As discussed in our previous issue, Lenin’s ‘The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution’ a.k.a. April Theses, changed the direction of not just the Russian revolution but also the international communist movement. We present this article as an addendum to the previous article to highlight a few of the directives from the document as suggested by one of our readers.
- Lenin exposed the connection of capital to the imperialist war(WWI) and stressed that it was impossible to end the war without overthrowing capital. To serve this end, he advocated massive campaign on these lines in the Army. He opposed the ultra-nationalist chauvinist line prominent in the international communist movement at that stage.
- The February revolution(1917) made the bourgeoisie the ruling class by bringing an end to the monarchy. The time had come to go to the higher stage of revolution which must place power in the hands of the proletariat and the poorest sections of the peasants. This point holds special significance as it went against the existing ideas of a purely worker-based socialist revolution. It marked a practical leap in the history of Communism. This line put forward the idea of united leadership of working class and poorest section of peasant in achieving socialist revolution in the era
of imperialism - Zero support was to be extended to the ‘Provisional Government’. It had already backtracked on many of the promises made before coming to power, exposing its reactionary character.
- The minority status of the Bolsheviks in the Soviets was to be recognised. On one hand criticism of the petty-bourgeois and opportunist elements in the Soviets was necessary, on the other hand the call of complete transfer of state powers to the Soviets was to be given. A republic of Soviets of Workers’, Agricultural Labourers’ and Peasants’ Deputies was to be established.
- The immediate union of all banks in the country into a single national bank, all social production and distribution was to be brought at once under the control of the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies.
In essence, Lenin in this theses laid down the political as well as economic bases for a socialist state. After the October revolution, world’s first proletarian dictatorship was established.
