The Russian Revolution (Bolshevik Revolution) which erupted in 1917 also happened to be occurring amid the last and final periods of World War I. With a rate of high casualties, landless peasantry, and military defeats Russia had to exclude itself from war and confront the growing tensions of its dissolving empire. During this time, the Bolshevik Revolution sparked the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and affirmed its dominance as the world’s first communist state. Founder of the Russian Communist Party, Vladimir Lenin, led what is considered the most radical movements of Russian history. The Bolshevik Revolution ultimately redirected the nation's economy, social structure, industrial developments and its international relations. Due to the Russian government's major political and economic changes during this time, some would argue that the Bolshevik revolution served to inspire other countries to partake in the international spread of communism, however, because of the destruction of the soviet state, failure of the Third International (Comintern) and the struggling relationship of the USSR with other nations the Bolshevik Revolution was conclusively a national triumph.
Intimidated by the occurrence of riots in their own countries, the authorities of numerous Western lands saw Communism as a growing menace and advanced to quarantine the Soviet Union as much as possible. Following World War II and the approach of the nuclear era, a dispute between the Soviet Union and the United States erupted. As the Cold War became initiated, the two nations emerged as superpowers. A prolonged nuclear arms competition between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted until the USSR finally failed in 1991. In a book composed of primary documents by Russian figures, “The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union”, document 10.29 Yeltsin’s Call for Resistance to the Coup, states the following:
We have always considered that the use of force to solve political and economic problems is unacceptable. It discredits the USSR in the eyes of the world and undermines our prestige in the International community, returning us to the Cold War era and the isolation of the Soviet Union from the international community.
The Soviet Union’s attempt at inciting a global uprising in efforts to achieve communism internationally was often disapproved. Countries like the United States knew that an economy with no regards for a marketplace system would fail them because it neglected the needs of the consumers. The USSR wasn’t able to stop the violence inflicted on the Russian people in their own nation. The statement above provided by former President Yeltsin can be viewed as hypocritical because violent tactics was one of the main methods utilized to impose communist rules on Russians. After the Resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev, the USSR essentially began crumbling from within, which therefore confined communism within Russia’s borders and was ultimately a national revolution.
Following the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin envisioned the mass expansion of socialism across the globe in order to keep his hard work from dying out. Ideally, Lenin and his supporters viewed the Russian revolution as the springboard for other leading nations to establish communism within their governments. Following the Revolution in 1919, Lenin endorsed the creation of an organization that aimed to resemble the Soviet Communist Party known as the Third International. The Third International served as the Russian Communist Party’s latest attempt at promoting an international revolution. In another compilation of documents selected and edited by Jane Degras, “The Communist International”, Marx addresses the working class of the world:
“It may perhaps be that in America capitalism can continue to exist for a couple of years alongside a communist Europe. It may perhaps be that even in England capitalism will continue to exist for a year or two alongside the communism which will have triumphed over the whole European continent. But for any length of time such a symbiosis is impossible” (51).
Interestingly enough, Marx declared in this statement that the European continent will completely fold over to the concept of communism. Although the motive to succeed seemed hopeful and empowering to the Communist parties, the global “symbiotic” relationship between communism and capitalism was in fact possible which overall led to the demise of the Third International by 1943. While yes, there were many political communist parties in other countries, the ability to form powerful revolutions similar to the Bolshevik revolution were incomparable.
From 1917 to 1921, Lenin was able to insert his influence based off of a direct interpretation of Marx. Struggling to turn Russia into a communist nation, Lenin gradually withdrew from the vision of complete communism and into a more refined form. For example, during the time of famine, Lenin retracted from absolute communism by conversing with multiple communist parties about the legalization of private trading. Lenin had hopes of encouraging fellow supporters to become well acquainted with business transactions and mature into businessmen. However, despite his efforts, Lenin fell ill and died shortly after. Left to replace him was Joseph Stalin, a man with a completely different take on Communism. Stalin had motives of transforming Russia into a completely totalitarian state. Thousands were murdered in resistance to his rule which ultimately left the country vulnerable. According to an article published in the Chicago Tribune in 1928, "STALIN BATTERS RED UTOPIA OF LENIN'S DREAM: Throws Over Marxism for Capitalist Systems", “Stalin advocated for further modifications in the Soviet Regimes. He started out to improve the interior economic situations of Russia with the money the opposition thought ought to go into the international. He is trying to gain the support of the peasants by supplying the village with manufacturers and articles needed by them, thus getting them to sell their produce to the government” (Donald, 1927). Stalin, deviating from Lenin's idea of communism, is gearing towards a more capitalist outlook by putting peasants in situations where the government would be able to participate in a capitalist economy by exporting their goods and selling it worldwide. Unlike Stalin, Lenin began the introduction of private trading in efforts to not only empower the peasants but to push for the prohibition of mass wealth. Stalin, on the other hand, strictly focuses on the immediate halt of funding the European strikes in order to buy machinery. He believes that incorporating manufacturing establishments will focus on the improvement of the Soviet industry and result in making profit. Lenin’s movement was soon erased and no longer upheld under Stalin’s rule. With a now complete totalitarian state, Russia was now vulnerable after the murder of qualified army officials. It also prevented the mass expansion of communist ideology across the west due to Stalin’s adjustments to Marx and Lenin’s practices.
While the Bolshevik Revolution enabled the practice of communism in Russia, its efforts to spread the ideology internationally can be deemed as unsuccessful. Rejected by Western countries, communism could not be practiced in other nations that value consumerism and marketplace systems. Committees such as the Third International did not have much political authority and therefore ceased to exist. Persistent on converting the capitalist globe, the Soviet state was also not able to progress the motives of a communist society after the collapse of the USSR. Stalin weakened the state after inciting violence and murder of thousands of Russians including those with potential militant power. All of these factors prevented and stopped the Bolshevik Revolution from spreading communism internationally, ultimately leading the Bolshevik Revolution to conclude as a historical and national triumph.