The 7th of November, 2024, marks the 107th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia. Even though the Soviet Union does not exist today, the path shown by the October revolution remains the only way to save humanity from repeated crises and imperialist wars. It is the only way to open the door to the progress of society from capitalism to socialism and communism.
Marx and Engels showed with scientific precision that the resolution of the contradictions of capitalism would lead to its transition to a classless communist society, whose initial phase is socialism. They identified the proletariat as that class which has the interest and the capacity to lead the struggle for the transition from capitalism to communism. Learning from the experience of the Paris Commune in 1871, Marx and Engels drew the conclusion that the proletariat cannot simply take hold of the ready-made state machinery and use it for its own ends. The bourgeois state has to be destroyed and replaced by a state which would be an organ of the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Great October Socialist Revolution was a brilliant affirmation of the validity of these teachings of Marxism.
Guided by the Marxist theory of scientific socialism, Lenin analysed the concrete conditions that prevailed in the opening years of the 20th century, when capitalism had developed to its highest stage of imperialism. He concluded that the proletarian revolution is not a future prospect but a problem to be taken up for solution. He led the struggle against those who claimed to be Marxists and argued that Russian society was not yet ready for a proletarian revolution. He led the struggle to build a party of a new type, a vanguard party of professional revolutionaries, guided by the theory of Marxism and committed to the goal of leading the working class to seize political power and become the ruling class.
Led by the Communist Party of Soviet Union (Bolshevik), with Lenin at its head, the working class of Russia overthrew the rule of the capitalists and landlords. The repressive bourgeois state machinery was destroyed and replaced by a new Soviet state, which was an organ of the dictatorship of the proletariat. This new state was the instrument of rule by the overwhelming majority of the population, led by the working class, over the minority of exploiters and oppressors.
Having taken political power into its own hands, the proletariat led by the Bolshevik party began to build a socialist society, free from all forms of exploitation and oppression of persons by persons. The advance of socialism in the Soviet Union inspired the workers and oppressed peoples of all countries. It led to the formation of numerous communist parties in all continents and the development of a powerful international communist movement.
It was the deviation of the party from the revolutionary road which led to a process of retrogression in the Soviet Union. Starting in 1956, the Soviet party began to distort the teachings of Marxism-Leninism, claiming that there was no longer any need for class struggle. This led to the restoration of capitalism, and to the ultimate disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, imperialism has been spreading the lie that there is no alternative to capitalism. However, the truth is that the capitalist-imperialist system is thoroughly crisis ridden, and in its death throes. It is leading to deadly wars and threatening to destroy humanity. Proletarian revolution and the construction of socialism is the only way to save humanity from disaster.
Building and strengthening the vanguard communist party, by defending and further developing Marxism-Leninism and combating all forms of conciliation with bourgeois democracy and the illusion of a reformed capitalism, remains the most crucial task facing the progressive forces in all capitalist countries today.
We are reproducing below the keynote address of Comrade Lal Singh, General Secretary of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, delivered in 2017 during the centenary celebrations of the Great October Revolution.