p Bourgeois anti-Marxism, that is, that integral part of anticommunism which is directly aimed against the MarxistLeninist doctrine and is an aggregation of fraudulent methods of “refuting”, distorting and criticising Marxism- Leninism for the purpose of undermining its authority and influence in the world, is also developing in the mainstream of anticommunism.

p More than half a century ago, Lenin wrote about the triumph Marxism was bound to score in the coming historical epoch. The brilliant forecast by the great continuator of the cause of Marx and Engels has come true. The victories achieved by the working class, equipped with Marxist ideas, are now incontestable. In the 19th century, socialism was converted from a utopia into a science, and in the 20th century socialism is being transformed into historical reality. Having stood every test, socialism is triumphant over a vast part of the globe. It has been embodied in the invincible might of the Soviet Union and the other socialist states, and has become a great factor exerting tremendous influence on the whole course of world development. In the titanic contest between the two world systems—socialism and capitalism—the balance of forces is increasingly tilting in favour of socialism.

p These objective historical processes, which can no longer be denied, have worked deep-going changes in the character and forms of the ideological struggle between capitalism and socialism. The ideological opponents of socialism have markedly modified their assessment of the role and influence of Marxism on world development.

p Over 60 years ago, Lenin remarked that bourgeois science “will not even hear of Marxism, declaring that it has been refuted and annihilated”.  [122•1  Today, the imperialist ideologists have to make quite different admissions. Thus, Raymond Aron, one of the most prominent bourgeois sociologists, declared at the Fourth World Sociological Congress: “It 123 cannot be denied that millions of men claim to be the followers of Marx.” The clerical philosopher, Jean Lacroix, wrote: “Marxism lives in the hearts and minds of millions of men and is the most important social movement of our epoch.”  [123•1 

p However, recognition of the strength of Marxism has in no way reduced the attempts by bourgeois ideologists to refute it or to undermine its influence in the world. On the contrary, their attempts have become subtler and more strident. The enemies of socialism seek to distort and undermine all the existing propositions and principles, all the component parts of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine. All the philosophical, sociological and socio-political theories of imperialism are shot through with this attempt at falsification. This comprehensively conceived falsification drive has its main frontal lines of attack.

p Among these are above all the efforts to deny that Leninism is the Marxism of our historical epoch. These efforts are being concentrated on falsifying Lenin’s theory of the socialist revolution, primarily his doctrine of the proletarian dictatorship and the working-class party. Present-day antiMarxism insists that Marxism-Leninism is “unscientific”, that it is “disintegrating”, that it is “obsolete”, and that it is “anti-humanistic”.

All these assertions are based on a distortion of revolutionary theory and practice and are fraudulent.