Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, was the father of the Russian Bolshevik movement and modern communism, he served as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union. His ideas, known as Leninism was fundamental for modern communism.

# Early Life

### Other Name's

* Владимир Ленин
* Владимир Иљич Уљанов Лењин
* Влади́мир Ильи́ч Улья́нов Ле́нин

### Occupation

* Writer
* Leader
* Chairman of the People

## Biographical information

### Place of birth

Simbirsk, Simbirsk Governorate The Russian Empire

## Physical description

### Eye color

brown

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, later known as Lenin, was born in 22 April of 1870, his father, Ilya Ulyanov, was an education official, and his mother, Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova, was from a noble family. Lenin grew up in the provincial town of Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk) on the Volga River.

In January 24th of 1886, Lenin's life took a tragic turn when his Father died, his older brother, Alexander Ulyanov, was now like a father for him.

However, in 1887 on 20 of May 8, Alexander was executed for plotting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. This event had a profound impact on Lenin, shaping his political beliefs.

Lenin joined the Kazan University in August 25 of 1887. There he joined Marxist circles and engaged in political discussions that focused on the need for the overthrow of the autocratic monarchy. In December he was arrested for participating in student protests and is expelled and resided in Kazan and later in Samara.

On August 4 1892, Lenin gained a license to practice law, showcasing his commitment to his academic pursuits.

In 1893, Lenin became active in a Marxist study group and subsequently moved to St. Petersburg on September 12.

# League of Struggle

In 1895, Lenin embarked on a journey to Europe to meet with European and exiled Russian revolutionaries. However, his plans to publish the newspaper Rabochye Delo were cut short when he was arrested in St. Petersburg on December 20.

In the autumn of 1895, the League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class was founded in St. Petersburg, with Lenin as founder.

The work of the League of Struggle was organised on principles of centralism and strict discipline. The groups were headed by the Central Group under Lenin's direction.

On December 1895, the empire dealt the League a heavy blow: during the night of December 8 a considerable number of League members were arrested, Lenin among them; the first issue of Rabocheye Dyelo which was ready to go to press, was seized.

While in prison, Lenin continued to guide the work of the League. He sent from prison letters and leaflets written in cipher and wrote the pamphlet On Strikes (the manuscript has not been found), and "Draft and Explanation of a Programme for the Social-Democratic Party". He then adopted the pseudonym "Lenin".

# Siberia

The Empire exiled Lenin in Siberia, and the path of the party took a different direction. In the latter half of 1898 Rossiiskaia Sotsial-Demokraticheskaia Rabochaia Partiia was formed in Minsk. At the first congress, the Empire arrested all its members.

In July 22 of 1898, Lenin Married Nadezhda Krupskaya. And in April 5-12 of 1899, Lenin Published his book, The Development of Capitalism in Russia.

In February 10 of 1900, Lenin's Siberian exile came to an end, and he settled in Pskov, where he continued to organize the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) but the party faced internal strife, leading to a split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks at the Second Congress in 1903.

Lenin, aligning with the Bolshevik faction, engaged in intense political struggles against the Mensheviks and other political rivals. He articulated his views on the necessity of a vanguard party and the immediate overthrow of the autocratic regime.

The revolutionary wave of 1905 presented an opportunity for Lenin to advance his ideas. The formation of the first Soviet in St. Petersburg illustrated the potential for workers' councils to challenge the existing order.

# World War I

Facing government repression, Lenin spent periods in exile in Switzerland, where he continued to write prolifically. Works like "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" and "Materialism and Empirio-Criticism".

The outbreak of World War I presented a crisis for the international socialist movement. Lenin vehemently opposed the war, emphasizing the need for turning imperialist conflict into a revolutionary opportunity.

The February Revolution of 1917 led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Lenin, sensing the revolutionary moment, returned to Russia in April. His "April Theses" outlined a radical agenda, calling for "Peace, Land, and Bread" and the transfer of power to the Soviets.

On June 3 to 14, one of Lenin's dreams became a reality the first All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers and Soldiers. In the first days of July 1917, a uprising erupted in Petrograd. Known as "The July Days", the attempt of the empire to escalate the war effort, a collapse in the government ministry and the spreading of Lenin's ideas calling for a transfer of power to the Soviets. Are the factors that marked the beginning of July.

Thousands of factory workers, soldiers and sailors rebeled. But when they made their move on July 3rd, the Soviets were not prepared to take command of the uprising. Starved of leadership, the July uprising failed. The Bolsheviks were held responsible for the uprising, their leaders arrested, driven into exile and targeted by propaganda.

# Red October

Lenin was forced into hiding, escaped to Finland. In August 8 to 16, Lenin guided the Sixth Congress of the RSDLP from underground, taking part in drafting the most important resolutions of the congress. The congress unanimously elected Lenin its honorary chairman.

In September Lenin argued and began planing a new uprising, In mid-October Lenin returned to Petrograd secretly from Finland, and pushes for an immediate insurrection despite strong opposition within the Party.

On November 7 - 8, the Bolshevik party combined with the soviets of the major cities of Russia invaded the palace and executed the aristocrats and the Tsar, the Provisional Government was swiftly overthrown. The halls of power echoed with the triumphant cries of the masses as the Bolsheviks established Soviet rule, heralding the end of the Russian Empire and the beginning of the Soviet Union era.

The Soviet government was formed, with Lenin as Chairman.

# Chairman

Lenin swiftly implemented a series of transformative decrees, reflecting a commitment to radical change. Leading into the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

Lenin's reforms extended to labor, limiting work to eight hours and ensuring free secular education. Women were emancipated, and religion was separated from the state, with religious education in schools banned.

