Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) · "The dictatorship of the proletariat is a special form of class alliance betwee..."

Speech at the 8th Congress of the RCP(b), 1919 · Checked on 10 June 2026

The dictatorship of the proletariat is a special form of class alliance between the proletariat and the peasantry.

Analysis

In his report at the 8th Congress of the RCP(b) on March 18, 1919, Lenin described the dictatorship of the proletariat as a 'special form of class alliance' between the proletariat and the peasantry, particularly the semi-proletarian and poor peasantry. This was part of his broader argument on the role of the peasantry in the socialist revolution and the need for a united front under proletarian leadership. The statement aligns with Lenin's written and spoken works from this period.

Background

The 8th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) was held in March 1919, a critical period during the Russian Civil War. Lenin's remarks reflected the Bolsheviks' strategy to consolidate power by securing support from the peasantry while maintaining proletarian leadership. This alliance was seen as essential for the survival of the Soviet state.

Verdict summary

Lenin did state that the dictatorship of the proletariat involves a class alliance between the proletariat and the peasantry in his 1919 speech.

Sources consulted

— Lenin, V. I. (1919). *Report on the Work of the Council of People's Commissars (March 18)*. Collected Works, Vol. 29, pp. 154-180. Progress Publishers.

— Lenin, V. I. (1919). *The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky*. Collected Works, Vol. 28, pp. 227-325. Progress Publishers.

— Service, R. (2000). *Lenin: A Biography*. Harvard University Press.