The State and Revolution - Classic Text | Alexandria
The State and Revolution, written by Vladimir Lenin in August-September 1917 while in hiding, stands as one of the most influential theoretical works on Marxist state theory and revolutionary strategy. This seminal text, penned on the eve of the October Revolution, presents Lenin's interpretation of Marxist theory regarding the nature of the state, democracy, and the transition from capitalism to communism, while simultaneously serving as a powerful critique of "opportunists" who, in Lenin's view, had distorted Marx's original revolutionary teachings.
The work emerged during a pivotal moment in Russian and world history, as the First World War raged and revolutionary sentiments reached their apex. Lenin began writing the manuscript in Finland, where he had fled to escape arrest by the Provisional Government. Notably, the final chapter remained unfinished, as Lenin was called back to Petrograd to lead the Bolshevik Revolution, adding a compelling historical dimension to the text's creation.
In this work, Lenin meticulously examines the writings of Marx and Engels, particularly focusing on their analyses of the Paris Commune of 1871. He develops their ideas while forcefully arguing for the necessity of smashing the bourgeois state apparatus rather than simply taking it over. The text's theoretical framework became fundamental to 20th-century revolutionary movements, influencing figures from Mao Zedong to Che Guevara, while sparking intense debates about the nature of socialist democracy and the role of the state in revolution.
The legacy of The State and Revolution continues to reverberate in contemporary political discourse, particularly in discussions about state power, democratic transformation, and revolutionary change. Its analysis of the relationship between democracy and state power remains relevant to modern social movements and political theory. The text's unfinished nature – Lenin noted that "it is more pleasant and useful to go through the 'experience of revolution' than to write about it" – serves as a powerful reminder of the dynamic relationship between revolutionary theory and practice. Today, scholars and activists continue to engage with this work, debating its relevance to current struggles for social justice and political transformation, while grappling with its complex legacy in the history of revolutionary movements and state socialism.