain to the reader. Each selection is preceded by a itly designated as either Lenin's or mine, are those provided by the
note offering essential background information and, in most in­
editors of the Soviet English translations. I have abridged these
stances, a brief interpretive comment. The Introduction is a general notes where possible in the interest of conserving space, but have
of Lenin's career as a revolutionary leader and made no additions.
thmker. A chronology of his life appears at the beginning of the
book and a short bibliographical essay at the end.
My thanks go particularly to Professor Rolf H. W. Theen of
With Marx, the central fact that we have- slowly and painfully, Purdue University for advice related to this volume, as well as to
but conclusively, established during this scholarly generation is the my editors at W. W. Norton & Company, James L. Mairs and Emily
fundamental underlying unity of his thought from the 1844 manu­
Garlin, for their many-sided assistance. Professor Theen- appraised
scripts to Capital and beyond. With Lenin our task as scholars and
my choice of materials and generously shared with me his outstand-
xiv ' Preface
ing expertise in Leniniana, for example by suggesting the represent­
ative comments from Lenin's correspondence about bbreaucracy in A Lenin Chronology'
the Soviet system. I am likewise, as so often before, greatly indebted
to my colleague, Professor Stephen F. Cohen, for his counsel on
various aspects of the book. Professor Norman' Levine provided a
most useful appraisal of the proposed selections, and Professor
Alexander Rabinowitch kindly discussed with me the problem of
what to include of Lenin's 1917 writings. I am grateful to A. T. Fer­ 1870 April 10 {22). Lenin (Vladimir Ilyic"h Ulyanov) ^s
guson, Jr., for his assistance in selecting material from Lenin's bom at Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk), on the Volga
River.
Philosojjhical Notebooks. I am indebted to Thomas Robertson,
Shaheen Oil, Monica Mosler, and Michael Kraus for research assis­ 1879 August 16 (28^. Lenin entered the first grade at the
tance, and to Loma Giese for her skillful typing." My wife, Evgenia Simbirsk classical gymnasium.
Tucker, has given me, as always, moral support as well as expert
1886 January 12 (24). Death of Lenin's father, Ilya Niko-
advice on questions relating to the Russian language.
laevich Ulyanov.
R.C.T. 1887 March 1 (13). Arrest of Lenin's .elder brother Alex­
ander in Petersburg for participation in an attempt on
the life of Tsar Alexander III. He was sentenced to
death and on May 8 (20) was ^ecuted. '
May 5 (i7)-June 6(18). Lenin took final examina­
tions in the gymnasium.
June 10 (22). Lenin gradated from the gymnasium
with a gold medal.
August 13 (25). Lenin entered the University of
Kazan to study law.
September-November., Lenin took part in the activities
of a revolutionary student circle.
December 4-5 ^16-17). Lenin was arrested for par­
ticipation in student disorders.
December 5 (17). Lenin was expelled from the Uni­
versity.
December 7 (19). Lenin was exiled from Kazan to the
village of Kokushkino, in Kazan Gubemia, under un­
official police surveillance.
1888 May-9. (21). Lenin apphed to the minister of educa­
tion for permission to re-enter the University of K^zan.
His application was denied.
September 6 (18). Lenin applied to the minister of
l.This chronology has been drawn from Lenin's birth, was April 22 on the Gre-
the moie detailed one in Lenin, Polnoe gorian calendar. In the chronology here
sobranie sochinenil. Prior to February presented, the dates prior to 1918 are
1918, when Russia adopted the Gregorian given old style, with -the corresponding
calendar, the Julian calendar was used. new-style- date shown in parentheses.
The dates accordingly wer^ thirteen days (All footnoted to this chronology are
earlier than our calendar. Thus April 10, R.C.T.'s.)
1870, on the Julian calendar, the day of
XV
V
Chronology • xvii
Chronology
internal affairs for permission to travel abroad to con­ mara District Court for the right to plead cases as an
tinue his education. His application was denied. attomey.
Early October. Lenin was given permission to reside June. Lenin appeared in the Samara District Court as'
again in Kazan, where the Ulyanov family joined him. attorney for the defense in the cases of peasants Bam-
Police surveillance continued. bukov, Chinov, and others.
Autumn. Lenin studied Marx's Capital and spoke in a 1893 ^ January-August. While working as an attomey in
Marxist circle. Samara, Lenin took part in clandestine revolutionary
circles and wrote anti-populist tracts.
May 3-4 (15-16). Lenin moved from Kazan to a
village in Samara Gubemia. August-September. Moving to Petersburg, Lenin be­
came assistant to attomey M. F. Volkenstein. He ap­
May. Lenin applied for permission to go abroad for
peared as an attomey in the Petersburg District Court.
medical treatment. The Department of Police denied
him a passport for foreign travel. Autumn. Lenin entered and became active in a Marxist
circle and made the acquaintance of some local factory
May-June. Lenin advertised in the Samara Gazette his
workers.
availability for giving lessons.
