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| '''Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov''' (], ] - ], ]) who used the alias '''Lenin''', was a ]n revolutionary, first leader of the ] and the namesake of ]. He was born in ], ] and died of ] in ], ] (now ], Russia), after a series of strokes resulting from an assassination attempt. His embalmed body is on permanent exhibition in ]. | '''Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov''' (], ] - ], ]) who used the alias '''Lenin''', was a ]n revolutionary, first leader of the ] and the namesake of ]. He was born in ], ] and died of ] in ], ] (now ], Russia), after a series of strokes resulting from an assassination attempt. His embalmed body is on permanent exhibition in ]. | ||
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| Lenin was the son of a civil service official, and distinguished himself in the study of ] and ]. In May of ] his eldest brother Alexander was hanged for participation in a plot on the life of ] ]. This radicalized Lenin and later that year he was arrested, and expelled from ] for participating in student protests. He continued to study independently and by ] had earned a license to practice law. | Lenin was the son of a civil service official, and distinguished himself in the study of ] and ]. In May of ] his eldest brother Alexander was hanged for participation in a plot on the life of ] ]. This radicalized Lenin and later that year he was arrested, and expelled from ] for participating in student protests. He continued to study independently and by ] had earned a license to practice law. | ||
Revision as of 04:20, 26 January 2003
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (April 22, 1870 - January 21, 1924) who used the alias Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, first leader of the Soviet Union and the namesake of Leninism. He was born in Simbirsk, Russia and died of syphilis in Gorki, Soviet Union (now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), after a series of strokes resulting from an assassination attempt. His embalmed body is on permanent exhibition in Moscow.
Lenin was the son of a civil service official, and distinguished himself in the study of Latin and Greek. In May of 1887 his eldest brother Alexander was hanged for participation in a plot on the life of Tsar Alexander III. This radicalized Lenin and later that year he was arrested, and expelled from Kazan University for participating in student protests. He continued to study independently and by 1892 had earned a license to practice law.
However, rather than settle into a legal career he became more involved in propaganda efforts, and the study of Marxism, much of it in St. Petersburg. On December 7 1895 he was arrested and held by authorities for an entire year, then exiled to Siberia.
In July of 1898 he married N.K. Krupskaya and in April of 1899 he published the book The Development of Capitalism in Russia. In 1900 his exile ended. He travelled in Russia and Europe, and published the paper Iskra as well as other tracts and books related to the movement.
He was active in the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP), and in 1903 he led the Bolshevik faction after its split with the Mensheviks in 1903 that was partly inspired by his pamphlet What is to be Done?. In 1906 he was elected to the Presidium of the RSDLP. In 1907 he moved to Finland for security reasons. He continued to travel in Europe and partipated in many socialist meetings and activities.
In 1917 he returned to Petrograd after Tsar Nicholas II abdicated and took a leading role within the Bolshevik movement, publishing the April Theses. After a failed Bolshevik uprising in July, Lenin fled to Finland, but returned in October to successfully lead an armed coup against the Kerensky provisional government.
A Soviet government was formed with Lenin as Chairman. In August of 1918 he survived a failed assassination attempt by Fanny Kaplan.
In 1921, on Lenin's initiative, the New Economic Policy (NEP) was adopted, at least partly in response to an uprising among sailors at Kronstadt ("the Kronstadt rebellion"). The NEP allowed a limited amount of private enterprise in an attempt to rebuild industry and especially agriculture.
In May of 1922 Lenin had his first stroke. His role in government declined, and after a second stroke in December the Politburo ordered that he be kept in isolation. In March of 1923 he suffered a third stroke and was no longer able to speak and died of a fourth stroke in January of 1924.
After his first stroke he published a number of papers indicating future directions for the government and criticising Stalin; however, some of these were suppressed for decades and after his death Stalin gained control of the Party.
Lenin was known for his great intellect (he was a friend of Albert Einstein), his modesty, and was not given to personal excess. While he was kind in personal matters, he was hard-willed in political matters and was not above exiling, imprisoning, and executing thinkers and artists who opposed his regime.
See also: Russian Revolution, Joseph Stalin, Lenin Peak, Communism
Further Reading
- Revolution at the Gates: A Selection of Writings from February to October 1917
by V. I. Lenin, Slavoj Zizek (Editor), Verso Books, ISBN 1859846610