Meaning and Definition of Leninism | Concept and What is.

What Leninism?

It is a particular vision of Marxism which Lenin develops from the same Marxism. The vision of Leninism is different with much of the thinking of Marx because it focuses on a revolutionary process at the local level (at the level of a single country). Lenin extends this view to a global or global process. He argues that capitalism has become a process that covers the whole world and that therefore there is an economic imperialism. From this premise is that the imperialist States use their resources to keep the masses (especially to the proletariat) relatively happy fighting in this way the proletarian revolution. Therefore it is not possible for an imperialist State to fall easily to the revolution, the Revolution just may be the weakest imperialist State: Russia.

From there it could expand to other States gradually and in the vision of Lenin Germany was the next State in conditions of falling. However for Lenin, there is another chance: the revolution is carried out in small (underdeveloped) countries and which together form a Confederation it enough to confront the imperialist countries. As you can see, it is an extension of the class struggle, but with a global vision. The State should be handled from the soviets by way of cooperatives of self-management (would say today) and the State apparatus should be minimum, where a Minister should not earn more than a worker. Only Lenin can be seen partially fulfilled their expectations and then appear three movements that try to bring them to completion: Stalinism, Maoism, and Trotskyism.

Stalinism (due to José Stalin) attempted to form a single State, centralized, bureaucratic and repressive, where the natural and human resources were at your service. It was a State where figures of their leaders extolled and put them above all. The main purpose was to turn this State into a superpower at any cost and in fact did. The cost in human and natural resources was very high, also in the repressive sense and also the ecological consequences were not left to wait, producing famines even. The superpower should extend the revolutionary process to other countries starting with the least-developed.

Trotskyism (of León Trotsky) sought a State less bureaucratic, more focused on the soviets (councils) and with a rotation of the political offices to avoid the exaltation of personal figures. The revolution should be phased, gradual and not aggressive. Trotskyism was generally a less violent and more up-to-date Leninism except at the end of the revolution. Also proposed as lead to disappearance to the State and thus eliminate all bureaucracy.

Maoism (of Mao Tse Tung) has elements Stalinist and Trotskyist, but framed in the feudal society China, since this country had not come out of feudalism. Take advantage of these elements to replace the figure of the emperor by the figure of the State guard and not seen in the working class revolution engine. Mao sees in the peasant class to that engine. Of course the Chinese working class was almost non-existent and therefore could not lead the revolutionary process. For Leninism should be applied depending on the circumstances. This thought has led to major changes that were implemented both by him and by his successors.

Ultimately the Leninism could say that in some respects still existing today, in the sense of different countries in some of its principles and visions have been applied. The fact that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is gone can be interpreted as the disappearance of this current in terms of the practical applied as a whole, but they continue to be redeemable and apply some of their aspirations.

Translated for educational purposes.