{"id":77,"date":"2019-08-10T18:21:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T22:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/?page_id=77"},"modified":"2020-08-06T15:58:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T19:58:56","slug":"leninism-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/leninism-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Leninism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

PART III<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In this section of our course, I will focus on the emergence and later demise\u00a0of the\u00a0Leninist Nation-state<\/em><\/strong>, two of the most dramatic developments of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Just to make my personal view clear, here\u2019s a point we can all agree upon: \u00a0The communist regimes of the past century frequently \u00a0pursued policies horrific policies; millions of people under Leninist<\/strong><\/em> rule. This is a fact. Still, if we want to make sense of this major historical development, we have to ask why these regimes lasted as long as they did.\u00a0 After all, for much of the twentieth century there were as many\u00a0Leninist\u00a0<\/strong>Nation-states<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0in the world as\u00a0Liberal Democratic<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0states. \u00a0The answer to this question is that\u00a0Leninism<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0represented the preeminent challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>in the modern age.<\/p>\n

Making sense of this historical period isn\u2019t just a matter of appreciating a now deceased political identity. As I shall argue in this section, the legacy of\u00a0Leninism\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>helps us to understand the popularity and practices of leaders like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un today. Even more important, this period provides essential clues to understanding why people might support populist and dictatorial ideologies in our own part of the world\u2013and why others might break away from these ideologies. \u00a0In other words, the past is present\u2014and future.<\/p>\n

I have written extensively on this issue. \u00a0\"\"If you like, feel free to read my new book,\u00a0Vanguard of the Revolution<\/em><\/a>. What the journal Foreign Affairs<\/em> thinks: HERE<\/a><\/p>\n


\n16. LECTURE: Monday, September 30<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on Karl Marx\u2019s Communist Manifesto and its\u00a0significance for the history of world communism.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Question<\/em>: Why did so many smart, well-educated people become\u00a0Marxists<\/em><\/strong>? My argument is that\u00a0Marxism\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>shared many of the same foundations as\u00a0Liberalism,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0even though it represented a radical critique of\u00a0Liberal<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0thought.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0It is essential to understand\u00a0Marxism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0because it paved the way for a fundamentally different path to the\u00a0Modern Nation-state<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In the contemporary world, it is equally important to ask why an intelligent person would support violent extremism. \u00a0The problem just won\u2019t go away.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 Read the\u00a0Manifesto<\/em>\u00a0carefully\u2013I suggest, at least three times.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0It is one of the greatest and most influential \"\"publications of all time. Look beyond the details for Marx\u2019s overarching argument.\u00a0What kind of argument is he making against capitalism?\u00a0 Why would it have been so appealing to many 19th and 20th century radicals?\u00a0 Indeed, why might it even appeal to contemporary populist politicians, especially Bernie Sanders and, yes, even Donald Trump (but not to non-populist traditional politicians like Hillary Clinton and Paul Ryan). As you read the essay, pay close attention to what Marx says about the revolutionary character of the bourgeoisie.<\/p>\n

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, \u00a0The Communist Manifesto<\/em>, sections, 1, 2, and 4.<\/p>\n

Read the following articles to get a sense for the environment in which Marx\u2019s ideas thrived:<\/p>\n

Friedrich Engels, \u201cOn the Condition of the Working Class in England\u201d \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

M. Faraday, July 7, 1855, \u201cThe Filth of the Thames\u201d \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

How could a Republican politician and and American hero, like John McCain, find anything to admire in a communist?\u00a0 (In my personal view, McCain was an admirable human being. He thought for himself and epitomized the kind of decency and compassion we should expect from any democratic leader).<\/p>\n

John McCain, \u201cSalute to a Communist\u201d \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

17. LECTURE:\u00a0\u00a0Wednesday, October 2<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the causes of the Bolshevik revolution and its roots in the unintended consequences of the tsars\u2019 imperial ambitions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 Marx never expected that his proletarian revolution would take place in the East.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, he predicted it would not. \u00a0So, how did\u00a0the event\u00a0happen? \u00a0One must consider the setting of the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917 in order to understand why this context was better suited to mass upheaval than the western industrial world.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0442! (Lenin lives!) My photo of the Lenin statue in Minsk, Belarus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In considering the Bolshevik revolution, I also seek to address the issue of historical and political change. \u00a0Since people use and overuse the word \u201crevolution\u201d all the time, I want you to think about how we should distinguish between truly\u00a0 \u201crevolutionary\u201d events, on the one hand, and events that are only highly significant, on the other. \u00a0In my view, with which some observers would disagree, there haven\u2019t been many revolutions in modern history. \u00a0Indeed, I am not totally convinced that the American Revolution was a \u201crevolution,\u201d at least not socially or economically.\u00a0 Please feel free to disagree with me.<\/p>\n

