Lin Biao -- On the Preparation for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution - Page 2

After the death of Marx and Engels, almost all the parties of the Second International betrayed Marxism, with the exception of the Bolshevik Party led by Lenis. Lenin inherited, defended and developed Marxism in the struggle against the revisionism of the Second International. The struggle focused in the question of the dictatorship of the proletariat. In denouncing the old revisionists, Lenin time and time again stated:

Those who recognize only the class struggle are not yet Marxist....Only he is a Marxist who extends the recognition of the class struggle to the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Lenin led the proletariat of Russia in winning the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution and founding the first socialist state. Through his great revolutionary practice in leading the dictatorship of the proletariat, Lenin perceived the danger of the restoration of capitalism and the protracted nature of class struggle.

The transition from capitalism to Communism represents an entire historical epoch. Until this epoch has terminated, the exploiters inevitably cherish the hope is converted into restoration, and this hope is converted into attempts at restoration.

Lenin stated: . . . the bourgeoisie, whose resistance is increased tenfold by its overthrow (even i only in one country), and whose power lies not only in the strength and durability of the international connections of the bourgeoisie, but also in the force of habit, in the strength of small production. For, unfortunately, small production is still very, very widespread in the world, and small production engenders capitalism and the bourgeoisie continuously, daily, hourly, spontaneously, and on a mass scale.

His conclusion was: "For all these reasons he dictatorship of the proletariat is essential." Lenin also stated the "the new bourgeoisie" was "arising from among our Soviet government employees." He pointed out that the danger of restoration also came from capitalist encirclement; The imperialist countries "will never miss an opportunity for military intervention, as they put it, i.e., to strangle Soviet power."