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

AGRARIAN PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY325nomenon of no serious significance. In any case, it wouldhave tremendous material and moral significance. Materialsignificance, in that nothing is capable of so thoroughlysweeping away the survivals of medievalism in Russia,of so thoroughly renovating the rural districts, which arein a state of Asiatic semi-decay, of so rapidly promotingagricultural progress, as nationalisation. Any other solutionof the agrarian question in the revolution would createless favourable starting-points for further economic development.The moral significance of nationalisation in the revolutionaryepoch is that the proletariat helps to strike a blowat “one form of private property” which must inevitablyhave its repercussions all over the world. The proletariatstands for the most consistent and most determined bourgeoisrevolution and the most favourable conditions forcapitalist development, thereby most effectively counteractingall half-heartedness, flabbiness, spinelessness and passivity—qualitieswhich the bourgeoisie cannot help displaying.C H A P T E R IVPOLITICAL AND TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONSIN QUESTIONS OF THE AGRARIAN PROGRAMMEAs already pointed out, it is considerations of this kindthat occupy a disproportionately large place in our Partydiscussion on the agrarian programme. Our task is to examinethese considerations as systematically and brieflyas possible and to show the relation between the variouspolitical measures (and points of view) and the economicbasis of the agrarian revolution.1. A GUARANTEE AGAINST RESTORATIONIn my Report on the Stockholm Congress I dealt withthis argument, citing the debate from memory. Now, wehave before us the authentic text of the Minutes.“The key to my position,” exclaimed Plekhanov at theStockholm Congress, “is that I draw attention to the possi-