Lenins April theses Essay Example

Lenins April theses Essay Example Lenins April theses Paper Lenins April theses Paper The twentieth century has been overshadowed by a clash of two ideologies, both representing a social, political and economic world order; one of the existing capitalist system, the other of revolutionary socialism. In April 1917 Vladimir Lenin, a revolutionary Marxist activist, writer and thinker, issued a series of directives on return from exile in an effort to subvert the energy of a revolution towards an uncompromising monolithic channel, famously known as the April Theses. This thesis influenced a further revolution in October by a coup detat establishing the Bolshevik party in power. This revolution established the worlds first Communist state, based on the ideas and theories of Karl Marx; challenging the existing capitalist status quo of the west. Becoming, further a catalyst and inspiration for socialist, as well as non-socialist movements across the globe. However, from its outset creating an ambiguous character, on the one hand utopian in nature, but on the other, tainted with the hallmark of authoritarianism and false premise1 From the latter half of the nineteenth century Russia saw large unrest2. Further, newly found social, political and economical moods, of mixed character began prevailing3, threatening the existing autocratic rule of the Tsar. Along with liberalism, anarchism, and conservatism, new ideas of socialism and change began to show colour. Years of unrest eventually lead to the abdication of the Tsar in 1917, followed by a power struggle. Although a provisional government was established, lead by Gregory Lvov4, in reality a dual power had emerged. One of the Soviet5 and one of the Duma6; the former the voice of the workers and peasants, and the latter representing society7, with a make-up of moderate socialists and liberals, operating with at least the passive approval of the Soviet8. Vladimir Lenin had inspired the creation of the Bolshevik party, with his pamphlet what is to be done? . He was ideologically a radical Marxist revolutionary, on return from exile he issued his theses, primarily to the Bolshevik party, taking into account the mood of the country; he called for all power to the soviets. He condemned the provisional government and urged no support for it, for it was bourgeois, deceiving the masses, calling the war9 imperialist. The war had largely been accepted as a means of defence, even within the socialist ranks. The Bolsheviks differed from the Cadets, Mensheviks and SRs, who had been to the left, but with the fall of the tsar, they had taken on the role of heirs11. Lenin argued for a revolutionary defeatism12. Instead he called for state power to be passed to the proletariat and poor sections of the peasants13; breaking from capitalist interests, as well as all annexations14. Describing the present period as a transitional stage, which was due to the shortcomings of the class conscious proletariat. Who allowed power to be at the hands of the bourgeois, foretelling a transition of power to the proletariat. Lenin recognised the established rights structure. The provisional government had pioneered a structure of rights and liberties for the first time in Russias history, but the agrarian question had been postponed15, to which Lenin became an opportunist. Indeed Lenins doctrine of a class struggle and the idea of democracy as nothing more than a smoke screen lead him to banishing the idea of parliamentary republic, which he called would be a retrograde step; the only acceptable form of government would be a union of soviets. In reality the bourgeoisie had tried to master democracy by associating with it and taking charge of it16. Lenin demanded the dismantlement of the state structure and bureaucracy; something he later did, with the creation of his own secret police, the cheka and the red terror campaign. Ironically he had called for this as a utopian alternative, to the existing system he would have the masses envisage. In agrarian policy he called for a shift in emphasis, all landed estates should be confiscated and put at the disposal agrarian soviets under nationalisation, as well as the nationalisation of all banks. Lenin was a proponent of Hilfedings concept, who believed that control of the chief banks in the country would make it possible to regulate the economy17; although he realised its inadequacies, and introduced the NEP once in power. He further introduced the concept of socialism, a central theme in Marxs ideas, calling not for its immediate introduction, but only in order to control production and distribution. He ended his speech with several party tasks, a change in the partys name and an international outlook. Unlike Stalin later, who would advocate socialism in one country, Lenin believed in an international idea of socialism which would overthrow capitalism; and for some time saw passive socialist movements across Europe. Although kalinin was of the opinion nothing