October. Lenin moved to Samara (now Kuibyshev) 1894 Spring-summer. Lenin wrote his first major work,
and gave lessons. Who Are the "Friends of the People" and How Do
They Fight Against the Social Democrats?
Early months. Lenin continued the study of Marx and
Engels, translated the Communist Manifesto into Rus­ 1895 April-September. Lenin went abroad, made contact
sian. with the Emancipation of Labour group in Switzer­
land, traveled and made contacts in France, Austria,
May 17 (29). Lenin's mother requested the minister
and Germany.
of education to permit him to take final examinations
at a university. The request was granted, and Lenin Autumn. Lenin retumed tb Petersburg and there
received permission to take law examinations at the helped to organize the St. Petersburg IJnion of Strug­
University of Petersburg without having been a stu­ gle for the Liberation of the Working Class. He re­
dent there. mained active.in clandestine revolutionary circles.
April 4 (i6)-April 24 (May 6). Lenin passed the December 8-9 (20-2^). Lenin and his' associates in
spring-term examinations of the law faculty of the the Union of Stm^le were arrested.
University of Petersburg.
1896 Lenin was in prison in Petersburg. Between interroga­
September-November. Lenin passed the fall-term and tions, he made contact with relatives and friends out­
written law examinations at the University of Peters­ side, who sent books he requested; he started
burg. preparatory work on his book about the development
October 20 (November i).SLenin was given an audi­ of capitalism in, Russia, wrote a draft program of the
ence by the vice-director of the Department of Police Social-Demdcratic Party, an article entitled "Friedrich
with reference to travel abroad. His request was turned Engels," a May Day leaflet, etc.
down. *•
1897 February 13 (25). Lenin was sentenced to three years
November 12 (24). Lenin retumed from Petersburg of exile under police surveillance in East Siberia and
to Samara. 'giv^n permission to proceed there at -his own expense
November 15 (27). The examining commission of the under the system of police-certified passage from place
law faculty of the University of Petersburg awarded to place' enroute. ,
Lenin a diploma first class.
February 14 (26)-i7 (March 1). Given four free days
January jq (February 11). Lenin became assistant to in Petersburg, Lenin held meetings with members of
attorney A.'N. Khardin in Samara. , the Union of Struggle.
February 28 (^March 11). Lenin petitioned the Sa- February 18 (March 2)-February 22 (March 6).
\
xviii • Chronology Chronology * xix
Lenin stopped' in Moscow enroute to Siberia, visited 1902 April 27 (May 10). Lenin placed an advertisement in
his mother there, and went to the main library. The Athenaeum of London: "Russian doctor of law
and'his wife would like to take English lessons from an
March 4 (16). Lenin arrived in-the Wesif Siberian city
Englishman (or an Englishwoman) in exchange for
of Krasnoyarsk.
Russian lessons'"
March 6 (18). Lenin "petitioned the governor general
> Autumn. First meeting between Lenin and Trotsky,
of Irkutsk Gubemia .in East Siberia, on the grounds of
following the latter's arrival in London from Russia.^
weak health, to be allowed a place of exile in West
Siberia in Krasnoyarsk Gubemia qr the Minusinsk 1903 End of April. Lenin took up residence in Geneva.
District of Yenisei Gubemia. . J,uly-August. Lenin took part in the Second Congress
March-April. By special arrangement, Lenin was given .of tlie Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party, held
access in Krasnoyarsk to the large personal library of a in Bmssels and London. The Bolshevik-Menshevik di­
wealthy merchant, G, V. Yudin, and worked tliere on vision emerged-there.
materials for his study of the development of Russian August 11 (24-). Lenin, accompanied by congress sup­
capitalism. porters, visited Karl Marx's grave in Highgate Ceme­
April 30 (May 12). Lenin, having received assignment tery.
in the-area he. had requested, left Krasnoyarsk, via
1903-4 Lenin was active in 6migr6.party affairs. His writings
Minusinsk, to his ^place of .exile—^t|ie village of Shu-
included One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.
shenskoe.'
1905 January 12 (25). Responding to Russia's "Bloody Sun­
1898 July 10 (22). Lenin was married to Nadezhda Kon-
day" (January 9), Lenin wrote an article, "The Be­
stantinovna Kr,upskaya, who had joined him in exile.
ginning of Revolution in Russia," in which he called
1898-1900 While in Siberian exile, Lenin completed The DeveU for preparation of an armed uprising.
opment of Capitalism in Ru^a, which was published
April. The Bolshevik-dominated Third Party Congress
in Russia under the pseudonym "Ilin," and produced
was held in London under Lenin's guidance."
numerous other writings, some of yhich were sent
abroad for uncensored publication. June-July. Back in Geneva, Lenin wrote Two Tactics
\ / of Social Democracy in the Democratic Revolution.
