The dilemmas of Lenin : terrorism, war, empire, love, revolution / Tariq Ali

Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction: on Lenin -- Section I. Terrorism and utopia -- Terrorism versus absolutism -- Elder brother -- The younger brother -- Section II. Internationalism, socialism, empires and war -- The birth of internationalism -- Socialism -- Empires at war -- Section III. 1917-20: states and revolutions -- February -- October -- Aftermath -- The Third International -- Red Army, civil war, military philosophers -- Section IV. The question of women -- The first wave -- The Octobrist women -- Sunlight and moonlight -- Section V. The last fight let us face -- Till the bitter end -- Friends and enemies -- Epilogue: On climbing a high mountain, by V.I. Lenin.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of the October 1917 uprising, is one of the most misunderstood leaders of the twentieth century. In his own time, there were many, even among his enemies, who acknowledged the full magnitude of his intellectual and political achievements. But his legacy has been lost in misinterpretation; he is worshipped but rarely read. On the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Tariq Ali explores the two major influences on Lenin's thoughtthe turbulent history of Tsarist Russia and the birth of the international labour movementand explains how Lenin confronted dilemmas that still cast a shadow over the present. Is terrorism ever a viable strategy? Is support for imperial wars ever justified? Can politics be made without a party? Was the seizure of power in 1917 morally justified? Should he have parted company from his wife and lived with his lover? In The Dilemmas of Lenin, Ali provides an insightful portrait of Lenin's deepest preoccupations and underlines the clarity and vigour of his theoretical and political formulations. He concludes with an affecting account of Lenin's last two years, when he realized that 'we knew nothing' and insisted that the revolution had to be renewed lest it wither and die.

English