These two sources, one an article and the other, a video, are meant to provide you with a general background to the Bolshevik Revolution and its antecedents:<\/p>\n

\u201cRussian Revolution of 1917,\u201d\u00a0New World Encyclopedia\u00a0<\/em>READ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Russian Revolution,\u201d DocumentaryTube.com (1:33.54) \u00a0WATCH<\/a>\u00a0 (Watch as much of this film as you can. \u00a0It\u2019s fascinating and full of terrific footage)<\/p>\n

18. DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0 Friday, October 4<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>: \u00a0The\u00a0Communist Manifesto<\/em>\u00a0was once banned across the United States.\u00a0 Now you can read it and try to figure out what all the fuss was about. (Or was it simply dumb to ban it?\u00a0 I am strongly opposed to the banning of books\u2014see\u00a0Fahrenheit 451,\u00a0Catcher in the Rye<\/em>, Ulysses<\/em>,\u00a0Lady Chatterley’s Lover<\/em>, etc.\u00a0After all, why should we be afraid of words?). Interestingly, Marx\u2019s thinking was, in some ways, consonant with\u00a0Liberal<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0values.\u00a0 Yet, he came to radically different conclusions about how\u00a0Liberalism<\/strong><\/em>\u2019s idealistic principles could be realized. \u00a0How can both of these claims be true?\u00a0 Keep in mind that\u00a0Marxism<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0had to come from somewhere.\u00a0 In fact, it had the same historical roots as\u00a0Liberalism<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 How might the essential aspects of Marx’s critique of capitalism appeal to contemporary populist politicians, especially Bernie Sanders and, yes, even Donald Trump (but not to non-populist traditional politicians like Hillary Clinton and Paul Ryan)?<\/p>\n

19. NO CLASS:\u00a0 Monday, October 7<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I will be lecturing about my book on the communist party in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

20. LECTURE: Wednesday, October 9<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on Vladimir Ilyich Lenin\u2019s transformation\u00a0of elementary\u00a0Marxism<\/strong>\u00a0into a new political identity:\u00a0Leninism<\/strong>\u00a0(originally known as Bolshevism).<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0Leninism<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0had more to do with defining\u00a0Marxism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0than the other way around. \u00a0\u00a0Lenin was a mediocre philosopher but a great revolutionary.\u00a0\u00a0 He knew instinctively how to apply a western recipe for radical change to a backward country.\u00a0 For this reason, one\u00a0could argue that \u201cMarx was\u00a0archaeopteryx\u00a0and Lenin was his bird.\u201d \u00a0See\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 The best way to understand the fully tragic\u00a0implications<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0Leninism<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0is to see how it was implemented at the height of the Soviet revolution under Josef Stalin.\u00a0 To this end, I am asking you to read the\u00a0Man\u00a0himself.<\/p>\n

Selections from Josef Stalin,\u00a0Foundations of\u00a0<\/em>Leninism. \u00a0<\/em>PRINT AND READ<\/a>\u00a0Section 4 (\u201cDictatorship of the Proletariat\u201d) and Section 8 \u00a0(\u201cThe Party\u201d)\u00a0 Get a general sense for Stalin\u2019s argument; don\u2019t worry about the details.<\/p>\n

The rousing anthem, \u201cThe International,\u201d became the hymn for communist and other radical working-class movements throughout the world.<\/p>\n

Watch Pete Seeger sing the \u00a0The Internationale<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 I sang it to my tour guides when I was in Pyongyang, North Korea and it drove them crazy.\u00a0\u00a0How could they prevent me from paying tribute to one of their ideological forebears!\u00a0 Yet the entire time I was in North Korea, I only saw one picture of Marx and Lenin.<\/p>\n

More versions of the International:<\/p>\n

The classic Soviet version\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, from the movie \u2018Reds\u2019 starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton: \u00a0\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Chinese pop version\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Bill Murray\u2019s puppet sings:\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Rage Against the Machine:\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, listen to \u201cOccupy Wall Street\u201d protesters sing the Internationale\u00a0WATCH\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0(I\u2019m not sure that many actually knew the words, but it\u2019s interesting that they sang it)<\/p>\n

