By Krishna Jha
The October Revolution of 1917 marked the creation of the world’s first socialist state and fundamentally altered 20th-century global politics, economics, and history.It was a dream state. Despite all the sufferings and bloodshed, it remained the summit for which communists along with the masses sacrificed their lives. Nothing could deter them as they moved ahead despite the crisis. For the world, it was like miracle, where everything belonged to people. Capitalism ruled the rest of the world, imperialism was no more the dominating force as the challenge of socialism stared at them.
It was a new socio-economic formation that evolved fast. The working class was to rule the roost. They created their world, and got stronger as imperialism started fading. The old exploiting classes lost their entire purpose that had kept them alive. The new path led them towards a decisive moment where they could realize that it was possible to end the antagonism between two conflicting classes. The struggle continued for building a new society, with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic at the helm, and the working class along with all exploited masses involved.
The main feature of the Great October Revolution was that it could proceed further only by disengaging the mutual powers in the ‘dual power’. The dual power came into being around the beginning itself, after the triumph of February revolution of 1917. The dual power was the emergence of two governments within one state. While the formal power lay with the Provisional Government of the bourgeoisie, the real power, that is the power of the workers and peasants, resided in the Soviets of workers and peasants. The Provisional Government had practically no police and army, and therefore could not proceed against the Soviets forcibly. The Soviets voluntarily ceded power to the bourgeoisie because of illusions. The Soviets had obvious and indisputable support of the majority of the masses.
Therefore, the great Vladimir Lenin adopted the tactics of freeing the masses of the illusions and achieve revolution by peaceful means, and thus ending the dual power.
Lenin said that it was a step that was remarkable in history since it led to interlocking of two dictatorships: of the bourgeoisie and of the workers and peasants. This interlocking of governments could not last long. One of them would pass away. That is what happened in the October (November 7) Revolution of 1917, a few months later, when the Soviets took over all the Power. Lenin and the Bolsheviks gave the slogan: “All the Power to the Soviets!’
The main slogans of the Russian revolution were three: Peace, Bread and Land. The Russian revolution was born out of the First World War (WWI) and the general crisis of Imperialism. It withdrew from the WWI because establishment of peace was the most important need for the people of Russia and the whole world. Bread and land were also important, based upon achievement of peace. Thus, these aims concerned the entire masses and therefore were democratic in nature.
Capitalism and imperialism lost their monopoly of domination and found themselves face to face with a new power. And this new power grew and gained strength from the daily life of 200 million free builders of a new society, and from the consciousness of millions upon millions of working masses without accepting anything in return.
This was a decisive moment in the lives of all working people and of all honest friends of progress, determining their political, ideological and moral attitudes. It had been proved at last that a new class could come to power and replace the old exploiting class. It had been proved at last that the chain of imperialism could be broken. It had been proved at last that mankind had a new path which can lead to victory on condition that the working class is conscious of its tasks. For our class enemies, for capitalism, for imperialism, the victory of October sounded as their death knell. That is why during those early years after October 1917, there surged forward a mighty movement of indignation against the old bourgeois order, against imperialism; a movement which gripped all the capitalist and colonial countries and which although it did not lead at the time to the final victory of the working class was, nevertheless, the starting point for a new movement had arrived and continued to grow, gained strength; cleansed its ranks and developed into a broad front of struggle for peace and freedom.
During those years, the best elements of the working people of all countries really acquired something new and decisive. This was none other than the experience of Bolshevism which people began to grasp. They became more confident about their cause and also the inevitable victory as the experience showed the path leading to victory.
The 1917 October Revolution sparked off the chain of national liberation struggles which overthrew colonial rule across continents. A struggle against imperialism reached a higher plane with the success of the first socialist revolution. The national liberation movements in Asia, Africa and Latin America drew their inspiration from the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union lent its support to the national liberation struggles.
The working class and other sections of the working people all around the world are conducting struggles against the neo-liberal offensive, austerity measures and imperialist subjugation. For them, the 1917 socialist revolution is the guiding light.
For all the revolutionary and progressive forces, the October Revolution stands out as a beacon of inspiration. For all those who strive for a classless and exploitation-free society, the October Revolution conveys the message that the future is socialism. (IPA Service)
