What Is to Be Done?

What Is to Be Done? is Lenin's 1902 political treatise that outlines his vision for revolutionary organization and strategy in Russia. The text presents Lenin's argument for a disciplined party of professional revolutionaries to lead the working class movement. The book responds directly to competing views within Russian social democracy about party organization and tactics. Lenin systematically addresses questions of spontaneity versus consciousness, centralization versus localism, and the relationship between intellectuals and workers. Lenin's analysis moves from theoretical foundations to concrete proposals for building an effective revolutionary organization. The work details specific organizational structures, methods of evading police surveillance, and approaches to propaganda and agitation. This seminal text articulates core ideas that would come to define Leninist political theory and practice, particularly the concept of a vanguard party and the relationship between revolutionary intellectuals and the masses. The arguments presented continue to influence debates about revolutionary strategy and working class organization.

Readers describe this text as dense, theoretical, and challenging to follow without prior knowledge of early 20th century Russian politics. Many note it requires multiple readings to grasp Lenin's core arguments. Readers appreciate: - Clear blueprint for revolutionary organization - Historical significance in shaping communist movements - Detailed examination of party structure and discipline - Concrete strategies rather than abstract theory Common criticisms: - Dated references require extensive footnotes - Repetitive arguments - Dense writing style with complex sentences - Too specific to Russian conditions of 1902 Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (90+ ratings) Reader quote: "Not an easy read but worth the effort to understand Lenin's organizational principles" - Goodreads reviewer Multiple readers note the Vladimir Lenin Collection edition has poor translation quality and recommend the Penguin Classics version instead.

State and Revolution by Vladimir Lenin This text expands on Lenin's theories of the proletarian state and revolutionary tactics from What Is To Be Done.

Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg The text critiques reformist socialism and presents arguments for revolutionary Marxism through analysis of political economy and class struggle.

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin This work builds on the organizational principles from What Is To Be Done by examining imperialism's role in capitalist development and revolutionary strategy.

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx The foundational text establishes the theoretical framework that Lenin later developed in his works on revolutionary organization and strategy.

Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder by Vladimir Lenin The book applies the organizational and tactical principles from What Is To Be Done to specific revolutionary situations and movements.

🔴 Lenin wrote "What Is to Be Done?" while in exile in London, completing it in 1902. The title was deliberately chosen to echo an 1863 novel by Russian author Nikolay Chernyshevsky, which featured a revolutionary hero. 🔴 The book was initially published serially in six issues of Iskra, the revolutionary newspaper that Lenin helped establish. It was then smuggled into Russia piece by piece due to strict censorship. 🔴 The text established the concept of a "vanguard party" - a small, highly disciplined group of professional revolutionaries who would lead the working class to revolution, rather than waiting for workers to develop revolutionary consciousness on their own. 🔴 Despite being one of the most influential revolutionary texts of the 20th century, Lenin later admitted that he had "bent the stick too far" in some of his arguments, particularly regarding the centralization of party organization. 🔴 The manuscript was nearly lost forever when Lenin's wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, used the pages to wrap wet boots during their exile. The ink ran, but the text remained just legible enough to be rewritten.