[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Introduction

Written in 1863 by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, 'What Is to Be Done? ' is a novel that had a significant influence on Russian revolutionary thought. The story follows Viéra Pavlovna, a young woman who seeks economic independence and starts a cooperative workshop for seamstresses. The novel promotes the creation of small socialist cooperatives, advocates for women's rights, and critiques the patriarchal and authoritarian structures of Russian society. It was written in response to Ivan Turgenev's 'Fathers and Sons' and played a central role in polarizing the Russian intelligentsia between radical and liberal reformers. The novel's impact was so profound that it contributed to the conflicts leading up to the Russian Revolution.

Bertram Wolfe's 'Three Who Made a Revolution' analyzes the careers and influence of three prominent revolutionaries, tracing how their ideas and actions contributed to revolutionary developments. The book situates debates about party organization and revolutionary methods within biographical narratives. Wolfe uses these figures to illustrate broader currents and schisms within revolutionary movements, notably the tensions between democratic, mass-based approaches and conspiratorial, centralized tendencies. His account has been influential in Western interpretations of Bolshevik origins and organizational culture. The work is often cited in discussions of Lenin's role in shaping party structures and strategy.

Lars Lih's 'Lenin Rediscovered' reexamines Lenin's 1902 pamphlet What Is to Be Done by placing it in the political, polemical, and international context of early 20th-century social democracy. The book argues that Lenin was an Erfurtian Russian social democrat who was optimistic about the working class and sought to adapt the German SPD model to Russia. It provides extensive commentary, a new translation of the 1902 text, and detailed analysis of debates within Russian social democracy. Lih challenges the dominant 'textbook' interpretation that views Lenin as anti-worker and proto-authoritarian, emphasizing instead his emphasis on political freedom and confidence in workers. The work is a major scholarly contribution to understanding Lenin's outlook and the significance of What Is to Be Done.

Paul Milyukov's 'Russia and Its Crisis' compiles lectures analyzing the rising political tensions and revolutionary ferment in Russia around the turn of the 20th century. Milyukov emphasizes the role of worker militancy and broader societal agitation in creating conditions ripe for revolutionary change. The work was influential among émigré and domestic readers seeking to understand the forces challenging Tsarist autocracy. It provided contemporary observers and activists with a liberal perspective on Russia's path toward potential upheaval and reform. The book served as a source cited by social democrats assessing the revolutionary atmosphere of the period.