1900 January-February.'Upon completion'of the term of
exile, Lenin—prohibited from residing in the capital, " Early November. Lenin^ retumed to Russia and
university towns, or large worker centers—chose Pskov, plunged into party and joumahstic^ctivities.
not far from Petersburg, as his place of residence. Upon
1906 April-May. Lenin took part in the Fourth Party Con­
arrival t^ere he resumed intense Social-l3emocratic ac­
gress, held in Stockholm—a congress of attempted
tivities, with occasional illegal travels to Moscow,
.Bolshevik-Menshq<ik imification.
Petersburg, Riga, etc.
Late,August. Lenin-jooyed J:o Finland, where he re-
May 21 (June 3). Lenin was arrested ^hile on an il­
f sided, until December 1907 while continuing his party
legal visit to Petersburg. After interrogation, he was
activities. , ,
sent to the'town of Podolsk, near Moscow.
July 16 (29). Having received in May a passport for 1907 April-May. Lenin took part in the Fifth Party pon-
foreign travel, Lenin went abroad. gress, held in London.
August-December. Living mostTy in Geneva and Mu­ December 25 (January 7, 1908)^ Lenin moved to
nich, Lenin worked with Plekhanov, 'Axelrod, and Geneva, beginning his second emigratioji.
others to organize the all-Russian Marxist party paper
Iskra, the first issue of which came out at the end of 1908 Mid-December. Lenin moved .to Paris to continue
1900 with three articles in it by Lenin. party work and his writing^, he worked oh Materialism
I and Empirio-criticism.
1901-2 Living in Munich and (from April 1902) in London,
Lenin continued his 6migr6 party activities as an Iskrd
2. This item is not supplied in the chronology contained in ^nin, Polno* sobrante
editor, and wrote What Is to Be Done? sochinenil.
XX • Chronology Chronology • xxi
1909-11 Residing in Paris, Lenin continued his party and jour­ across Germany, then embarked by a Swedish ship for
nalistic activities, with- occasional travels, e.g., in June Sweden.
1910 to visit Maxim Gorky on the isle of Capri. April 3 (16). Lenin arrived by train at the Finland
Station in Petrogr&d, where he gave speeches to wel-
1912 January. Lenin took the leading part in the all-Bolshe­
comers inside the station and standing atop an
vik Sixth Party Conference, held in Prague, at which
armored car in the square in front of the station.
the Bolshevik faction organized itself as a separate
party, the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party April 4 (17). Having drafted his "April Theses" while
(Bolshevik). enroute to Petrograd, Lenin read them before party
meetings and sent them to Pravda for publication.
April. Lenin directed the organizing of the Bolshevik
party's daily paper Pravda {The Tnith), published April 4 or 5 (17 or 18). Lenin became editor of Pravda.
legally (though not without difficulties with the state April-June.. Lenin engaged in many-sided activities as
censors) in Russia starting April 22 (May 5), 1912. a journalist, speaker at mass meetings, and leader of
June. Lenin moved from Paris fo Cracow (then in the the Bolshevik Party at its conferences and in sessions
territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in order to of its Central Committee.
establish closer ties with Russian affairs. July 5-October 24 (JulyiS-November 6). Lenin was
forced to go into hiding (in Petrograd and later in
November. Lenin met with Stalin in Cracow.®
Finland) after a mass political demonstration which
1914 After the start of the World War, Lenin moved to the Provisional Government used as a pretext to seek
Beme,"in neutral Switzerland, where he continued his his arrest and trial. He remain^ in constant contact
6migr6-and journalistic activity, defending a radical with leading members of the Bolshevik Party and
anti-war position oriented toward a politics of social wrote, inter dia, The State and Revolution.
revolution in the warring countries.
Night of October 24-25 (November 6-7). Lenin ar­
rived at revolutionary headquarters in the Smolny In­
.1915 Septeniber. Lenin took part in the First International
stitute as the Bolsheviks' ^rmed action against the
Socialist Conference, held in Zimmerwald, Switzer­
Provisional Government and takeover of power was
land, with thirty-eight participants from European
countries, including Germany, Russia, and France. Al­ in progress.
though the conference took an anti-war position, only Night of October 26-27 (November 7-8). Lenin ap­
a minority supported tfie radical line/of Lenin, who peared before the Second All-Russian Congress of
wanted to break with the Second Intemarional and Soviets, which approved his decrees on peace and land.
form a new, revolutionary Third International. A new govemrnent, the Council of People's Com­
missars, was'formed, with Lenin as its chairman.
1916 April. Lenin took part in the Second International
Socialist Conference, held in Kienthal, Switzerland, 1918 August 30. Lenin was wounded by a pistol shot fired
and again was in the more radical'minority. by Fanya Kaplan, a member of the Socialist Revolu­
July 12 (25). News reached Lenin of the death of his tionary Party, as he was leaving a Moscow factory
mother in Petrograd; after giving a speech.
