Arcadia Public Library

The political tract in which Marx presented the core of his philosophy and revolutionary program, with an introduction analyzing its significance to the realities of today and to Marx's own times.

Discusses various aspects of Communism, including its history, ideology, key figures in the movement, and the decline of Communism.

Why did a Marxist regime come to power in Russia of all places, especially when Marx considered it an unpromising place for a proletarian revolution? Professor Liulevicius tackles this question and also probes Russia's revolutionary tradition and the ideas of Georgi Plekhanov, the figure who did the most to bring Marx's teachings to Russia.

Follow the trajectory of Bolshevik social experiments to inaugurate a new civilization up through the death of Lenin in 1924. You'll learn about Lenin's "monumental propaganda"_x009d_ plan, which changed the appearance of Russia; the nationalist program of "putting down roots"_x009d_; party recruitment drives and purges; and even the mummification of Lenin's body.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Lenin (who called war an "accelerator of history"_x009d_) had the world crisis he could turn to his advantage. Topics here include Marxist debates over the philosophies of defensism and defeatism, the arrival of Leon Trotsky and his theory of "permanent revolution,"_x009d_ and the widening rift between socialists and communists.

Go inside communism’s journey from a collection of political and economic theories to a revolutionary movement that rocked the world. Rich with historical insights, these 12 episodes zero in on the Bolsheviks rise to power and how communist ideas worked in theory and practice - offering a rewarding look at one of the most important economic and political philosophies of the modern age.

Take a detailed look at the life of Lenin, whose ideas and actions propelled him to become the first man to bring communist theory into power in 1917. Here, focus on Lenin's hardness in the face of the 1891-1892 famine, his manifesto "What Is to Be Done?", and the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions.

How does a revolutionary regime build a bridge to world revolution? After a look at the Third International, or "Comintern,"_x009d_ created in 1919 to spread the message of global revolution, explore failed attempts at sovietizing Hungary and Bavaria and the Soviet-Polish War of 1920, which dashed remaining hopes for linking up with Germany.