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p Lenin’s legacy in the sphere of international relations is both extensive and multifaceted. Besides the large number of works devoted to analysing foreign policy issues, these problems come up in one way or another in most of his writings. A study of the international situation and trends always occupied a prominent place in Lenin’s theoretical and practical activity. It is an organic part of Leninism.

p Lenin’s preoccupation with international affairs stemmed primarily from the deeply international essence of the revolutionary movement of the working class and its socialist ideology. The founders of scientific socialism, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, constantly stressed the international character of the workers’ fight against the bourgeoisie and the common nature of the revolutionary tasks of the workers of the various countries. These ideals permeate their Communist Manifesto, which culminates in the passionate appeal “ Workers of All Countries, Unite!”

p Marx and Engels saw capitalism as a world system and carefully studied the development of relations between individual states, profoundly analysed foreign policy events from the point of view of the interests of the international movement, and called on the working class “to master themselves the mysteries of international politics; to watch the diplomatic acts of their respective Governments; to counteract them, if necessary, by all means in their power”.  [15•* 

p The principles of proletarian internationalism formulated by Marx and Engels, their idea of the connection of the revolutionary struggle against capitalism with the development of the international situation, occupied an even greater 16 place in the theoretical and practical activity of Lenin, and were developed further. This was necessitated by the nature of the epoch in which Lenin lived and worked.

p As free-enterprise capitalism developed into monopoly capitalism, into imperialism, it was accompanied by an extension of international ties, the formation of a world market and the increasing foreign expansion of capitalist states, an exacerbation of the struggle for markets and spheres of capital investment among the monopolies, by a fierce rivalry of the largest imperialist powers and by wars for the redivision of the already divided world. By its very nature imperialism overflowed the bounds of national states and drew the whole world into its orbit, including even the most backward and previously isolated countries. The trend towards economic rapprochement of nations and internationalisation of economic affairs received a fresh powerful impulse, although it was manifested in extremely ugly forms. Imperialism increasingly became an international force and world phenomenon. Correspondingly, the struggle for social progress in each particular country was objectively directed against imperialism as a whole and acquired an international significance. National and international elements in the class struggle became ever more intertwined.

p As pre-monopoly capitalism developed into imperialism and drew the entire world into its clutches, the mutual dependence of the destinies of peoples in different countries and continents naturally increased, and so did the importance of international problems and foreign policy in social life. Leninism, as a continuation and development of Marxism, could not but reflect these aspects of the new historical era.

p The very rise of Leninism and Lenin’s entire theoretical and practical activity was organically linked with the socioeconomic processes taking place throughout the world. Hence the need for an analysis and a more complete evaluation of the growing importance of the world situation and, in particular, the state and development of international relations.

p It is from this standpoint that we must view the Leninist theory of socialist revolution and its paramount proposition 17 of the possibility of socialist revolution being victorious initially in a few countries, or even in a single country. This conclusion arose from a comprehensive analysis of international factors. The exacerbation of class and other contradictions, wars and the entire development of international relations encouraged the growth of the revolutionary movement and the emergence of a revolutionary situation in certain countries.

p A direct connection between the prospects for socialist revolution in a particular country and the international situation became even more evident when the Leninist theory of socialist revolution was embodied in practice. The Russian Revolution of October 1917 amply demonstrated this connection: on the one hand, the victory of socialist revolution in Russia was to a certain extent influenced by the prevailing international situation; on the other hand, the revolution had the most profound effect on the world as a whole and on international relations in particular. The mutual connection, interdependence and intertwining of international relations and the class struggle within individual countries, in addition to the importance of the external factor in the revolutionary movement, all sharply increased as a result of the October Revolution which laid the start of a new historical epoch, one of transition from the old socio- economic system of capitalism to the new system of communism.

p Insofar as countries do not break away from the capitalist system simultaneously, the defeat of imperialism and the victory of the new socio-economic system on a worldwide scale presupposes a fairly lengthy simultaneous existence of socialist and capitalist states, and an acute struggle between them. The struggle between the two social systems is the crux of the Leninist theory of the world revolutionary process in the new era. The major contradiction of the present epoch, the contradiction between the two systems, embraces the whole area of international relations and foreign policy. This enhances the importance of this area in the overall revolutionary transformation of the world. It broadens the content of proletarian socialist internationalism which is becoming a major prerequisite of social progress and of 18 uniting all revolutionary forces for a further assault on imperialism.

p Hence it is a characteristic aspect of the theory and practice of Leninism in international relations that there should be an organic link between analysis of international issues and of general social problems of the epoch, problems of class struggle and the revolutionary movement. Today, this aspect has been further elaborated in the work of those who have continued Lenin’s cause, in the documents issued by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and of the world communist movement.

