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

AGRARIAN PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY347within the whole of their own quasi-socialism. A favourableoutcome of the peasant revolution, in the opinion ofthe Narodniks, would mean the triumph of Narodnik socialismin Russia. Actually, such an outcome would be thequickest and most decisive bankruptcy of Narodnik (peasant)socialism. The fuller and the more decisive the victoryof the peasant revolution, the sooner will the peasantrybe converted into free, bourgeois farmers, who will“give the sack” to Narodnik “socialism”. On the other hand,an unfavourable outcome would prolong the agony of Narodniksocialism for some time, making it possible to someextent to maintain the illusion that criticism of the landlord-bourgeoisvariety of capitalism is criticism of capitalismin general.Social-Democracy, the party of the proletariat, does notin any way link the destiny of socialism with either of thepossible outcomes of the bourgeois revolution. Either outcomeimplies the development of capitalism and the oppressionof the proletariat, whether under a landlord monarchywith private ownership of land, or under a farmers’ republic,even with the nationalisation of the land. Therefore,only an absolutely independent and purely proletarianparty is able to defend the cause of socialism “whateverthe situation of democratic agrarian reforms”* may be,as the concluding part of my agrarian programme declares(that part was incorporated in the resolution on tactics ofthe Stockholm Congress).(2) But the bourgeois nature of both possible outcomesof the agrarian revolution by no means implies that Social-Democrats can be indifferent to the struggle for one orthe other outcome. It is undoubtedly in the interests ofthe working class to give the most vigorous support to thepeasant revolution. More than that: it must play the leadingpart in that revolution. In fighting for a favourableoutcome of the revolution we must spread among the massesa very clear understanding of what keeping to the landlordpath of agrarian evolution means, what incalculablehardships (arising not from capitalism, but from the inadequatedevelopment of capitalism) it has in store for all* See present edition, Vol. 10, p. 195.—Ed.