Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

AGRARIAN PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY255FROM MARXTO MAOthe free peasants into farmers. But another path of bourgeoisevolution of agriculture is possible, viz., the preservationof the landlord farms and latifundia and their slowconversion from farms based on serfdom and bondage intoJunker farms. It is these two types of possible bourgeoisevolution that form the basis of the two types of agrarianprogrammes proposed by different classes in the Russianrevolution. Moreover, a special feature of Russia, a featurethat is one of the economic foundations for the possibilityof the “American” evolution, is the existence of vast landsavailable for colonisation. While entirely unsuitable foremancipating the Russian peasantry from the yoke of serfdomin European Russia, these lands will become moreextensive and more accessible in proportion to the freedom⋆enjoyed by the peasantry in Russia proper, and to the scopeof development of the productive forces.C H A P T E R IITHE AGRARIAN PROGRAMMES OF THE R.S.D.L.P.AND THEIR TEST IN THE FIRST REVOLUTIONNOT FORCOMMERCIALDISTRIBUTIONLet us pass to an examination of the Social-Democraticagrarian programme. I outlined the chief historical stagesin the evolution of the views of Russian Social-Democratson the agrarian question in the first section of the pamphletRevision of the Agrarian Programme of the Workers’ Party.*We must explain more fully the nature of the mistake containedin the previous agrarian programmes of Russian Social-Democracy,i.e., in the programmes of 1885 and 1903.1. WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE IN THE PREVIOUS AGRARIANPROGRAMMES OF RUSSIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY?In the draft issued by the Emancipation of Labour groupin 1885, the agrarian programme was outlined as follows:“A radical revision of our agrarian relations, i.e., of theterms on which the land is to be redeemed and allotted tothe peasant communities. The right to refuse their allot-* See present edition, Vol. 10, pp. 169-74.—Ed.