21. DISCUSSION SECTION: \u00a0Friday, October 11\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paragraph assignment<\/em>: \u00a0\u201cIf Marx was an\u00a0archaeopteryx\u00a0<\/a>, would that make Lenin his bird?\u201d<\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>: \u00a0You have been assigned to start a revolution\u2013a real one!\u2013at Notre Dame. Based upon your reading of the the Communist Manifesto<\/em> and the\u00a0chapters from Stalin\u2019s\u00a0Foundations of Leninism<\/em>, please exuberantly and passionately discuss the following two questions: \u00a01) what would Lenin (and Stalin) advise you to do to foment this revolution? and 2) what challenges would you face in fomenting this revolution and then keeping it going?<\/p>\n

To put the question more generally: Are all true revolutions inevitably destined to spiral into violence?<\/p>\n

22. LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, October 14<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the transmogrification of\u00a0Marxist and Leninist<\/strong>\u00a0utopia into\u00a0Stalinist<\/strong>\u00a0terror.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: Stalin\u2019s regime of terror was intrinsically, if not inevitably, rooted in the goals and institutions of\u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0also degenerated into horrific violence in other countries, especially China. In my book, Vanguard of the Revolution<\/em>, I show why this degeneration occurred for different reasons and in different ways, but these regimes’ roots in the Stalinist experience had a lot to do with what happened.<\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u201cPurges and Hysteria in the Soviet Union\u201d:\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 (all six pages)<\/p>\n

Ode\u00a0to Stalin:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

23. IN-CLASS FILM:\u00a0 Wednesday, October 16 (A rearrangement of our original schedule)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Journey to Russia,” PBS Frontline Series<\/p>\n

As you watch this film, ask yourself:\u00a0 Given the Horrors of Stalinism, how did the Soviet Union get to the point in the early 1980s when it seemed relatively stable and its citizens (at least most of those in the film) seemed comfortable with it?<\/p>\n

24. Discussion Section:\u00a0 \u00a0Friday, October 18\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion Topic<\/em>:\u00a0 In the 1980s, all of the experts, including yours truly, were skeptical about the idea that people living under communism could rise up spontaneously against their leaders.\u00a0 Yet in the late 1970s, dissidents like the physicist Andrei Sakharov and the playwright Vaclav Havel,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"were already providing the ideas about why such events might occur.<\/p>\n

NOTE: Havel\u2019s essay is not only about life in Czechoslovakia. \u00a0It is about what it means to \u201clive within the truth\u201d in any social, including the US. \u00a0This is a big theme in\u00a0Fahrenheit 451<\/em>. \u00a0The dispute over the meaning of \u201ctruth\u201d and its implications for our behavior is also central to the crisis of American democracy today.<\/p>\n

V\u00e1clav Havel, \u201cPower of the Powerless,\u201d in\u00a0Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990<\/em>, sections I-VI.<\/p>\n

The \u201cPower of the Powerless\u201d is challenging reading. I am honored that you will take up this challenge.<\/p>\n

For background, see my comments on\u00a0Charter 77<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0as well as this short article on\u00a0Havel\u2019s life<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topic:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Discuss the first half of \u201cPower of the Powerless.\u201d\u00a0 Why is the green grocer so important to Havel\u2019s argument?\u00a0 Would you have acted differently than the green grocer if you had lived in a Leninist\u00a0<\/i><\/b>state?\u00a0 What kinds of events would be required to convince the green grocer that he should rebel?\u00a0 What types of circumstances would persuade you, too, to rebel?<\/p>\n

Paragraph Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0To what extent, if at all, do we \u201clive within a lie\u201d in the United States\u201d?\u00a0 Consider this study about the choice between truth-telling and happiness while you write your response:\u00a0 HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MID-TERM BREAK:\u00a0 Saturday, October 19 – Sunday, October 27<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

25. LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, October 28<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Reflections on the\u00a0Leninist\u00a0<\/strong>challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0Leninism\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>was initially a credible challenge to\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0Its lasting appeal was reinforced by a variety of factors. \u00a0In the 1980s, I had the rather unusual experience of living in East Germany. I\u2019ll attempt to give you a sense for these factors by sharing some of my experiences in the years before the fall of the Berlin Wall.<\/p>\n