was new in Lenins theses, from that of an earlier party manifesto, Lenin did however add firm direction. Until this point many senior Bolsheviks were opposed to radical change, including, Stalin and Kamenev; he had a powerful drive with an obsessive belief in revolution18. Lenin promised Peace, bread, land and workers control,with slogans of all power to the soviets; the prospect from escaping from the deadlock of a powerful state became too irresistible in the social and political dynamic of Russia. All hopes of a democratic system thus became a far reality, as the Petrograd Soviet would begin to gain popular support and authority19. The fact that Russia had failed to make sufficient progress, economically, politically and socially became all too apparent. Further, the provisional governments coalition began to expose differences on key issues such as the economic system, land and the workforce. The years to come saw the fall of the provisional government, with the Bolsheviks taking control followed by almost three years of civil war, with the other factions taking arms up against the Bolsheviks. Lenin showed no regard for his fellow citizens, mercilessly crushing any opposition. Marxist theory of the withering away of capitalism, the idea of the pheasants as conservative class hardly fitted Marxist theory. Lenin had to re-write his revolutionary script to fit backward Russia into a revolution before the West, and give the large majority of the peasants a role20, as well as the soldiers, whom he needed for vital support. Although Carr21 describes him as self conscious, it seems he was obsessed with ideology in pursuit of a utopian society, periodically becoming pragmatic, realising Marxist theories and the economic works of Hildferding as inconsistent .As Valentines memoirs suggest a man with much personal charm, but with narrow intellectual horizon22. He laid down instead a foundation for authoritarianism, which would continue for decades to come. The communist state represented the opposite of political thinking to the west (although adopting socialist elements), Marxist-Leninism claimed universal validity, inspiring revolutionary activity universally, and so a challenge to the west; the Berlin wall, eventually becoming a visible polarization. However with the fall of the USSR, and its former members reversal from friend to foe, clearly highlights the triumph of capitalism and western democracy. Bibliography Carr, E. H. The Russian Revolution: From Lenin to Stalin 1917-1929. Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Coates, T (editor). The Russian Revolution 1917. Norwich: stationary office. 2000. Gaida, F. A. Revolution, power, and the Bourgeoisie. Russian Studies in History. 2003, vol.41(no 4),p 9-30. Hosking, G. Russia and the Russians. London: Penguin, 2002.

How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay

How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay Classification is a method of developing an essay by arranging people, objects, or ideas with shared characteristics into particular classes or groups. After you have settled on a topic for a classification essay*  and explored it through various prewriting strategies, you should be ready to attempt a first draft. Here is how to develop and organize a five-paragraph classification essay. Introductory Paragraph In your introduction, clearly identify your subject - in this case, the group you are classifying. If you have narrowed your subject in any way (for example, types of bad drivers, rock guitarists, or annoying moviegoers), make this clear from the start. You may also want to provide some specific descriptive or informative details to attract the interest of your readers and suggest the purpose of the essay. Finally, include a thesis sentence (usually at the end of the introduction) that briefly identifies the main types or approaches that youre about to examine.   Heres an example of a short but effective introductory paragraph to a classification essay: Its a warm evening in July, and all across the country Americans are gathering to watch a game of professional baseball. Armed with hot dogs and cold drinks, they stroll to their seats, some in grand stadiums, others in cozy minor-league parks. But no matter where the game is played, you will find the same three types of baseball fan: the Party Rooter, the Sunshine Supporter, and the Diehard Fan. Notice how this introduction creates certain expectations. The specific details provide a setting (a ballpark on a warm evening in July) in which we expect to see the various fans described. In addition, the labels assigned to these fans (the Party Rooter, the Sunshine Supporter, and the Diehard Fan) lead us to expect descriptions of each type in the order theyre given. A good writer will go on to fulfill these expectations in the body of the essay. Body Paragraphs Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that identifies a particular type of approach. Then  illustrate each type with specific details. Arrange