p Lenin’s creative approach to social phenomena, his sober analysis of events and his uniting of theory and practice, are exceptionally important, especially in the complex and swiftly changing contemporary international relations. He emphasised on more than one occasion that “truth is always specific”. Lenin criticised people who did not or would not see new phenomena and clung to outworn dogmas.  [18•* 

p Marx and Engels, too, were enemies of dogmatism. The creative basis of Marxism was time and again mentioned by Lenin: “It is precisely because Marxism is not a lifeless dogma, not a completed, ready-made, immutable doctrine, but a living guide to action, that it was bound to reflect the astonishingly abrupt change in the conditions of social life.”  [18•** 

p A creative attitude to theory and to actuality was invariably present in everything Lenin did. He was not afraid to review outmoded views and ideas and to put forward new conclusions and ideas as soon as historical experience and new facts began to accumulate. That approach enabled him to orientate himself and act correctly in the most confused, unusual and unexpected situations.

p After the October Revolution, which brought a radical turn-about in the historical situation, Lenin roundly criticised those Communists who allowed themselves to be distracted by “flash” slogans, and who "do not grasp the new socio- economic and political situation, do not take into consideration the change in the conditions”, and he reminded them that " 19 Marxism demands the consideration of objective conditions and their changes, that the question must be presented concretely as applicable to those conditions.  [19•* 

p The creative method used by Lenin has special importance today in analysing international relations.

p When we endeavour to analyse Lenin’s contribution to the study and development of international relations, to explain the importance of Leninism in order to understand and to transform these relations, we must consider the whole many-sided theoretical and practical activity of Lenin. The general propositions of Marxist philosophy and, above all, of historical materialism developed by Lenin play a major part in a scientific analysis of contemporary international relations. So, too, does his work on imperialism, his theory of socialist revolution and his analysis of the social, economic and political processes in capitalist countries.

p Moreover, a number of his works were directly devoted to the various specific phenomena of international affairs. Despite the fact that many ideas in these writings refer to other historical conditions, Lenin’s analysis of the roots, the nature and consequences of various international events retain their immediate political importance as well as their scientific and methodological value.

p Finally, of great importance too is that facet of Lenin’s work which is concerned with the foreign policy of the Soviet state which he headed. It reflects the historical experience of the Soviet Union and is connected with the radical change, engendered by the October Revolution, in the development of international relations which required a new approach to foreign issues. It was this radical change that ultimately determined the contemporary international situation and international relations. In that period there appeared the most clear-cut and close connection between theory and practice which was a feature of the entire work of Lenin, who always considered that “it is more pleasant and useful to go through the ‘experience of the revolution’ than to write about it”.  [19•**  The British Communist William 20 Paul recalls a conversation with Lenin in which Lenin said that the purpose of our theoretical views was to guide us in our revolutionary activity.

p Soviet foreign policy embodies the theoretical views of Lenin on international issues. Already in the early days of the Soviet state the function of Leninism as the most revolutionary theory of the time appeared as a transforming as well as an elucidatory function. Socialist foreign policy—the considered and purposive activity of the Communist Party and Soviet state internationally—became an ever greater force transforming international relations. In the sphere of theory and practice of Soviet foreign policy, the innovatory approach of Lenin and Leninists was readily apparent.

p Matters were complicated by the qualitative change in the position of the working class, by its transformation into the ruling class. Its vanguard found it hard to change, as one of the first Soviet diplomats, Georgi Chicherin, once remarked, “from its former thinking as an underground revolutionary party to the political realism of a government in power. . .”  [20•* 

p One of the difficulties was that the foreign policy of a socialist state surrounded by capitalist countries had not received any theoretical mention in the works of Marx and Engels inasmuch as they had not foreseen the possibility of the proletarian revolution triumphing in a single country. When they put forward the thesis that peace would be the international principle of the new society they based the idea on the principle that “its [every nation’s—Ed.) national ruler will be everywhere the same—Labour!”  [20•**  But in 1917 labour became the ruler only in Soviet Russia; most peoples at that time remained under the yoke of capital. A fundamentally new problem arose: in that connection it is worth recalling Lenin’s words: "It did not occur even to Marx to write a word on this subject; and he died without leaving a single precise statement or definite instruction on it. That is 21 why we must overcome the difficulty entirely by ourselves.”  [21•*  Lenin, in fact, successfully coped with that problem and elaborated, in the most difficult historical circumstances of that time, the theory, strategy and tactics of foreign policy for the working people who had come to power in one single country.

p Lenin’s foreign policy was based on a genuine scientific analysis of objective conditions, a profound knowledge of the laws of social development and an all-round consideration of the alignment and balance of world forces.

p As the direct leader of Soviet home and foreign policy, Lenin not only called to “seek new ways of solving our international problems,”  [21•**  he also provided excellent models for their solution in the unparalleled difficult circumstances of the first years of Soviet power—the fierce class struggle, the Civil War, foreign military intervention, diplomatic and economic blockade, and economic dislocation.

p Lenin considered that the main national and international task of the victorious socialist revolution was to organise the economy and to take practical steps in the direction of socialism. “The struggle in this field,” he said, “has now become global. Once we solve this problem, we shall have certainly and finally won on an international scale.”  [21•***  The main aim of Soviet foreign policy was to secure the most favourable international conditions for restoring the economy, increasing production and building socialism.

