"The tops can not, the lower classes do not want": Lenin's idea of revolution

"The tops can not, the lower classes do not want to" - a famous expression belonging to Lenin, which he denoted the revolutionary situation in society, when, in his opinion, all the necessary prerequisites for a coup d'état and the overthrow of the ruling system were ripe. This thesis was picked up by his followers, and in Soviet times he entered all school allowances in historical and social disciplines. Nowadays expression is also preserved, although it is already used in other contexts in relation to this or that socio-political situation.

Characteristics of the era

The phrase "the tops can not, the lower classes do not want" was first sounded in Lenin's work "May Day of the Revolutionary Proletariat" in 1913. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was in a rather difficult situation. On the one hand, she experienced a period of economic and industrial growth, and by that year she had become one of the world's leading powers for industrial production. However, its international position was extremely difficult because of the failure in the Russian-Japanese war, in which our country failed and lost part of Sakhalin Island, which caused discontent in the society. Therefore, the phrase "the tops can not, the lower classes do not want" Lenin, probably wanted to show a tense situation both in society and in the upper circles of power.

Teachings

The above formulation is closely related to the development of a theory on the revolutionary situation. According to its provisions, a coup is possible only in the following three cases: when the authorities, the government are not able to manage under the old system, society is in a depressed state and does not want to put up with its position anymore, and finally, when people are able to organize themselves and act massively Against the existing system. The idea that "the upper classes can not, the lower classes do not want to", was expressed by the author in the context of the arguments about the revolutionary situation in his other work titled "The Collapse of the Second International" (1915). This was a difficult time in the history of our country, which participated in the First World War, which led to an aggravation of the socio-political situation and the growth of opposition sentiments.

On the crisis

Lenin also formulated the idea that a serious and profound government crisis is needed to carry out the revolution. At this time, in his opinion, the masses should be organized by a revolutionary party that would take over the leadership of the movement. According to him, this is an important subjective prerequisite for a successful coup.

About the economy

Lenin believed that the only way out of the crisis was to become a bourgeois-democratic revolution. "The top ..., the lower classes do not want" - a phrase that in a condensed form expressed the basic concept of his teaching. However, he believed that the reason for all this was the deep socio-economic prerequisites, rooted in the basis of production. At the end of the 19th century, in a number of his works, and primarily in the book The Development of Capitalism in Russia, Lenin asserted that the capitalist mode of production had already been finally formed in our country. In his opinion, the state entered the highest stage of capitalism - imperialism, which, Lenin continued, spoke of the need for a revolution. In this work he analyzed in detail the domestic market, the division of labor and commodity production, which ultimately led to capitalism. The current situation, namely, the government crisis and the impoverishment of the people as a result of its exploitation, has led to the fact that "the upper classes can not, and the lower classes do not want" to put up with the existing situation. In the latter circumstance, the author saw the most important prerequisite for the possibility of a coup.

Comparison with other teachings

It should be noted that Lenin developed these ideas at a time when other socio-political trends existed in Russia, otherwise they explained the development of our country. For example, the Narodniks maintained that capitalism was not necessary for the economy of the empire, and they spoke of the advantages of small-scale production. Lenin, on the contrary, argued that capitalism is inevitable, that it naturally developed from commodity production, which, in turn, arose from the social division of labor. He also fully accepted the Marxist doctrine of socio-economic formations, which suggested that in the event of contradictions between productive forces and production relations, the prerequisites for a revolutionary coup come. It is this thought that was conveyed in a concise form by the statement "the top can not, the lower classes do not want."

Lenin sought to prove that the revolutionary situation in Russia is already ripe , and that a coup is possible under the leadership of the Bolshevik party. The teaching was subsequently recognized as official and was considered in school, university courses.