26. LECTURE: Wednesday, October 30<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the sudden and total collapse of the\u00a0Leninis<\/i><\/b>t N<\/i>ation-State.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 No one predicted this explosive development (in the serious sense of\u00a0 the word \u201cprediction\u201d).\u00a0 By the same token,\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b>\u00a0was not destined to collapse when it did.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0Reflect upon Mikhail Gorbachev\u2019s role in the fall of the\u00a0Leninist<\/i><\/b>\u00a0N<\/i><\/strong><\/em>ation-State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learn about Gorbachev\u2019s concept of\u00a0Leninist<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0reform\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Finish Reading V\u00e1clav Havel, \u201cPower of the Powerless,\u201d in\u00a0Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Based upon what you have seen, could\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0have been reformed in the way Gorbachev hoped?\u00a0\u00a0 How compatible were Gorbachev\u2019s two primary reform concepts (below)\u00a0with the\u00a0Leninist\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/em>political identity?<\/p>\n

The concept of Perestroika \u00a0READ<\/a>
\nThe concept of Glasnost\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Implications: \u00a0What lessons can we learn from the communist experience about the collapse of dictatorships in general? Is it enough to present people with the\u00a0facts<\/strong>\u00a0about a dictatorship\u2019s failings to make them want to risk rebellion?<\/p>\n

27. DISCUSSION\u00a0 SECTION: Friday, November 1<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Discussion<\/em>:\u00a0 Finish your discussion of Havel by asking what makes the green grocer revolt.\u00a0 Is Havel\u2019s analysis persuasive?\u00a0 Or when we are dealing with\u00a0oppressive dictatorships, is it just wishful thinking to expect that the weak will rise up against the strong?<\/p>\n

Paragraph Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0Identify one example of \u201cliving within a lie\u201d in the United States today and specify what would need to happen to make you fight to overcome it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your\u00a0Second Reflective Essay Question<\/strong> is HERE
\nThis assignment is due on Friday, November 8<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

28.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, November 4<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Reflections on the fuzzy transition to post-communism in the 1990s and then the advance of populist hysteria in the 2010s.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: The big surprise was not only that\u00a0Leninism<\/i><\/b><\/em>\u00a0fell between 1989 and 1991. In many cases, it began the gradual progression to something resembling\u00a0Liberal Democracy.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Yet despite all the promise of this period, we now face a sobering question: \u00a0Will viable democracy survive in any meaningful sense?<\/p>\n

Peculiar signs of life after communist dictatorship!\"\"<\/p>\n

Gorbachev sings\u00a0LISTEN<\/a><\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin plays piano and sings\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:<\/p>\n

What is new and what has changed after the revolutions of 1989-1991?<\/p>\n

Lilia Shevtsova, \u201cForward to the Past\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Levada Center, Moscow:\u00a0 “Perceptions of Stalin”\u00a0 READ<\/a>
\nThis is a terrifically nuanced analysis of the continuing Russian attachment to Stalin, an example of social science at its best.<\/p>\n

Reflect<\/em>:\u00a0 Why would Stalin still be popular in Russia?\u00a0\u00a0WATCH<\/a>\u00a0this video from Al Jazeera, and consider Nadia Beard, “Stalin Rises Again” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Vladimir Tismaneanu, \u201cThe Legacies of 1989: \u00a0The Moving Ruins\u201d\u00a0Journal of Democracy<\/em>, January 2014 See JSTOR at Hesburgh Library e-Journals \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Tony Barber, “How Illiberalism has taken hold of Eastern Europe,”\u00a0World Today<\/em>, June and July 2018: READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Julia Ioffe, \u201cWhy many young Russians see a hero in Putin\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Once you have read these articles, reflect upon\u00a0alternative\u00a0models for this transition:\u00a0 \u00a0mass extinction<\/a> or archaeopteryx.\u00a0\u00a0What would the adoption of one or the other of these images tell you about political change.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Please do not\u00a0use electronic devices of any kind during our class, including laptops, cell phones, tablets, tape recorders, FBI trap-and-trace technology or any other personal digital device.\u00a0 My classroom is a tweet-free zone!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART III In this section of our course, I will focus on the emergence and later demise\u00a0of the\u00a0Leninist Nation-state, two of the most dramatic developments of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Just to make my personal view clear, here\u2019s a point we can all agree upon: \u00a0The communist regimes of the past century frequently \u00a0pursued … Continue reading “Leninism”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-77","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":777,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}