Why Lenin Chose the October Revolution But Not the July Revolution?

ABSTRACT

Some people maintain Kautsky came up with a socialist premature birth theory and believe it has been somewhat verified. Actually, the premature birth theory conceived by Kautsky referred to the premature birth of socialism in Russia. Kautsky did not mean socialism was prematurely born. Socialism was not born insufficiently mature, but rather overdue. And even for the Russian socialism, the premature birth theory was of no eloquence. Actually, in Lenin’s theses, he absolutely ensured himself against skipping over the peasant movement, which had not outlived itself, or the petty-bourgeois movement in general, against any playing at “seizure of power” by a workers’ government, against any kind of Blanquist adventurism. He emphasized in the theses the need for patient and persistent “explanatory” work “adapted to the practical needs of the masses.” In July of 1917, the workers and the troops and sailors in Petrograd spontaneously held a mass demonstration, which showed a tendency to grow into a July Insurrection. Although the bourgeoisie provisional government could and should be overthrown, Lenin halted the mass demonstration because the revolution could only succeed when the working class attained the majority in the Soviets. In September of 1917, having attained a majority in the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies of both Petrograd and Moscow, Lenin stated the Bolsheviks “can and must take state power into their own hands.” Thus, with Lenin’s insistence, the masses of Russia overcame various interferences and won the victory of October Revolution.

KEYWORDS:

• October Revolution
• premature birth theory
• Blanquism
• Soviet

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributors

Yu Bin (following Chinese practice, the surname, Yu, is placed first) is a researcher at the Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China. He specializes in basic principles of Marxism and political economics. His recent books include Public Economics (in Chinese, Wuhan University Press, 2017), The Correct Meaning of Capital (in Chinese, Guangxi People’s Publishing House, 2014), Understanding Capital in 45 Periods of Ten Minutes (in Chinese, Oriental Press, 2011), which was translated and published in Japan in 2014, and The Truth of Economics: A Macro-economic Critique (in Chinese, Posts & Telecom Press, 2010).

Guo Zhiwei (following Chinese practice, the surname, Guo, is placed first) is a student at the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China. He specializes in basic principles of Marxism.