The first chapter from Gregory Maximoff's Guillotine at Work argues that Lenin's rise to power was a calculated deception. Lenin initially presented a façade of democratic federalism and libertarian socialism to win popular support, promising a state resembling the Paris Commune. However, Maximoff contends that this was a strategic manoeuvre to conceal Lenin's true aim: the implementation of the centralised, authoritarian state advocated in Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto. This involved the suppression of political opposition and the establishment of a totalitarian regime through terror and deceit. The author supports this claim by citing Lenin's later admissions and actions contradicting his earlier promises. Ultimately, Maximoff portrays Lenin as a cynical pragmatist who prioritised power above stated ideals. These are the notes with podcast on each chapter. We highly recommend to read the original work as well!
Timeline of Key Events (as presented by Maximoff)
- Pre-1917: Rise of Marxism in Russia
- Russian socialism, rooted in libertarian and federalist ideas (Chernyshevsky, Bakunin, Lavrov, Kropotkin, Mikhailovsky), begins shifting to political Marxism.
- Marxism, led by figures like Lenin and Plekhanov, is viewed by Maximoff as reactionary and centralist.
- The "Communist Manifesto", initially unnoticed, gains traction post-Paris Commune defeat and the breakup of the First International.
- Early 1917 (Pre-October): Lenin's Pre-Revolution Propaganda
- Based on Marx’s The Civil War in France, Lenin emphasizes decentralization, soviets, and civil liberties.
- Promises a Republic of Soviets with elected, recallable officials, replacing bureaucracy.
- Advocates abolishing the army and police, arming the people, free press, and peaceful demonstrations.
- Uses slogans like "All power to the Soviets" to rally the masses.
- October 1917: The October Revolution
- The Bolsheviks seize power in Petrograd.
- Lenin reveals a more authoritarian approach, expressing outrage over the decree abolishing the death penalty and advocating revolutionary terror.
- Rejects coalition government in favor of party dictatorship, leading to resignations from his cabinet.
- Begins issuing decrees primarily as propaganda, contradicting earlier principles.
- Post-October 1917: Consolidation of Bolshevik Power
- Rejects coalition governance; centralizes power within the Bolshevik Party.
- Bypasses the Central Executive Committee of Soviets, moving towards dictatorial rule.
- Relies on violence and terror to maintain control.
- Admits pre-revolution promises were propaganda to gain mass support.
- Establishes a centralized, authoritarian state, deviating from Soviet democracy.
- Stalin, Lenin's successor, continues these policies, moving further towards centralism.
People mentioned in this chapter
- Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov): Leader of the Bolsheviks, described as a manipulative strategist who used populist rhetoric to establish a centralized dictatorship.
- Karl Marx: Author of the Communist Manifesto, the intellectual foundation of Lenin’s centralized state.
- Friedrich Engels: Collaborator with Marx in writing the Communist Manifesto.
- Georgi Plekhanov: Early Russian Marxist, collaborator with Lenin, promoted centralism.
- Karl Kautsky: Criticized the Russian regime as "state slavery."
- Key Russian Socialists: Chernyshevsky, Bakunin, Lavrov, Kropotkin, and Mikhailovsky – proponents of libertarian socialism.
- Leon Trotsky: Confirmed Lenin’s views on terror and dictatorship.
- Stalin: Lenin’s heir, who expanded Lenin’s centralized policies.
Key Themes
- Betrayal of Revolutionary Ideals: Lenin abandoned the libertarian and federalist principles he initially championed.
- Dictatorship of the Proletariat: A facade for party and personal dictatorship.
- Lenin's Cynicism and Deception: Used propaganda to gain power, later admitting these were tactics rather than genuine commitments.
- Role of Terror: Central to Lenin’s regime for maintaining control.
- Marxist Centralism vs. Libertarian Socialism: A clash between Marxist-Leninist centralism and traditional Russian libertarian socialism.
Maximoff's Critique of Lenin's Path to Power
This document summarises Gregory Maximoff's critique of Lenin's rise to power, arguing that Lenin betrayed the ideals of Russian Socialism by adopting a reactionary, centralised approach rooted in Marxist principles. Despite initially using rhetoric aligned with libertarian and federalist socialism to gain popular support, Maximoff contends that Lenin deliberately misrepresented his true intentions to implement a totalitarian state based on the Communist Manifesto.
Maximoff highlights the stark contrast between Lenin’s promises and actions, asserting that Russian Socialism, unlike Lenin’s Marxism, was more humane and progressive.
Main Themes and Key Ideas
1. Contradiction between Russian Socialism and Marxism
- Maximoff describes Russian Socialism as rooted in kindness, humanness, and love toward fellow beings, emphasizing individual freedom and federalism. Key figures include:
- Chernyshevsky
- Bakunin
- Lavrov
- Kropotkin
- Mikhailovsky
- In contrast, Marxism, particularly the Communist Manifesto, is denounced as reactionary, promoting dictatorship, centralized control, and "industrial armies," which Maximoff equates to "state slavery".
- Maximoff quotes: "The ‘Communist Manifesto’ is a reactionary manifesto in striking contradiction to science, progress, and humanism."
2. Lenin's Betrayal of Pre-Revolutionary Promises
- In 1917, Lenin promoted ideas from Marx's The Civil War in France, such as:
- Federalism, democracy, and abolition of the standing army and bureaucracy.
- Promises like "all power to the Soviets" and a "Republic of Workers, Peasants, and Farm Labourers."
- Universal armament of the people, recallable officials, and proletarian remuneration standards.
- Maximoff accuses Lenin of using these promises as propaganda to gain mass support while intending to implement a centralized, authoritarian state.
- Quote: "We uphold the principle of election, the right to recall any official at any time, and proletarian standards of remuneration for officials."
3. The Fraudulent Nature of Lenin's Tactics
- Maximoff labels Lenin’s rhetoric as a deliberate "fraud", masking his goal of establishing a dictatorial regime.
- Lenin admitted in 1922 that pre-revolution promises were propaganda: "At one time that was much of a necessity… We could not have started in any other way."
- Maximoff asserts Lenin’s decrees post-revolution were propaganda to manipulate the masses. Quote: "At that time, decrees were a form of propaganda to present our ideas to workers and peasants."
4. Lenin's Shift Towards Terror and Centralization
- Maximoff highlights Lenin’s rejection of the abolition of the death penalty, embracing revolutionary terror.
- Trotsky recounts Lenin’s stance: "How can a revolution be made without executions? Do you think it’s possible to disarm ourselves against our enemies?"
- Lenin dismissed socialist coalition proposals and centralized power, bypassing the Central Executive Committee. Quote: "The new power had to brush aside formalities... No time could be wasted."
5. Lenin's Exploitation of Chaos
- Maximoff characterizes the October Revolution as a "simple upheaval" in Petrograd, not a popular movement.
- He argues Lenin incited chaos to consolidate power, exploiting the responsibility and caution of other socialists. Quote: "Russian Socialists shunned civil war due to responsibility to the country and fear of economic collapse."
Conclusion
Maximoff argues that Lenin’s rise to power was built on deception and led to the betrayal of Russian socialism. Lenin used the ideals of libertarian socialism as a stepping stone to establish a centralized, totalitarian state, contrary to his stated aim of a “Dictatorship of the Proletariat.”
Further Considerations
- Maximoff’s critique is deeply critical of Bolshevism and influenced by his libertarian socialist perspective.
- The analysis focuses on early Bolshevik rule and invites reflection on the consistency of Lenin’s ideology and actions.