1919 . March 2. Lenin opened the First Congress of the
1917 March 2 (15). Lenin, living in Zurich, learned of the
Communist International, and chaired its first session.
February Revolution in Russia.
March 24 (April 6). Lenin received word of the Ger­ 1921 July 13. Lenin went on a month's holiday at his coun­
man government's agreement to permit him and other try house in Gorki, a village not far from Moscow, on
Russian political ^migr^s to cross Germany enroute to his doctors' adyice.
Russia December 6. Lenin moved to Gorki f6r rest.
March 27-30 (April 9-12). Lenin traveled by train December 31. By Politburo decision, Lenin was
ordered to take a six-week leave for his health, not
3. This item is not supplied in the chronology contained in Lenin, Polnoe sobranie coming to Moscow for work without the Central Com-
sochineniL
V
xxii • Chronology Chronology • xxiii
mittee Secretariat's permission. He remained in active February 14. Lenin requested Fotieva to rush comple­
touch with state affairs while living outside Moscow. tion of all his assignments, particularly on the Georgian
question, and instructed her to transmit tb A. A. Sol'ts,
1922 March 25. Lenin retumed to Moscow for regular work. a member of the presidium of the Central Party Con­
April 23. Lenin went into a hospital in Moscow to be trol Commission (concerned with matters of party dis­
operated on for removal of the bullet fired by Fanya cipline) his opinion on the Georgian question.
Kaplan. He resumed work the following day. March 5. Lenin dictated letters to Trotsky and Stalin.
May 25-27. Lenin suffered his first stroke, causing March 6. Lenin dictated a letter to the Georgian Com­
partial paralysis of the right arm and leg, and speech munists Mdivani and Makharadze. Later in the day
impairment. his health took a sharp turn for the worse.
Mid-June. Lenin's health improved, permitting con­ March 10. Lenin suffered a new stroke, which caused
tact with state affairs, visits by associates, some writing. intensified paralysis of the right side of the body and
September 11. A concilium of medical professors de­ loss of speech.
cided to permit Lenin to resume jvork from October 1. May 15. Lenin was moved to his'Gorki country house.
November. Lenin addressed the Fourth Comintern Se,cond half of July. Lenin's condition improved; he
Congress and a plenary session of the Moscow Soviet could walk and practiced writing left-handed.
—his ^st public speeches.
October 19. Lenin went by automobile through the
December 13. Lenin had two further strokes, and was Kremlin and streets of Moscow, returned to the Krem­
persuaded to give up all work for the time being. lin and took books from its library, then returned to
Night of December 15-16. An acute worsening took Gorki.
place in Benin's condition. Late November-December. Lenin received several vis­
Night of December 22-23. A further worsening; pa­ itors, including Bukharin, Preobrazhensky, and
ralysis of the right arm and leg. stinsky. ^
December 23. Lenin asked the doctors to allow him to 1924 January 17-18. Krupskaya read to Lenin a report from
dictate to stenopaphers for five minutes because he Pravda on the Thirteenth Party Conference proceed­
was "concerned about one question." He then dictated ings.
the first part of his "Letter to the Congress."
January 19. Lenin went for a sleigh-ride in the woods.
December 24. Lenin demanded permission to dictate
a "diary" for at least a' brief time each day. After a January 19-20. Krupskaya read to Lenin, from Pravda,
conference of Stalin, Kamenev, and Bukharin with the the resolutions of the TTiirteenth Party Congress. She
doctors, it was decided that he should be allowed to later reported that he became disturbed during the
dictate for five to ten minutes daily, but not to engage reading.^
in correspondence; that no visitors would be allowed; January 21. A sudden sharp worsening of Lenin's con­
and that he should not be kept informed of political dition. Death came at 6:30 P.M.
matters.
December 25-26. Lenin finished dictating the "Letter 4. The disturbance is understandable, he had expressed in the "Letter to the
to the Congress." since one of the conference resolutions Congress," was well-founded; and, fur­
attacked Trotsky and the "opposition" ther, that Stalin, whom he had planned
December 1922-February 1923. Lenin went on dic­ as representing a "petty-bourgeois devia­ to unseat from power at the coming
tion in the party"—from which Lenin Party Congress, had already gained the
tating, his final notes and articles.
could see that his fear of a party split upper hand in the intra-party struggle.
caused by^the Stalin-Trotsky feud, a fear
19^3 January 24. Lenin requested his secretary, L. A. Fo-
tieva, to ask Dzerzhinsky or Stalin for the materials of
the Politburo's commission on the Georgian question;
he instructed her and two other assistants to study the
materials and prepare a report for him, saying that he
"needed this for the Party Congress."