As a single file,The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks) would weigh in at roughly 1.0MB and would be very cumbersome, I suspect, even for those who use today's power computers. As such, the text has been divided into three separate files and is available at this site only in this form. The following is the complete table of contents for The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), with the "parts" into which the chapters are grouped indicated. Each "part" is accessible from the table of contents and at the end of this page.



H I S T O R Y

O F  T H E

C O M M U N I S T   P A R T Y

O F  T H E

S O V I E T  U N I O N

(B O L S H E V I K S)


Short Course


 
E D I T E D  B Y  A  C O M M I S S I O N  O F  T H E
C E N T R A L  C O M M I T T E E  O F  T H E  C. P. S. U. (B.)


A U T H O R I Z E D  B Y  T H E  C E N T R A L  C O M M I T T E E
O F  T H E  C. P. S. U. (B.)


Copyright, 1939, by
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS CO., INC.



Prepared © for the Internet by David J. Romagnolodjr@marx2mao.org (October 1998)


C O N T E N T S
 
[Part 1 -- Intro., Chapters 1-4]

 

INTRODUCTION
 

1
 

Chapter One

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CREATION OF A SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC
LABOUR PARTY IN RUSSIA
(1883-1901)

1.
 
 

2.
 
 

3.
 
 

4.
 
 
 

5.
 

Abolition of Serfdom and the Development of Industrial Cap-
italism in Russia. Rise of the Modern Industrial Proletariat.
First Steps of the Working-Class Movement

Narodism (Populism) and Marxism in Russia. Plekhanov and
His "Emancipation of Labour" Group. Plekhanov's Fight
Against Narodism. Spread of Marxism in Russia

Beginning of Lenin's Revolutionary Activities. St. Petersburg
League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working
Class

Lenin's Struggle Against Narodism and "Legal Marxism."
Lenin's Idea of an Alliance of the Working Class and the
Peasantry. First Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic
Labour Party

Lenin's Fight Against "Economism." Appearance of Lenin's
Newspaper Iskra


 
3


 
8


 
16


 
 
19


 22

Brief Summary

25


 
Chapter Two

FORMATION OF THE RUSSIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY.
APPEARANCE OF THE BOLSHEVIK AND THE MENSHEVIK
GROUPS WITHIN THE PARTY
(1901-1904)

1.

2.
 
 
 

3.
 
 
 

4.
 
 
 
 

Upsurge of the Revolutionary Movement in Russia in 1901-04

Lenin's Plan for the Building of a Marxist Party. Opportunism
of the "Economists." Iskra 's Fight for Lenin's Plan. Lenin's
Book What Is To Be Done? Ideological Foundations of the
Marxist Party

Second Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour
Party. Adoption of Program and Rules and Formation of a
Single Party. Differences at the Congress and Appcarance of
Two Trends Within the Party: The Bolshevik and the Menshevik

Splitting Activities of the Menshevik Leaders and Sharpening
of the Struggle Within the Party After the Second Congress.
Opportunism of the Menshevik. Lenin's Book, One Step
Forward, Two Steps Back. Organizational Principles of the
Marxist Party

27


 
 
30


 
 
39


 
 
 
44

Brief Summary

52


 
Chapter Three

THE MENSHEVIKS AND THE BOLSHEVIKS IN THE PERIOD OF
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE FIRST RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION
(1904-1907)

1.
 
 
 

2.
 
 

3.
 
 
 

4.
 
 

5.
 
 

6.
 
 
 

Russo-Japanese War. Further Rise of the Revolutionary Move-
ment in Russia. Strikes in St. Petersburg. Workers' Demon-
stration Before the Winter Palace on January 9, 1905. Demon-
stration Fired Upon. Outbreak of the Revolution

Workers' Political Strikes and Demonstrations. Growth of the
Revolutionary Movement Among the Peasants. Revolt on the
Battleship Potemkin

Tactical Differences Between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
Third Party Congress. Lenin's Two Tactics of Social-Demo-
cracy in the Democratic Revolution.
 Tactical Foundations of
the Marxist Party

Further Rise of the Revolution. All-Russian Political Strike
of October 1905. Retreat of Tsardom. The Tsar's Manifesto.
Rise of the Soviets of Workers' Deputies

December Armed Uprising. Defeat of the Uprising. Retreat of
the Revolution. First State Duma. Fourth (Unity) Party Con-
gress

Dispersion of the First State Duma. Convocation of the Second
State Duma. Fifth Party Congress. Dispersion of the Second
State Duma. Causes of the Defeat of the First Russian Revo-
lution


 
 
54


 
58


 
 
62


 
77


 
80


 
 
88

Brief Summary

94


 
Chapter Four

THE MENSHEVIKS AND THE BOLSHEVIKS IN THE PERIOD OF THE
STOLYPIN REACTION. THE BOLSHEVIKS CONSTITUTE THEM-
SELVES AN INDEPENDENT MARXIST PARTY
(1908-1912)

1.
 
 
 
 
 
 

2.

3.
 
 

4.
 

5.
 