Workers gained control committees, gold was requisitioned, and banks were nationalized. The Supreme Council of the National Economy oversaw industry, banking, agriculture, and trade, expanding nationalization to utilities, railways, and industry.

Lenin's focus shifted to ending World War I, and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk became a pivotal point. Lenin aimed to prevent resentment among Russian troops and safeguard his government. Despite hopes for a European revolution, Germany issued an ultimatum in January 1918, resulting in significant territorial concessions for Russia. The Treaty's unpopularity led to resignations, and as Germany faced defeat, Russia declared the Treaty void.

In early 1918, famine gripped western Russian cities due to food shortages. Lenin attributed this to kulaks, wealthier peasants who had hoarded grain. In response, he issued requisitioning orders, leading to disorder and clashes as armed detachments confiscated grain.

Lenin's directives resulted in the execution of anti-Bolshevik priests and the detriment of religious institutions. Lenin recognized the necessity of silencing these anti-Bolshevik's as they aimed to reinstate the empire, allowing hunger to persist, and empowering the wealthy. The Soviet Union represented a union of the people, by the people, for the people, excluding those who advocated for the interests of the privileged and former emperors.

In August 30 of 1918, Fanny Kaplan attempted to assassinate Lenin. Lenin was wounded and Kaplan was arrested and executed.

Lenin underestimated the resistance to Bolshevik rule, leading to a Civil War between the Bolshevik Reds and anti-Bolshevik Whites.

The Civil War encompassed ethnic conflicts and uprisings across the former Empire. The Reds' victory marked the end of the Civil War.

On March 2-6 of 1919, the Communist International (Comintern) was founded by Lenin. Internal dissent arose within the Communist Party, and the Russian famine of 1921 led to extreme measures. Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP) to stabilize the economy. Despite health issues, Lenin remained active, supporting the suppression of Menshevism.

# Health

Lenin's health declined significantly by 1921. He expressed concerns about bureaucratic elements persisting from the Tsarist era and recommended removing Stalin as General Secretary. Disagreements between Lenin and Stalin intensified, but Lenin, despite his illness, played a pivotal role in the formation of the Soviet Union.

On May 26 1922, Lenin suffers his first stroke and in 20th of November Lenin made his last public speech. In December Trotsky spoke on Lenin's behalf, leading to the formation of the Soviet Union. Despite poor health, Lenin was elected chairman of the new government.

In December 15, Lenin suffers his second stroke and in December 24 Politburo orders Lenin to be kept in isolation. Lenin composes several letters into what became known as his Last Testament.

On March 9 1923, Lenin suffers his third stroke and is no longer able to speak, in May, Lenin appeared to making a slow recovery, regaining some of his mobility, speech, and writing skills. In October, he made a final visit to the Kremlin Lenin was visited by Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin. Bukharin visited him at his Gorki mansion on the day of his death.

On 21 January of 1924, Lenin fell into a coma and died later that day at age 53. His official cause of death was recorded as an incurable disease of the blood vessels.

The Soviet government publicly announced Lenin's death the following day. Mourners from the Communist Party, trade unions, and Soviets visited his Gorki home to inspect the body, which was carried aloft in a red coffin by leading Bolsheviks.

Transported by train to Moscow, the coffin was taken to the House of Trade Unions, where the body lay in state. Over the next three days, around a million mourners came to see the body, many queuing for hours in the freezing conditions. On 26 January, the eleventh All-Union Congress of Soviets met to pay respects, with speeches by Kalinin, Zinoviev, and Stalin.

Lenin's funeral took place the following day, when his body was carried to Red Square, accompanied by martial music, despite the freezing temperatures, tens of thousands attended.

Against Krupskaya's protestations, Lenin's body was embalmed to preserve it for long-term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. Lenin's brain was removed and revealing in 1925 that Lenin had had severe sclerosis. In July 1929, the Politburo agreed to replace the temporary mausoleum with a permanent one in granite, which was finished in 1933. Lenin's body remains on public display in Lenin's Mausoleum on Red Square.

# Legacy

Lenin's ideology, Leninism, laid the foundation for the practical application of Marxist theory in the context of Russia and beyond. Leninism emphasized the role of a vanguard party in leading the working class to revolution and establishing a socialist state. His theories on imperialism, the role of the state, and the transition to communism influenced communist movements worldwide.

Lenin's ideas inspired and influenced numerous revolutionary movements globally. The Revolution of 1917 served as a catalyst for communist uprisings in several countries, including the establishment of Soviet states in Eastern Europe and Asia. The spread of communism during the 20th century, particularly after World War II, is based on Lenin's vision of proletarian revolution.

Communist parties in various countries aligned with Lenin's principles and looked to the Soviet Union as a symbol of resistance against imperialism and capitalism. The Comintern (Communist International) fostered international cooperation among communist parties.

Lenin's approach to science was evident in his advocacy for a materialist and scientific worldview. As a proponent of atheism, he promoted and forced scientific principles and education, aligning with his vision of a society built on rational, scientific foundations.

"The Internationale", This iconic opera anthem, written by Eugène Pottier and set to music by Pierre De Geyter, became associated with socialist and communist movements worldwide. Leninists embrace "The Internationale" as a symbol of international solidarity.

"Varshavyanka" (Warsawianka), A revolutionary song popular among socialist and communist movements, "Varshavyanka" symbolizes the struggle for workers' rights. It was often sung at political rallies and events associated with Leninist ideologies.

Numerous songs, movies, monuments and statues of Lenin were created across the Soviet Union and other socialist states. These sculptures and monuments served as physical manifestations of Lenin's enduring influence and were often placed in prominent public spaces.