Chapter 1: Lenin's Road to Power: Podcast & Notes

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 Maximo…