The book widely known as "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" (Один шаг вперед, два шага назад), a pivotal work that indeed addresses "The Crisis in Our Party" within the Russian revolutionary movement, was authored by Vladimir Lenin.
The Author: Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, famously known as Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924), was a Russian revolutionary, political theorist, and the first head of Soviet Russia (1917–1922) and of the Soviet Union (1922–1924). He was the leader of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP), which eventually seized power during the October Revolution. Lenin's writings profoundly influenced the course of 20th-century communism and political thought.
"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back": A Foundational Text
Published in May 1904, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (Полный текст, often translated as "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The Crisis in Our Party") is a significant polemic within Marxist literature. It meticulously details the ideological and organizational disputes that arose during the Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1903. This congress was crucial as it led to the definitive split between Lenin's Bolshevik (majority) faction and Julius Martov's Menshevik (minority) faction.
Background and Context
The book emerged from the heated debates over party organization and membership at the RSDLP's Second Congress. Lenin advocated for a highly centralized, disciplined party composed primarily of professional revolutionaries, while Martov and the Mensheviks preferred a broader, more inclusive party membership, characteristic of Western European social democratic parties.
Key Events Leading to the Book:
- 1903 RSDLP Second Congress: Held initially in Brussels and then in London, this congress aimed to unite various Russian socialist groups.
- Debate on Party Membership (Article 1 of the Party Rules): This was the immediate catalyst for the split. Lenin proposed that a party member must actively participate in one of the party organizations, while Martov suggested that mere agreement with the party program and financial support would suffice.
- Lenin's Victory on Key Votes: Although Martov initially won the vote on Article 1, Lenin's faction ultimately secured a majority on other crucial votes, including those related to the central committee and the editorial board of the party newspaper, Iskra. This gave Lenin's group the "Bolshevik" (majority) designation and Martov's group the "Menshevik" (minority) designation.
Key Themes and Arguments
In One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, Lenin systematically analyzes the minutes and proceedings of the Second Congress, defending his views on party organization and sharply criticizing the Mensheviks.
| Theme | Lenin's (Bolshevik) Stance | Menshevik Stance (Criticized by Lenin) |
|---|---|---|
| Party Organization | Advocated for a highly centralized, disciplined, and conspiratorial party structure, often referred to as "democratic centralism". | Preferred a broader, more decentralized, and inclusive party with looser membership requirements, similar to Western European social democratic parties. |
| Membership Criteria | Strict: Members must be actively involved in a party organization. | Lenient: Members merely needed to accept the program and financially support the party. |
| Role of the Party | The vanguard of the proletariat, leading the working class through conscious action and revolutionary discipline. | A broad organization that encompassed various shades of socialist opinion, serving as a political representative of the working class. |
| Critique of Opponents | Accused Mensheviks of "opportunism," "intellectual individualism," and "anarchism," arguing their approach would dilute the party's revolutionary effectiveness and succumb to bourgeois influences. | Accused Lenin of "Jacobinism," "Blanquism," and creating a dictatorial, elitist party that suppressed internal debate and democracy. |
| Bureaucratism vs. Freedom | Argued that strict centralization was necessary for revolutionary success against an autocratic state, viewing internal dissent as disorganizing and potentially counter-revolutionary in the current context. | Emphasized internal party democracy, freedom of criticism, and a more open environment for debate, seeing Lenin's proposals as leading to bureaucratic authoritarianism. |
Historical Impact and Legacy
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back solidified Lenin's vision for the revolutionary party and provided the ideological blueprint for the Bolshevik Party. It became a foundational text for understanding the principles of democratic centralism and the necessity of a disciplined, professional vanguard party to lead the proletariat to revolution. Its arguments profoundly shaped the development of communist parties globally and remain a subject of study and debate in political science and history.
