Leninism: Communist ideology and state ideology of socialist states, as developed by Vladimir Lenin

It says it should be a dictatorship of the proletariat (the working class holds the power). It is thought to be one of the first steps towards socialism (where the workers own the factories, etc.). It is one part of Marxism–Leninism, which emphasizes the transition from capitalism to socialism.

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian Marxist. He had a set of ideas based on Marxism. Lenin's development of Marxism has become known as Leninism. These ideas include:

• Democratic Centralism, also known as an idea of the vanguard party. Like other communists, Lenin wanted to see a socialist revolution led by the working class. But he thought the workers needed strong leadership in the form of a Revolutionary Party based on Democratic Centralism. Lenin wanted Communist political parties in every country to lead the revolution. He thought the vanguard party would need to have strong discipline, or it would fail.
• The idea that capitalism is the cause of imperialism (empire-building). He thought that imperialism was the "highest stage" of capitalism.
• Accepting the idea that the oppressed ethnic minorities (smaller groups of people) should get to have Nationalism and decide how they should be governed.
• Teaching the proletariat (working class) about politics, especially Marxism.

Books by Vladimir Lenin

• What Is To Be Done?.
• Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.
• The State and Revolution.
• "The Lenin Archive".
• "First Conference of the Communist International".

Other similar links

• "Marcel Liebman on Lenin and democracy" Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.
• "An excerpt on Leninism and State Capitalism from the work of Noam Chomsky".
• Rosa Luxemburg. "Organizational Questions of the Russian Social Democracy".
• Karl Korsch. "Lenin's Philosophy".
• "Cyber Leninism".
• "Leninist Ebooks" Archived 2015-01-26 at the Wayback Machine.
• Anton Pannekoek. "Lenin as a Philosopher".
• Paul Mattick. "The Lenin Legend".
• Paul Craig Roberts. "Dead Labor: Marx and Lenin Reconsidered".

  This short article about politics can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.