What Did Lenin Mean by 'Communism'?

The term "revolution" can be either defined as "an attempt [...] to change the government of a country" or as a "great change in conditions, ways of working, beliefs, etc. that affects large numbers of people". In conducting the Russian revolution of 1917 and its aftermath, Lenin has fulfilled both conditions - for the first time in history, the capitalist system was challenged by a Communist state. In this essay, I will firstly concentrate on Lenin's theoretical approach to the "dictatorship of the proletariat" and its realization throughout the period of the "October Revolution" (section II). Thereupon, section III describes the use of Communism during the civil war and its consequences, whereas section IV considers the implication of the New Economic Policy on various parts of the Russian population.

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Seminar paper from the year 2001 in the subject Politics - Political Systems - History, grade: 1,0, University of Sussex, language: English, abstract: The term "revolution" can be either defined as "an attempt [...] to change the government of a country" or as a "great change in conditions, ways of working, beliefs, etc. that affects large numbers of people". In conducting the Russian revolution of 1917 and its aftermath, Lenin has fulfilled both conditions - for the first time in history, the capitalist system was challenged by a Communist state. In this essay, I will firstly concentrate on Lenin's theoretical approach to the "dictatorship of the proletariat" and its realization throughout the period of the "October Revolution" (section II). Thereupon, section III describes the use of Communism during the civil war and its consequences, whereas section IV considers the implication of the New Economic Policy on various parts of the Russian population.