your body paragraphs in whatever order strikes you as clear and logical - say, from the least effective approach to the most effective, or from the most common type to the least familiar (or the other way around). Just make sure that the order of your body paragraphs matches the arrangement promised in your thesis sentence. Here, in the body of the essay on baseball fans, you can see that the writer has fulfilled the expectations set up in the introduction. (In each body paragraph, the topic sentence is in italics.) The Party Rooter goes to games for the hot dogs, the gimmicks, the giveaways, and the companionship; hes not really that interested in the ballgame itself. The Party Rooter is the sort of fan who shows up on Buck-a-Brew Night, often with a gang of fellow partiers. He cracks jokes, hurls peanuts at the team mascot, applauds the exploding scoreboard, blasts an electronic horn whenever he pleases- and occasionally nudges a companion and asks, Hey, whos winning? The Party Rooter often wanders out of the park in the sixth or seventh inning to continue his celebrations in the car on the way home.The Sunshine Supporter, usually a more common type than the Party Rooter, goes to the park to cheer on a winning team and bask in its glory. When the home side is on a winning streak and still in contention for a playoff spot, the stadium will be packed with this sort of fan. As long as her team is winning, the Sunshine Supporter will be roaring at every play, waving her pennant and shouting out th e names of her heroes. However, as the name implies, the Sunshine Supporter is a fickle fan, and her cheers quickly turn to boos when a hero strikes out or drops a line drive. She will stay around until the end of the game to celebrate a victory, but should her team fall a few runs behind, shes likely to slip out to the parking lot during the seventh-inning stretch.​Diehard Fans are also strong supporters of the local team, but they go to the park to watch good baseball, not just to root for a winner.  More attentive to the game than other fans, Diehards will study the stance of a power hitter, note the finesse of a quick fielder, and anticipate the strategy of a pitcher who has fallen behind in the count. While the Party Rooter is chugging a beer or dropping wisecracks, Diehards may be filling in a scorecard or commenting on a players RBI tally over the past few months. And when a Sunshine Supporter boos an opposing player for tagging out a local hero, Diehards may be quie tly applauding the expert moves of this enemy infielder. No matter what the score is, Diehard Fans remain in their seats until the last batter is out, and they may still be talking about the game long after its over.​ Notice how the writer uses comparisons to ensure cohesion in the body of the essay. The topic sentence in both  the second and third paragraphs refers to the preceding paragraph. Likewise, in the third body paragraph, the writer draws explicit contrasts between the Diehards and the other two types of baseball fans. Such comparisons not only provide smooth transitions from one paragraph to the next but also reveal the sympathies of the writer. He begins with the type of fan he likes the least and ends with the one he most admires. We now expect the writer to justify his attitudes in the conclusion. Concluding Paragraph The concluding paragraph gives you an opportunity to draw together the various types and approaches you have been examining in the body of the essay. You may choose to offer a final brief comment on each one, summarizing its value or its limitations. Or you may want to recommend one approach over the others and explain why. In any case, make sure that your conclusion clearly emphasizes the purpose of your classification. In the concluding paragraph to Baseball Fans, consider whether the author has been successful in his effort to tie his observations together. Professional baseball would have trouble surviving without all three types of fans. The Party Rooters provide much of the money that owners need to hire talented players. The Sunshine Supporters bring a stadium to life and help boost the morale of the home team. But only the Diehard Fans maintain their support all season long, year in and year out. By late September in most ballparks, enduring chilly winds, rain delays, and sometimes humiliating losses, only the Diehards remain. Notice how the writer hooks his conclusion back to the introduction by contrasting the chilly night in September with the warm evening in July. Connections such as this help to unify an essay and give it a sense of completeness. As you develop and organize your draft, experiment with various strategies, but keep this basic format in mind: an introduction that identifies your subject and the different types of approaches; three (or more) body paragraphs that rely on specific details to describe or illustrate the types; and a conclusion that draws your points together and makes the overall purpose of the classification clear.