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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Soviet Union
Index
The origins of the CPSU lie in the political thought and
tactical conceptions of Lenin, who sought to apply Marxism to
economically backward, politically autocratic Russia. Toward this
end, Lenin sought to build a highly disciplined, monolithic party
of professional revolutionaries that was to act as the general
staff of the proletarian movement in Russia. Lenin argued that this
underground party must subject all aspects of the movement to its
control so that the actions of the movement might be guided by the
party's understanding of Marxist theory rather than by spontaneous
responses to economic and political oppression. Lenin envisaged
democratic centralism as the method of internal party decision
making best able to combine discipline with the decentralization
necessary to allow lower party organs to adapt to local conditions.
Democratic centralism calls for free discussion of alternatives, a
vote on the matter at hand, and iron submission of the minority to
the majority once a decision is taken. As time passed, however,
centralism gained sway over democracy, allowing the leadership to
assume dictatorial control over the party.
Data as of May 1989
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