Marxism and Leninism

• Marxism is an internationalist movement advocating for a global working-class movement to establish world socialism and communism.
• Marx and Engels believed capitalism created a global economy but was plagued by contradictions leading to class conflicts and wars.
• Marx did not see societal progression to socialism/communism as inevitable; societies could stagnate or revert if the ruling class made mistakes.
• Under specific conditions, Marx believed a backward society could advance stages with aid from advanced societies.
• Marx did not think tsarist Russia could independently move to socialism.

Lenin

• Lenin adapted Marx's ideas with the concept of democratic centralism.
• Democratic centralism: all party members can form factions to argue views, but once a decision is made, all members must support it.
• The lack of freedom in tsarist Russia necessitated a centralised party operation.
• Trotsky disagreed with Lenin on party organisation, fearing democratic centralism could lead to dictatorship by an unscrupulous leader.
• The ban on other political parties and internal factions within the Bolsheviks in 1921 heightened this risk.
• Lenin believed societal stages could be telescoped, allowing a short period between feudalism's end and socialism's start in Russia.
• This was based on Marx’s idea of 'permanent revolution' where the next revolutionary stage begins almost immediately after achieving one.
• Lenin and Trotsky thought Russia needed outside economic and technical help to transition to socialism and communism.
• All leading Bolsheviks remained committed to international communism ideals.

Stalin

• Stalin introduced ‘Marxism–Leninism’ and ‘socialism in one country’ after Lenin's death in 1924.
• ‘Marxism-Leninism’ became the official ideology, representing Stalin's interpretation of Lenin's and his own beliefs.
• Stalin eliminated the 'Old Guard' Bolsheviks to solidify his ideological control, many of whom knew early Marxist theory.
• Stalin's 'socialism in one country' was a tool in the power struggle, particularly against Trotsky.
• Stalin portrayed 'Trotskyism' as a 'petit-bourgeois' ideology incompatible with Marxism, Leninism, and Soviet Communist Party membership.
• Stalin and Bukharin framed Trotsky's defense of 'permanent revolution' as a threat to the worker-peasant alliance and thus the NEP.
• Stalin’s ideas like ‘socialism in one country’ and purges that followed were seen as distortions of Marx and Lenin by many Marxists.
• Opponents used ‘Stalinism’ to denote Stalin’s deviations, not adaptations, from Marxism, Leninism, and revolutionary communism.
• Stalin’s version rejected socialist democracy for a one-party state and prioritised Soviet national interests over worldwide revolution.
• Trotskyists considered themselves the only true defenders of Marx, Engels, and Lenin's legacy.

Old Guard Bolsheviks

• Members since the 1903 split in the RSDLP that played key roles in the Revolution and Civil War.
• They were often close to Lenin and aware of his Testament which suggested removing Stalin.