p The fundamental principles of socialist foreign policy— proletarian internationalism and peaceful coexistence between states with different social systems—were established and thoroughly worked out during Lenin’s activity as the head of the Soviet state. Lenin’s foreign policy concept took full account of the real situation in the world and inside the country, and helped to resolve the urgent tasks of building a socialist community.

p To restore and develop the Soviet economy not only answered the pressing needs of devastated and impoverished 22 Russia, it also signalled the fulfilment of its internationalist duty in relation to the oppressed and exploited people throughout the world. To preserve and to fortify the first socialist state in the world, Lenin wrote, is “most important to us and to the international socialist movement”.  [22•*  He underlined this idea at various stages of Soviet development.

p “For the dictatorship of the proletariat to acquire world significance, it had to be consolidated in practice in some one country.”  [22•** 

p Lenin attributed great significance in the fight against imperialism to the force of socialist example and to socialist peaceful policy. He noted that the propagandist and revolutionising effect of this example would be immense.

p “Our socialist Republic of Soviets will stand secure, as a torch of international socialism and as an example to all the working people. Over there—conflict, war, bloodshed, the sacrifice of millions of people, capitalist exploitation; here—a genuine policy of peace and a socialist Republic of Soviets.”  [22•*** 

p In 1919, Lenin described the first Soviet Constitution as “a triumph we have achieved over the international imperialists.”  [22•**** 

p The theoretical and practical significance of Lenin’s work in foreign policy has been borne out by the experience of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. Today the question of the importance of Lenin’s conception of socialist foreign policy, of the entire Leninist foreign-policy heritage, of their relevance to contemporary conditions for the Soviet Union and other socialist countries is exceedingly topical.

p The Leninist approach to international relations is a genuinely scientific approach that relies on the fundamental principles of historical materialism and revolutionary dialectics, on an analysis of these relations in development and 23 in unbreakable association with profound socio-economic processes and the class struggle. It is a class approach also in the sense that international relations and events are assessed from the standpoint of the interests of the proletariat and all working people, and that the practical activity of the Party in foreign policy is subordinate to the interests of the world revolutionary process. Finally, the Leninist approach is conspicuous for its high degree of specificity, for its flexibility and realism, for taking account of objective conditions and subjective factors, and the causes, ties and consequences of a particular event.

p The Leninist approach to international issues and foreign policy lies at the basis of the theoretical and practical activity of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Soviet state and the world communist movement.

p Problems of international relations and analysis of the tasks of the proletariat and all working people in foreign policy have always received considerable attention in the decisions taken at Party congresses, in the documents of the Communist International and at meetings of Communist and Workers’ Parties.

p The creative furtherance of Leninism as applied to international relations has acquired particularly great importance since the Second World War, during which time the world has seen new changes that have affected every aspect of the life of society. These changes have included above all the expansion and deepening of the world revolutionary process, the rise of new socialist states and the conversion of socialism into a world system, the upsurge in the national liberation movement and the downfall of the imperialist colonial system, and the aggravation of the general crisis of capitalism. Huge changes have taken place in the development of the productive forces due to the scientific and technological revolution.

p These and many other changes have made it necessary to give deep thought to the major issues of world development, and scientifically to analyse the alignment of class forces in the world today. Without a precise Marxist analysis of the results and trends in world development, it would be impossible to determine the basic direction of the world communist 24 and workers’ movement, to outline the most effective ways of attaining its great aims in the present situation, and to formulate the basic tasks of the international activity of Communist Parties, in particular, the main directions of the foreign policy of the socialist countries.

p The Communist Party of the Soviet Union, creatively developing Marxism-Leninism in a principled fight against dogmatism, Right- and “Left”-wing revisionism and against nationalism, is successfully carrying out its role as a continuer of the cause of Lenin and as the vanguard of the world communist movement.

p The major steps taken in this direction have been the decisions of the 20th CPSU Congress, the documents of the International Meetings of Representatives of Communist and Workers’ Parties in 1957, 1960 and 1969, the CPSU Programme, the documents of the 23rd and 24th CPSU congresses, the resolutions of plenary meetings of the CPSU Central Committee and the celebration of the Lenin centenary and of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Union.

p The importance of these documents of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the world communist movement lies mainly in their profound analysis of new phenomena of the present day, and changes in the alignment of class forces in the world; they have set and elaborated fresh propositions on radical and fundamental issues of international development. In posing these questions and analysing the factors that determine further historical prospects as well as the course of present events, they make a decisive contribution to working out the correct strategy and tactics of the world revolutionary movement.

p Participants in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties that took place in Moscow on June 5-17, 1969, once again underlined the importance of Lenin’s work: "Communists regard it as their task firmly to uphold the revolutionary principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism in the struggle against all enemies, steadfastly to make them a living reality, constantly to develop Marxist-Leninist theory and enrich it on the basis of present experience of waging the class struggle and building 25 socialist society. Communists will always be true to the creative spirit of Leninism.”  [25•* 

Creative Leninist thought, which is being developed in conformity with the new historical conditions, provides the only true key to a study and understanding of the nature of contemporary international relations and their place among other aspects of the life of society, to an analysis of the balance of power in the world and to an understanding of the major, burning issues of world politics.