Stolypin Reaction. Disintegration Among the Oppositional
Intelligentsia. Decadence. Desertion of a Section of the
Party Intelligentsia to the Enemies of Marxism and Attempts
to Revise the Theory of Marxism. Lenin's Rebutal of the Re-
visionists in His Materialism and Empirio-Criticism and
His Defence of the Theoretical Foundations of the Marxist
Party

Dialectical and Historical Materialism

Bolsheviks and Mensheviks in the Period of the Stolypin Re-
action. Struggle of the Bolsheviks Against the Liquidators
and Otzovists

Struggle of the Bolsheviks Against Trotskyism. Anti-Party
August Bloc

Prague Party Conference, 1912. Bolsheviks Constitute Them-
selves an Independent Marxist Party


 
 
 
 
 
97

105


 
132


136


138

Brief Summary

143


 
[Part 2 -- Chapters 5-9]


Chapter Five

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY DURING THE NEW RISE OF THE WORKING-
CLASS MOVEMENT BEFORE THE FIRST IMPERIALIST WAR
(1912-1914)

1.

2.
 

3.
 
 

Rise of the Revolutionary Movement in the Period 1912-14

The Bolshevik Newspaper Pravda. The Bolshevik Group in the
Fourth State Duma

Victory of the Bolsheviks in the Legally Existing Organiza-
tions. Continued Rise of the Revolutionary Movement. Eve of
the Imperialist War

145


149


 
156

Brief Summary

159


 
Chapter Six

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE PERIOD OF THE IMPERIALIST
WAR. THE SECOND REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA
(1914-March 1917)

1.

2.
 
 

3.
 

4.
 

5.
 
 

Outbreak and Causes of the Imperialist War

Parties of the Second International Side With Their Imper-
ialist Governments. Disintegration of the Second Interna-
tional into Separate Chauvinist Parties

Theory and Tactics of the Bolshevik Party on the Question of
War, Peace and Revolution

Defeat of the Tsarist Army. Economic Disruption. Crisis of
Tsardom

The February Revolution. Fall of Tsardom. Formation of
Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. Formation of
the Provisional Government. Dual Power

160


 
162


167


173


 
174

Brief Summary

180


 
Chapter Seven

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE PERIOD OF PREPARATION AND
REALIZATION OF THE OCTOBER SOCIALIST REVOLUTION
(April 1917-1918)

1.
 
 
 

2.
 

3.
 
 

4.
 

5.
 
 

6.
 
 
 
 

7.
 

8.
 
 
 
 

Situation in the Country After the February Revolution. Party
Emerges from Underground and Passes to Open Political Work.
Lenin Arrives in Petrograd. Lenin's April Theses. Party's Policy
of Transition to Socialist Revolution

Beginning of the Crisis of the Provisional Government. April
Conference of the Bolshevik Party

Successes of the Bolshevik Party in the Capital. Abortive Of-
fensive of the Armies of the Provisional Government. Suppres-
sion of the July Demonstration of Workers and Soldiers

The Bolshevik Party Adopts the Course of Preparing for Armed
Uprising. Sixth Party Congress

General Kornilov's Plot Against the Revolution. Suppression
of the Plot. Petrograd and Moscow Soviets Go Over to the Bol-
sheviks

October Uprising in Petrograd and Arrest of the Provisional
Government. Second Congress of Soviets and Formation of the
Soviet Government. Decrees of the Second Congress of Soviets
on Peace and Land. Victory of the Socialist Revolution. Rea-
sons for the Victory of the Socialist Revolution

Struggle of the Bolshevik Party to Consolidate the Soviet
Power. Peace of Brest-Litovsk. Seventh Party Congress

Lenin's Plan for the Initial Steps in Socialist Construction.
Committees of the Poor Peasants and the Curbing of the Ku-
laks. Revolt of the "Left" Socialist-Revolutionaries and Its
Suppression. Fifth Congress of Soviets and Adoption of the
Constitution of the R.S.F.S.R.


 
 
181


187


 
191


195


 
199


 
 
 
204


214


 
 
 
220

Brief Summary

223


 
Chapter Eight

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE PERIOD OF FOREIGN MILITARY
INTERVENTION AND CIVIL WAR
(1918-1920)

1.
 

2.
 

3.
 
 

4.
 
 

5.
 
 
 

Beginning of Foreign Military Intervention. First Period of
the Civil War

Defeat of Germany in the War. Revolution in Germany. Found-
ing of the Third International. Eighth Party Congress

Extension of Intervention. Blockade of the Soviet Country.
Kolchak's Campaign and Defeat. Denikin's Campaign and De-
feat. A Three-Months' Respite. Ninth Party Congress

Polish Gentry Attack Soviet Russia. General Wrangel's Cam-
paign. Failure of the Polish Plan. Rout of Wrangel. End of the
Intervention

How and Why the Soviet Republic Defeated the Combined
Forces of British-French-Japanese-Polish Intervention and
of the Bourgeois-Landlord-Whiteguard Counter-Revolution
in Russia


225


230


 
236


 
240


 
 
243

Brief Summary

246


 
Chapter Nine

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION TO THE
PEACEFUL WORK OF ECONOMIC RESTORATION
(1921-1925)

1.
 

