Marx and Russia: The Fate of a Doctrine (The Bloomsbury History of Modern Russia Series)

Marx and Russia is a chronological account of the evolution of Marxist thought from the publication of Das Kapital in Russian translation to the suppression of independent ideological currents by Stalin at the end of the 1920s. The book demonstrates the progressive emergence of different schools of Marxist thinking in the revolutionary era in Russia. Starting from Marx's own connections with Russian revolutionaries and scholars, James D. White examines the contributions of such figures as Sieber, Plekhanov, Lenin, Bogdanov, Trotsky, Bukharin and Stalin to Marxist ideology in Russia. Using primary documents, biographical sketches and a helpful timeline, the book provides a useful guide for students to orientate themselves among the various Marxist ideologies which they encounter in modern Russian history. White also incorporates valuable new research for Russian history specialists in a vital volume for anyone interested in the history of Marxism, Soviet history and the history of Russia across the modern period. Reviews “In this beautifully written and thoroughly researched tour de force, White presents the findings of a whole life's work on several connected themes: Marx's thought, Marx and Russia, Marx's reception in Russia, the Russian and European revolutionary movement, and the Russian Revolution. With characteristic clarity and wit, White demonstrates how inopportune deaths (Marx, Sieber), left the field open for a fundamental misconception of Marx's work to take hold in Russia via Engels, Plekhanov and Lenin.” – Ian D. Thatcher, Professor of History, Ulster University, UK “White is a master of lucid presentation of complex ideas. His new book discusses Karl Marx's (and Friedrich Engels's) thinking on Russia and how the main Russian Marxists (Plekhanov, Lenin, Bogdanov, Trotsky and others) picked up his ideas while providing them with their own twist. The book is packed with new insights and original ideas. It convincingly shows the centrality of Russia in Marx's thought. The study of Russian conditions finally forced him to abandon the idea of capitalism as a universal system destined to absorb the world. The book continues with an elegant exposé of the main tenets of the Russian Marxists on workers and intelligentsia; permanent revolution; imperialism; state and democracy; and dialectical philosophy. No doubt, this is the best and most complete introduction to Marxism and Russia in existence.” – Erik van Ree, Assistant Professor of European Studies, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands “James White's Marx and Russia is a major and indispensable contribution to the topic of whether the Soviet Union was “Marxist”. In easy prose, the author provides the reader with the fate of a doctrine in one country that has worldwide implications to this day.” – Paul Zarembka, Professor of Economics, State University of New York, USA Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 7 1 Marx and Russia 10 Marx’s ‘Critique of Political Economy’ 10 The abolition of serfdom 13 Haxthausen 15 The debate on the peasant commune 17 The Russian translation of Das Kapital 22 Marx’s studies of Russia 24 2 Marx’s Russian ‘Scientific Friends’ 32 Nikolai Sieber 32 Sieber defends Marx 36 Maxim Kovalevsky 43 Communal landownership 46 Collaboration with Marx 47 Marx’s letter to Vera Zasulich 49 Kovalevsky and Sieber 51 3 Engels 56 Engels as editor 56 Modernizing dialectics 59 The controversy with Tkachev 64 The publication of Marx’s letter to Otechestvennye Zapiski 66 4 Plekhanov 72 Socialism and the political struggle 76 Our Differences 80 Dialectical materialism 83 The famine of 1891 86 5 Lenin 94 What Is To Be Done? 101 Materialism and Empiriocriticism 107 The Marx and Engels correspondence 110 The ‘Philosophical Notebooks’ 112 6 Bogdanov 116 Vologda 119 Pravda 121 Democratic centralism 122 Socialist society 123 Conflict with Lenin 126 Proletarian culture 129 Tectology 131 7 Trotsky and permanent revolution 134 Parvus 137 Results and Prospects 138 Russia in the Revolution 141 Plekhanov’s History of Russian Social Thought 144 Pokrovsky and merchant capitalism 145 8 Theories of imperialism 152 Rosa Luxemburg 152 Hilferding 154 Kautsky 156 Trotsky 157 Skvortsov-Stepanov 159 Bukharin 161 Lenin 165 Bogdanov 168 9 Marxism and revolution 172 Marxism on the State 172 The dictatorship of the proletariat 173 A people’s revolution 175 The ‘April Theses’ 177 Bogdanov on Lenin’s ‘April Theses’ 179 Trotsky joins Lenin 181 Lenin and the banks 183 Questions of socialism 184 The nationalization of the banks 186 The fate of the workers’ party 187 10 Towards the ‘Short Course’ 190 Bukharin 190 Oppositions 193 Stalin’s Fundamentals of Leninism 195 Economic planning 197 Industrialization debates 198 The end of equilibrium 201 Leninskii sbornik 201 Istpart 203 Pokrovsky 206 Russia’s colonial status 208 The Short Course 209 Content 211 Dialectical and Historical Materialism 212 Concluding remarks 216 Bibliography 220 Index 230 "Marx and Russia is a chronological account of the evolution of Marxist thought from the publication of Das Kapital in Russian translation to the suppression of independent ideological currents by Stalin at the end of the 1920s. The book demonstrates the progressive emergence of different schools of Marxist thinking in the revolutionary era in Russia. Starting from Marx's own connections with Russian revolutionaries and scholars, James D. White examines the contributions of such figures as Sieber, Plekhanov, Lenin, Bogdanov, Trotsky, Bukharin and Stalin to Marxist ideology in Russia. Using primary documents, biographical sketches and a helpful timeline, the book provides a useful guide for students to orientate themselves among the various Marxist ideologies which they encounter in modern Russian history. White also incorporates valuable new research for Russian history specialists in a vital volume for anyone interested in the history of Marxism, Soviet history and the history of Russia across the modern period."-- Résumé de l'éditeur Marx And Russia -- Marx's Russian 'scientific Friends' -- Engels -- Plekhanov -- Lenin -- Bogdanov -- Trotsky And Permanent Revolution -- Theories Of Imperialism -- Marxism And Revolution --towards The 'short Course' -- Concluding Remarks. James D. White. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 211-219) And Index.