Publisher: Lawrence & Wishart, Ltd., London,1942
Transcription/Markup: Brian Reid
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2008). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
There is no royal road to learning, least of all to the teachings of the great revolutionary thinker and leader—Lenin, the continuator of the work of the founders of scientific socialism Marx and Engels.
The voluminous writings of Lenin, of which we have yet only a selection, from a veritable treasure house of knowledge in the subjects of historical materialism, history, economics, politics and revolutionary party leadership.
In these works the serious student and worker, the propagandist and organiser will find almost everything necessary to equip them for the tasks before them.
Read Lenin, again and again; you will always find something startling and new, giving fresh inspiration and renewed enthusiasm for the cause of labour and Communism.
This little Dictionary is not a substitute for the study of Leninsm; nor is it intended to encourage those who have a weakness for indulging in mere phrases.
It is intended to show how Lenin himself defined a number of terms most frequently used in political literature and discussion; and, by further related quotations, how he extended and developed the content of the definitions.
The references to Volume and Page in the Selected Works should enable the reader, by studying the whole passage in question, to obtain a still more complete elucidation of the ideas.
One special remark. It must be remembered that before October, 1917, the name of the Bolshevik Party was Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolshevik), and that therefore Lenin referred to the members of this Party as Social Democrats. After the revolution the name of the Russian Party was changed to Communist and Communist Parties were formed in all countries; the old parties remaining Social Democratic, Socialist or Labour.
This selection of terms and quotations is limited for reasons of space, and is confined to those most frequently used. No doubt the reader will be able to think of other definitions and quotations, important and useful, which he would have liked to see included. But that would have entailed a much larger book than is practicable for the moment. The complier will be grateful for any suggestions; all such suggestions, which may be sent through the publishers; all such suggestions will be carefully considered in relation to further editions.
Thomas Bell
The quotations (with one exception, p. 17) are all taken from the twelve-volume edition of Lenin’s Selected Works, published by Lawrence & Wishart, Ltd. References to works quoted are given in the following abbreviated forms:
S.W. 6, p. 56, stands for Selected Works, Volume 6, page 56.
L.L.L. 9, p. 13, stands of Little Lenin Library, Volume 9, page 13.
Where the two references, ”S.W.” and ”L.L.L.” are found at the end of a quotation they refer to the same passage, which can be found either in the Selected Works or in the Little Lenin Library, though the text used is always that of the Selected Works. A full list of the Little Lenin Library will be found at the end of this volume.