2.
 
 

3.
 
 

4.
 
 
 
 

5.
 
 
 
 

Soviet Republic After the Defeat of the Intervention and End
of the Civil War. Difficulties of the Restoration Period

Party Discussion on the Trade Unions. Tenth Party Congress.
Defeat of the Opposition. Adoption of the New Economic
Policy (NEP)

First Results of NEP. Eleventh Party Congress. Formation of
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Lenin's Illness.
Lenin's Co-operative Plan. Twelfth Party Congress

Struggle Against the Difficulties of Economic Restoration.
Trotskyites Take Advantage of Lenin's Illness to Increase
Their Activity. New Party Discussion. Defeat of the Trotsky-
ites. Death of Lenin. The Lenin Enrolment. Thirteenth Party
Congress

The Soviet Union Towards the End of the Restoration Period.
The Question of Socialist Construction and the Victory of
Socialism in Our Country. Zinoviev-Kamenev "New Opposi-
tion." Fourteenth Party Congress. Policy of Socialist Indust-
rialization of the Country


248


 
251


 
258


 
 
 
264


 
 
 
270

Brief Summary

279


 
[Part 3 -- Chapters 10-12, etc.]


Chapter Ten

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOCIALIST
INDUSTRIALIZATION OF THE COUNTRY
(1926-1929)

1.
 
 
 

2.
 
 
 

3.
 
 

Difficulties in the Period of Socialist Industrialization and
the Fight to Overcome Them. Formation of the Anti-Party Bloc
of Trotskyites and Zinovievites. Anti-Soviet Actions of the
Bloc. Defeat of the Bloc

Progress of Socialist Industrialization. Agriculture Lags. Fif-
teenth Party Congress. Policy of Collectivization in Agricul-
ture. Rout of the Bloc of Trotskyites and Zinovievites. Politi-
cal Duplicity

Offensive Against the Kulaks. The Bukharin-Rykov Anti-Party
Group. Adoption of the First Five-Year Plan. Socialist Emula-
tion. Beginning of the Mass Collective-Farm Movement


 
 
280


 
 
286


 
291

Brief Summary

299


 
Chapter Eleven

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR THE COLLEC-
TIVIZATION OF AGRICULTURE
(1930-1934)

1.
 
 

2.
 
 
 
 

3.
 
 
 
 
 

4.
 
 
 

International Situation in 1930-34. Economic Crisis in the
Capitalist Countries. Japanese Annexation of Manchuria. Fas-
cists' Advent to Power in Germany. Two Seats of War

From the Policy of Restricting the Kulak Elements to the Pol-
icy of Eliminating the Kulaks as a Class. Struggle Against
Distortions of the Party Policy in the Collective-Farm Move-
ment. Offensive Against the Capitalist Elements Along the
Whole Line. Sixteenth Party Congress

Policy of Reconstructing All Branches of the National Econ-
omy. Importance of Technique. Further Spread of the Collec-
tive-Farm Movement. Political Departments of the Machine
and Tractor Stations. Results of the Fulfilment of the Five-
Year Plan in Four Years. Victory of Socialiam Along the Whole
Front. Seventeenth Party Congress

Degeneration of the Bukharinites Into Political Double-Deal-
ers. Degeneration of the Trotskyite Double-Dealers Into a
Whiteguard Gang of Assassins and Spies. Foul Murder of S. M.
Kirov. Measures of the Party to Heighten Bolshevik Vigilance.


 
300


 
 
 
303


 
 
 
 
312


 
 
324

Brief Summary

329


 
Chapter Twelve

THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY IN THE STRUGGLE TO COMPLETE THE
BUILDING OF THE SOCIALIST SOCIETY. INTRODUCTION
OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION
(1935-1937)

1.
 
 
 
 

2.
 
 
 
 
 

3.
 

4.
 
 
 
 

International Situation in 1935-37. Temporary Mitigation of
the Economic Crisis. Beginning of a New Economic Crisis.
Seizure of Ethiopia by Italy. German and Italian Intervention
in Spain. Japanese Invasion of Central China. Beginning of the
Second Imperialist War

Further Progress of Industry and Agriculture in the U.S.S.R.
Second Five-Year Plan Fulfilled Ahead of Time. Reconstruc-
tion of Agriculture and Completion of Collectivization. Im-
portance of Cadres. Stakhanov Movement. Rising Standard of
Welfare. Rising Cultural Standard. Strength of the Soviet
Revolution

Eighth Congress of Soviets. Adoption of the New Constitution
of the U.S.S.R.

Liquidation of the Remnants of the Bukharin-Trotsky Gang of
Spies, Wreckers and Traitors to the Country. Preparations for
the Election of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. Broad Inner-
Party Democracy as the Party's Course. Election of the
Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R.


 
 
 
331


 
 
 
 
335


341


 
 
 
346


CONCLUSION


353

GLOSSARY

364




From Marx to Mao

Other Texts
and Documents

Reading Guide